Ukraine Isn’t the Model for Winning the Innovation War

Ukraine's widely praised defense innovation model may not be an effective template for Western nations to follow. While its decentralized procurement system helped in the early stages of the war, it ultimately led to systemic issues like corruption and a fragmented array of incompatible technologies. In contrast, Russia's centralized approach to developing and scaling defense technology, such as drones, is proving more resilient and suitable for sustained conflict. This experience suggests that the West should critically examine Ukraine's ad-hoc methods before adopting them for strategic competition with major powers.