Thousands of outdated Russian tanks have been obliterated by Ukrainian drones, reshaping modern warfare. Yet, according to British military expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, this does not mark the death of the tank—only the end of the obsolete models.
Writing in The Telegraph, the former head of the UK’s Joint CBRN Regiment and NATO’s Rapid Reaction CBRN Battalion said modern tanks equipped with cutting edge technology such as electronic jammers and Active Defence Systems (ADS) still have a future. He pointed to Israel’s advanced Merkava tanks as proof, which remain effective even under drone attacks.
In Ukraine, drone dominance has changed the battlefield. Old Soviet tanks, like the ones Russia continues to send into the conflict, have proven vulnerable and ineffective. Ukraine’s use of tools like Starlink, relay drones and even fibre-optic cable connections has helped it counter Russian jamming and retain the upper hand in electronic warfare.
Reports have occasionally surfaced that Russian tank crews refuse to fight out of fear of Ukrainian drones. These decisions, while brave, are often met with brutal punishment by Russian commanders.
De Bretton-Gordon argues that controlling the electromagnetic spectrum is now key to victory. “He who controls this, controls the battle space and will win the war,” he stated. While drones and artificial intelligence are central to this shift, he insisted that leadership and adaptability remain just as vital.
He warned that Britain is poorly prepared for this type of warfare. With the Strategic Defence Review due next week, he urged immediate investment and reform. “We need to be able to operate on a drone battlefield without being cut to pieces,” he said. The pace of technological change has outstripped strategic planning.
In addition to better equipment, he called for a return to Mission Command—empowering junior officers to act quickly without awaiting top-level orders. “A commander who waits when an opportunity appears is not a real officer at all,” he said.
Despite the rise of drones and cyber war, the core principles of combat endure. De Bretton-Gordon concluded that while the tank may no longer dominate alone, it still belongs on the battlefield—if modernised.
Meanwhile, in Kyiv, a delegation of US senators delivered a sharp warning to the Kremlin. Senator Lindsey Graham said fresh sanctions could strike the Russian economy with what he called a “bone crushing” impact. The sanctions aim to target Russia’s energy exports, with particular attention to Chinese firms buying discounted Russian oil.
If Beijing continues this practice, the US Senate is considering a five hundred percent tariff on Chinese goods entering the United States. Graham also called for Russia’s frozen £235 billion ($300 billion) in European banks to be seized and used to fund Ukrainian defence and reconstruction.
He said the only way to avoid further penalties is for the Russian dictator to agree to an honest ceasefire and begin genuine peace talks—something the Kremlin shows no interest in doing.
Graham dismissed comments from Donald Trump that Ukraine lacks strong cards. “The world has a lot of cards against Russia,” he countered, adding that the United States Congress is ready to act, regardless of Trump’s views.
