Where can you score 12 points for killing a Russian soldier in a drone attack, 20 for damaging a tank and up to 50 for destroying a mobile rocket system? Not on the latest video game, but rather through Ukraine’s Army of Drones Bonus (ADB) programme.

Launched shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, before being revamped in 2025, the ADB programme is where points win prizes. Military units can use the points and virtual tokens they have accrued to buy drones and other frontline equipment to use in the conflict from the Ukrainian government’s Brave1 website.

By August 2025, military equipment worth over US$5 million (£3.7 million) had been delivered via this marketplace as digital rewards for “playing” ADB. The scheme has since extended to reconnaissance and logistics operations, while capturing a Russian soldier now grants ten times more points than killing one.

The ADB programme is an example of what researchers call the “gamification” of war – where video game-like features are integrated into military training and combat operations. Ukraine’s former defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who was removed from his post in July, has said “motivation” is a key rationale for the ADB programme.

“When we change the point values, we can see how motivation changes,” he stated in 2025. Ukraine’s government has described the ADB programme as “delivering results”, with submitted video evidence confirming nearly 820,000 Russian targets were hit in 2025. Increased numbers of Ukrainian military units are also now participating in the competition.

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ENDS