Ukraine's new reward system turns combat success into firepower
Ukraine has created a macabre points scheme based on video games to boost the effectiveness of its soldiers, Politico reports. The points earned can be exchanged for weapons for their own unit.
What do you need to know?
- Point System: Ukraine has implemented a point system that rewards soldiers for destroying Russian equipment and eliminating enemies. Points can be exchanged for weapons.
- Brave 1 Market Platform: Points earned by soldiers will be exchanged for weaponry through the Brave 1 Market platform, which acts like a "Amazon for the military."
- Increasing Efficiency: The program aims to increase the efficiency of Ukrainian formations by directly purchasing needed equipment, bypassing bureaucratic procedures.
The program, called the Drone Army Bonus, awards points for documented drone hits on Russian targets. The initiative is set to be linked with the Brave 1 Market platform, which will allow the exchange of points for modern military equipment.
Brave 1 Market will be like Amazon for the military, [it] will allow military units to directly purchase technologies they need on the war front, explained Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.
Destroying a tank earns 40 points, while damaging it grants 20. Eliminating a Russian soldier is worth 6 points, and a mobile missile system can earn up to 50 points depending on its class.
The collected points can be exchanged, for example, for a Vampire drone, which is worth 43 points. One of the Ukrainian formations has already collected over 16,000 points, allowing for the purchase of hundreds of FPV drones and machines for night operations and reconnaissance missions.
The system is designed to reward the most effective units, streamline equipment delivery, and reduce reliance on bureaucracy, Politico reports. Soldiers will also be able to add reviews about the purchased weaponry, making future choices easier for others.
The ability to earn points for combat effectiveness also fuels competition between formations. "They started killing so quickly that Ukraine does not have time to deliver new drones," Fedorov says.
According to him, the system is continually evolving. For instance, increasing the number of points for eliminating infantry from 2 to 6 resulted in a twofold increase in enemy casualties in a month. This is not just a system of motivation, this is a mechanism that changes the rules of war, emphasizes the Vice Prime Minister.
