Ukraine launches new points for killing Russians scheme

Kill Russian soldiers, win points: Is Ukraine's new drone scheme gamifying war?

8 hours ago Share Save Paul Adams Diplomatic correspondent in Kyiv Share Save

BBC/Xavier Vanpevenaege Ukrainian soldiers can trade videos of confirmed kills for points, which they can use to buy equipment

The images come in every day. Thousands of them. Men and equipment being hunted down along Ukraine's long, contested front lines. Everything filmed, logged and counted. And now put to use too, as the Ukrainian military tries to extract every advantage it can against its much more powerful opponent. 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. And like a killstreak in Call of Duty, or a 1970s TV game show, points mean prizes. "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." Call it the gamification of war. 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 the man behind the e-points scheme, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation.

BBC/Xavier Vanpevenaege Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, shows the BBC's Paul Adams how the system works

But 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 flying robots now account for an estimated 70% of all Russian deaths and injuries. Since the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion, social media feeds have been full of drone videos, usually set to soundtracks of thudding heavy metal music. The turret of a tank, exploding in a ball of flame. A lone soldier, fending off an attacking drone with a rifle or a stick. It can make for gruesome viewing. Each video celebrating the death of an opponent. The video going fuzzy as the drone explodes. But beyond a sense of grim satisfaction, hard-pressed front-line units now operate in the knowledge that evidence of their exploits can bring them rewards.

BBC/Xavier Vanpevenaege Units can spend hard-earned points on new equipment on the government website, Brave1

The BBC reached out to more than a dozen units to find out what front line soldiers make of the scheme. The responses were mixed. "In general, my comrades and I are positive," said Volodymyr, a soldier from the 108th Territorial Defence Brigade. He asked us not to use his surname. At a time when frontline units are burning through equipment, especially attack drones, at a ferocious rate, Volodymyr says the e-points scheme is proving useful. "This is a way to make up for what we lose… while inflicting losses on the enemy as effectively as possible." The 22nd Mechanised Brigade, currently fighting in the north-east of the country, has had about three months to get used to the new system. "Once we figured out how it works, it turned out to be quite a decent system," said a soldier from the 22nd with the callsign Jack. "Our lads are worn out, and nothing really motivates them anymore," Jack said. "But this system helps. The drones are provided through this programme, and the lads get rewarded. It's a decent motivation." But others are less convinced.

Getty Images After three and a half years of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian troops are exhausted

"The fundamental issue of motivation isn't resolved by this," said a soldier who asked only to be identified by his callsign, Snake. "Points won't stop people fleeing from the military." A soldier who identified himself as Dymytro sent us a lengthy response in which he complained that units were spending too much time trying to claim each other's hits or would deliberately attack a Russian vehicle that had already been disabled, in order to earn more points. For Dymytro, the whole concept seemed morally dubious. "This system is just a result of our twisted mental habit of turning everything into profit," Dymytro complained, "even our own damned death." But the e-points scheme is typical of the way Ukraine has fought this war: creative, out-of-the-box thinking designed to make the most of the country's innovative skills and minimise the effect of its numerical disadvantage. Fedorov says 90-95% of fighting units are now participating, providing a steady stream of useful data. "We've started receiving quality information and making decisions based on it," he says. "By collecting data, we can propose changes, but the foundation is always military strategy."

BBC/Xavier Vanpevenaege Mykhailo Fedorov says the government is using the data to make strategic decisions