Ukraine launches new points for killing Russians

Images come every day. Thousands of them.

Men and equipment that hunt long, disputed lines of Ukraine. Everything is removed, registered and counted.

And now it is also used because the Ukrainian military is trying to gain all the benefits that he can against his much more powerful opponent.

According to the scheme, which was first tested last year and called the “Army of Damers: Bonus” (also known as “electronic points”), units can earn points for each killed Russian soldiers or destroyed equipment.

And as Killstreak in the Call of Duty, or the 1970 television show, shows what prizes mean.

“The more strategically important and large-scale the goal, the more points the unit gets,” the Brave 1 team said in a statement from the government and the military.

“For example, the destruction of the enemy with many missile systems earns up to 50 points; 40 points were awarded for the destroyed reservoir and 20 for the damaged.”

What is the gameification of war.

Each downloaded video is now carefully analyzed in Kiev, where the points are presented in accordance with the permanently developing set of military priorities.

“I think, first of all, it is about qualitative data, mathematics of war and understanding how to use limited resources more effectively,” says a man behind the electronic points, Mikhail Fedorov, the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

But after three and a half years of grinding, the whole war, the system has another life use.

“It’s also about motivation,” Fedorov says. “When we change the points’ values, we see how motivation changes.”

Fedorov’s office has a huge video with dozens of live channels from Ukrainian drones flying along the front line.

Together, the channels provide a vivid look at the war of the Ukrainian drone, in which the commanders claim that flying robots now make up 70% of all Russian deaths and injuries.

From the first days, a full -scale invasion of Russian channels in social media were full videos with drones, usually set to the soundtracks that Heavy Metal Music sounded.

Tower Tank, exploding into the ball flame. A lone soldier who reflected from the attack drone rifle or stick.

This can do a terrible viewing. Each video that celebrates the enemy’s death. The video goes vague when the drone explodes.

But outside the sense of gloomy pleasure, the rigid pressing of the front line is now acting in the knowledge that evidence of their feats can bring them awards.

The BBC has addressed more than a dozen units to find out what the soldiers are doing the front line. The answers were ambiguous.

“In general, we are positive with comrades,” said Floodimmer, a soldier from the 108th Territorial Defense Brigade. He asked us not to use his last name.

At a time when the frontline divisions are burning through the equipment, especially the attacks of drones, with a fierce speed, VolodyMyr says the electronic points scheme is useful.

“This is a way to replenish what we lose … When drawing the enemy’s loss, it is as effective as possible.”

In the 22nd Mechanized Brigade, which is now fighting in the northeast of the country, it was used to the new system.

“After we found out how it works, it turned out to be a pretty decent system,” said a soldier from the 22nd Jack.

“Our guys are worn out and nothing motivates them,” Jack said. “But this system helps. Drones are provided through this program, and the guys receive a reward. This is a decent motivation.”

But others are less convinced.

“The fundamental issue of motivation is not resolved,” said the soldier who only asked him to be identified by his call.

“Glasses will not stop the people who escape from the military.”

A soldier who called himself Dimiter sent us a long answer, complaining that the units were spending too much time trying to demand each other hits or intentionally attack a Russian vehicle that was already a disabled person to earn more points.

For dymytro, the whole concept seemed morally dubious.

“This system is just the result of our swirling mental habit to turn everything into a profit,” Dimitra complained, “even our damn death.”

But the scheme of electronic points is characteristic of how Ukraine fought with this war: creative, non -standard thinking, designed to make the maximum part of the country’s innovative skills and minimize the effect of its numerical deficiency.

Fedorov says that 90-95% of combat units are now involved, providing a constant flow of useful data.

“We started receiving quality information and making decisions based on it,” he says.

“By collecting data, we can offer changes, but the basis is always a military strategy.”

In an anonymous office block in Kyiv we met some analysts whose task is to pour footage, check each hit and reward in a responsible unit.

We were asked not to reveal the place and not to use the real names.

“We have two categories: hit and destroyed,” Volodya told us. “So, different number of electronic points go to different categories.”

It turns out that encouraging a Russian soldier to surrender costs more points than murder – prisoners of war can always be used in future transactions for the exchange of prisoners.

“If for one … killed Russian, you get one moment,” said Valodia, “if you capture it, you multiply it by 10”.

The Volodia team analyzes thousands of hits every day.

“The most difficult thing is artillery,” he said, showing us a video of a drone that moves through the trees and in the trench where the gun is hiding.

“The Russians are hiding very well and dig.”

As Russia’s tactics develop, there is also an electronic system.

The Moscow increase in the use of small, interest units, foot or motorcycles, means that the cost of an individual soldier has grown compared to a reservoir or other armored vehicles.

“While earlier the murder of the opponent soldier earned 2 points,” the statement of the brave 1 read: “Now he earns 6.”

And the operators of the enemy drones are always more valuable than the drones themselves.

The award system is also clarified.

So far, the units have been able to transform their scores into cash, which many used together with the search crowd to buy very necessary additional equipment.

Now the electronic points system directly integrates into what is called Brave 1 Market, which designers describe as “Amazon for war”.

Soldiers can view more than 1600 products, use their accumulated points, buy items directly from manufacturers and leave reviews, and the Ministry of Defense then select the tab.

The Brave 1 Market is designed for seating near traditional, bulky military purchases rather than replace it. I hope the units will have faster access to the prevailing items: from drones to components and unmanned land vehicles (UGV) that can evacuate wounded soldiers from dangerous positions.

Scores for murder. Amazon for the war. For some ears, all this may seem cruel, even soulless.

But it is a war, and Ukraine is determined. Struggling as efficiently and efficiently as possible.