Ukraine's use of drones is helping its cause against Russia. CBS News' Holly Williams got a close look at the machinery employed by the Ukrainians.

Kharkiv

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Ukraine has significantly increased its use of advanced drones in the ongoing conflict with Russia, with drones now accounting for a large proportion of military casualties. Ukrainian forces have established specialized training centers and are deploying both aerial and ground drones, which have helped to offset their numerical disadvantage against Russian troops. 

Despite ongoing peace efforts, Russia maintains a slight advantage on the battlefield and President Vladimir Putin has expressed reluctance to pursue a peace agreement. Ukrainian advances in drone technology are being closely monitored by the U.S. military, as these innovations may influence future warfare and negotiations.

How Ukraine's drones are revolutionizing warfare with Russia

Turning now to ongoing efforts to stop the war in Ukraine. President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Special Envoy Steve Wyckoff are set to meet with Ukrainian officials in Miami today after they held talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow Tuesday. Amid this push for peace, the fighting continues with Russia claiming gains along the front lines. But Ukraine is trying to counter that with technology. CBS News Senior Foreign Correspondent Holly Williams is there. Ukraine's military has turned this run-down warehouse into a training school for drone operators. They call it the Kill House Academy. You have to be cold in your hat, don't have a hot hat. DC told us he doesn't know how many Russians he's killed on the battlefield. Now he's training others to compete with Russian drone operators. So it's like an arms race, but with drones? Exactly. It's only those who survive who adapt. Adaptability is the key. So it's a constant race for us and for them to find an upper hand over the enemy. Drones now account for 80% of military casualties in Ukraine by some estimates. They're revolutionizing warfare and a way of leveling the playing field for the outnumbered Ukrainians. Beginning with more rudimentary versions at the start of the war, now Ukraine's thought to produce millions of drones a year, many of them cutting edge. The technology's so advanced, both sides are using drones to hunt down individual soldiers. This was a close call. The Ukrainians are also using sea drones and these ground drones that lay mines. It's a mini armoured vehicle. With the ground models, Vladimir told us the Ukrainians have the advantage. They're trying to do similar things, but as for now, we are ahead. You're ahead? Ahead of them. What's happening here on the front line in Ukraine has big ramifications for the United States and any future wars. We've heard from the US military that they are watching closely and learning from the Ukrainians. Errol. A real eye-opening report there. Help our viewers understand how what's happening on the battlefield is impacting these ongoing peace negotiations we've seen over the past few weeks. Well, Errol, look, Russia currently has the advantage, the upper hand on the battlefield. It's not a huge advantage, but the Russians are very slowly, very painfully taking ground from the Ukrainians. Now, that's probably one reason that Vladimir Putin doesn't really look or sound like a man who wants to do a peace deal. Just today, he said that a solution to the situation in Ukraine was a, quote, difficult task. And recently, he said it was pointless to sign documents with the Ukrainian leadership. I think there are other reasons also that he's reluctant, including that he seems to have tied his political legacy to the war in Ukraine, which has cost around a million Russian casualties. That's Russian casualties, according to the most recent estimates. Look, the Ukrainians are outnumbered on the battlefield and there's nothing they can do about that. But if they can tip the balance with military technology, then maybe that changes Vladimir Putin's calculus when it comes to doing some kind of a peace deal. As for how things look on the Ukrainian side, every Ukrainian that we have spoken to here desperately wants this war to stop. They have been through a hellish time for nearly four years now. They obviously never wanted this invasion, but many Ukrainians are opposed to a peace deal that is imposed on them by the US that forces them to hand over territory to Russia and that doesn't stop Vladimir Putin from invading their country again in the future. Holly Williams with that reporting from Kyiv, where it is cloudy and 2.45 in the afternoon there. Holly, thank you very much.

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How Ukraine's drones are revolutionizing warfare with Russia

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Ukraine Invasion