The latest news on the Ukraine and Russia War. The conflict provoked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine is at a fever pitch after the latest military operations, first Ukraine's destruction of Russia's air force, then Putin's drone counter-offensive. Peace still seems to be on the distant horizon, and it is sometimes difficult to find ways to keep soldiers who have been on the front lines for many months motivated and effective.
Ukraine has taken a curious initiative to motivate its troops. It has set up a system of bonuses and prizes redeemable for points, as reported by the BBC, and these points are earned through videos and certifications of confirmed enemy casualties. That's right, Ukraine has gamified the war, turned it into a game.
As if it were Call of Duty, last year the Zelenskyy government began to implement the "Army of Drones: Bonus" programme last year, rewarding its drone pilots and technicians with points that could then be exchanged for prizes if they submitted credible videos showing destruction of enemy military equipment or, directly, evidence of confirmed casualties. This system has now been extended to the entire military, and it seems to be having an effect. Hundreds of videos arrive daily and are carefully analysed in Kiev for veracity.
"The more strategically important and large-scale the target, the more points a unit will receive," reads a statement from the Brave 1 team, which brings together government and military experts.
"For example, destroying an enemy multiple rocket launch system awards up to 50 points; 40 points are awarded for a destroyed tank and 20 for a damaged one."
"I think, first and foremost, it's about quality data, the mathematics of warfare and understanding how to use limited resources more effectively," says the man behind the e-points programme, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation.
Right now, drone use accounts for 70% of all successful Ukrainian actions against the Russian military, so it is a motivational bonus that drone pilot expertise is rewarded beyond the conflict.