Zelensky's towns burn under cheap drones: How China is outsmarting West in Russia’s war on Ukraine

The biggest drone strike in the Ukraine-Russia war’s history has just taken place. But this wasn’t just about military retaliation, it was a show of force, tech, and alliances. In this episode of Grey Zone, Ananya Dutta unpacks how drones are no longer just tools of war—they are rewriting its very DNA. We dive into Ukraine’s “Operation Spiderweb,” where cheap FPV drones allegedly outsmarted Russia’s air fleet using AI. Then comes the counter: Russia's massive retaliatory strike powered by swarm drones, fiber-optics, and Chinese tech. From Mavic drone diplomacy to alleged deployment of Chinese laser weapons on the battlefield, what is really happening in the skies over Ukraine? Has the Ukraine war turned into a global testing ground for next-gen weaponry? Is the China-Russia drone alliance reshaping warfare in real-time? And what happens when innovation is driven not in labs, but in live combat zones?