Kyiv, July 19 (UNI) The outgunned and outnumbered Ukrainian military is trying to extract every advantage it can against its much more powerful opponent — Russia.
Under a scheme first trialled last year and dubbed “Army of Drones: Bonus” (also known as “e-points”), units can earn points for each Russian soldier killed or piece of equipment destroyed, reports BBC.
“The more strategically important and large-scale the target, the more points a unit receives,” reads a statement from the team at Brave 1, which brings together experts from government and the military.
“For example, destroying an enemy multiple rocket launch system earns up to 50 points; 40 points are awarded for a destroyed tank and 20 for a damaged one.”
Each uploaded video is now carefully analysed back in Kyiv, where points are awarded according to a constantly evolving set of military priorities.
“I think, first and foremost, it’s about quality data, the mathematics of war, and understanding how to use limited resources more effectively,” says BBC quoting the man behind the e-points scheme, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation.
After three and a half long years of grinding, all-out war, the system has another vital use.
“It’s also about motivation,” Fedorov says. “When we change the point values, we can see how motivation changes.”
Fedorov’s office sports a huge video screen with dozens of live feeds from Ukrainian drones flying over the front lines.
Together, the feeds provide a vivid glimpse into Ukraine’s drone war, in which commanders claim drones now account for an estimated 70 percent of all Russian deaths and injuries.
