[Petrochemicals (OP)]

The Ukraine military seems to be reducing to ruins the modern army of Russia with little more than cheap drones and rockets. It seems that a new type of warfare is becoming dominant with new technology cheaply laying waste to conventional hardwear. Is this the end of the military as we know it, such as was the advent of gunpowder, the dreadnought battleship and aircraft?

[evan_au]

What has not changed since the 1950s is the fear of starting World War 3 with nuclear weapons.

Perhaps a new paradigm is the availability of high-speed internet in a warzone.
We see daily TV interviews with members of the Ukrainian parliament, and members of the public in the besieged cities, along with photos of burnt-out tanks and damaged houses.

History is written by the victors

In this case, the victims are making a lot of noise internationally, so their side of the events is getting a lot of airtime.

This is a big change from many other conflicts in Africa, Asia and the Americas, where the victims have no way of getting their message to the outside world.
I think it is also true that "Western" countries pay a lot more attention to conflicts involving "white" people.

[alancalverd]

Sadly, the scum in charge of Russia seem not to have learned anything from events in Afghanistan or Vietnam. People do not like to be invaded, and modern infantry weapons are very effective against heavy armor. Destruction of civilian targets in WWII did not suppress nationalism and the will to fight.

I think the historical pitched battle faded out some time between 1943 (Kursk) and 1967 (Sinai) and has been replaced by guerrilla defence against armored invasion, with the guerrillas winning every time. Little point will be served by Russian occupation of Odessa if nobody will trade with them and any Russian ship leaving the port will be bombed.

[Petrochemicals (OP)]

The drones provide visual positioning for the targets and monitoring of positions. If you add this to the new capabilities mobile phones and similar cheap technology add, most expensive hardwear seems to be outdated.

[alancalverd]

High-altitude drones are not cheap but they are a good investment. A Predator can loiter for a day or so at 50,000 ft and discharge AGM114-series missiles. At £100k or so an antiship Hellfire is real value for money, as unfortunate Russian mariners may yet discover.