War is, above all, about spending. Massive spending. For example, one day of war costs Ukraine approximately $170-175 million – nearly Hr.7 billion. Every single day. These figures include military salaries and bonuses, ammunition, equipment, treatment for the wounded, compensation for the families of fallen soldiers, food, fuel, logistics, and keeping the army supplied 24/7 with everything required to conduct effective combat operations. Weapons procurement that consumes the lion’s share of this budget. The lengthy process of weapons development, production, frontline delivery, maintenance, and actual deployment all add up to tens of millions of dollars daily.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The war in Ukraine has shown that “expensive” does not always mean “effective.” On the contrary, in many cases, small, simple, and affordable devices have proven far more effective than complex systems developed over decades and costing states tens of millions of dollars. Helicopters, aircraft, and armored vehicles have suddenly become vulnerable to devices that cost hundreds or even thousands of times less. For example, an FPV drone costs on average $400-1,000, while a larger strike UAV costs around $20,000. By comparison, tanks are valued at $2-10 million, armored vehicles up to $3 million, and missiles range from tens of thousands to several million dollars per unit. Looking at these numbers, the conclusion is obvious: a relatively inexpensive drone can destroy equipment worth hundreds of times more. But let’s not confuse efficiency with cheapness. Weapons have not suddenly become “affordable” – every device still carries a significant cost. What Ukraine has demonstrated is that targets can be neutralized without requiring multi-billion-dollar defense budgets.