Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used his address on the opening day of the NATO Summit in Ankara to showcase Ukraine’s battlefield innovations, arguing that its military has become an asset to the alliance while urging allies to step up air defence support and accelerate Kiev’s path to membership.
Speaking at the NATO Defence Industry Forum in Ankara, Zelenskyy said Russia’s invasion had fundamentally transformed warfare, with drones emerging as the defining weapon of modern conflict.
“War has changed fundamentally,” he said, comparing the impact of drone technology to the introduction of machine guns during the First World War and tanks during the Second World War.
Highlighting Ukraine’s battlefield successes, Zelenskyy claimed Kiev now eliminates around 30,000 Russian soldiers every month, with the overwhelming majority struck by drones. He said nearly 28,000 Russian troops were killed in June alone, adding that Ukraine had video confirmation for every case.
The Ukrainian leader also touted Kiev’s expanding long-range strike capability, saying Ukrainian drones had erased Russia’s long-held strategic advantage of geographic depth.
“We have completely eliminated the very idea of Russia having a strategic rear,” he said, noting that Ukrainian drones had struck military and energy infrastructure deep inside Russia, including an oil refinery in Siberia.
Asserting that Ukraine has “the world’s largest and the most advanced drone warfare capability,” Zelenskyy urged allies to deepen cooperation through Kiev’s “Drone Deal” initiative, which includes joint production, technology sharing and the development of counter-drone systems.
He also singled out Türkiye among Ukraine’s key defence partners.
