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The myth of the 'coup de grâce'. The fatal error of the great powers in the face of the battlefield that has become comp
🇷🇴 Romania /Conflict & Security

The myth of the 'coup de grâce'. The fatal error of the great powers in the face of the battlefield that has become completely transparent

From Adevărul · () Romanian

Translated from Romanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Context piece
  • Drones and electronic warfare systems have created a "total transparency" on the battlefield, rendering traditional military doctrines obsolete.
  • Soldiers face unprecedented risks, with drone swarms turning vehicles into targets and forcing slow, ground-based infiltration.
  • Global conflicts are increasing, with 65 state conflicts active in 2025, the highest level in 80 years, indicating a systemic fracture in global security.

The rapid evolution of drones and electronic warfare systems has ushered in an era of "total battlefield transparency," fundamentally challenging traditional military doctrines held by major powers, according to an analysis by The Economist.

total transparency

— The EconomistDescribing the new reality of the battlefield due to advancements in drone and electronic warfare technology.

This new reality has made infantry service brutally difficult. In eastern Ukraine's "exclusion zone," dictated by drone swarms, any vehicle becomes an easy target for camouflaged Russian operators. Ukrainian soldiers attempting to link up with comrades in Mirnograd were forced into slow, weeks-long ground infiltrations through forests, turning troop rotations into months-long missions. This contrasts sharply with operations elsewhere, such as the reported Israeli and American airstrikes on Iran, which utilized advanced sensors and even hacked surveillance cameras.

The single option left was slow, on-foot infiltration through massive forests, a process that can take weeks, turning troop rotations into missions that stretch over months.

— The EconomistIllustrating the challenges faced by Ukrainian soldiers due to drone surveillance.

The world has entered an age of "full tactical transparency," where leaders' pursuit of quick victories is often illusory, leading instead to positional attrition. Data from monitoring institutes reveals a systemic breakdown in global security architecture. The Uppsala Conflict Data Program recorded 65 active state conflicts in 2025, the highest number since 1946. The Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) confirms that despite a slight decrease in frontline fatalities in 2023, the past four years have been the most violent globally since the Cold War's end.

humanity has entered the era of full tactical transparency

— The EconomistConcluding that both conflicts analyzed converge on this new reality.

"Tactical transparency" rests on three pillars: dense sensor networks, high-precision firepower, and instant data transmission via digital networks. The drone is merely the visible manifestation of this metamorphosis, driven by a "hallucinatory" pace of innovation, according to British Vice-Admiral Simon Stradgin.

The illusion of a quick and easy victory

— The EconomistDescribing the flawed belief guiding world leaders' decisions on war.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Adevărul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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