Ukraine has relied on its armed naval drones to battle Russia's Black Sea Fleet in a display of asymmetric warfare.

Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, endured two consecutive nights of Russian strikes this weekend. The latest overnight attack on Oct. 26 saw drones and ballistic missiles raining down on the city. In total, five people were killed, and more than fifty others were injured.

Ukraine’s drones are setting new standards for self-piloting on the battlefield. Full autonomy, however, remains well out of reach — and is likely to stay there. The broader vision of drones operating fully independently of pilots remains something of a holy grail for drone developers,

Interceptor drones, once a far-fetched experiment, are now a cornerstone of Ukraine's air defense, downing Russian Shaheds. NATO is watching closely.