WAR WITHOUT HUMANS? RUSSIA’S DRONE STRIKE AND THE BEGINNING OF AUTONOMOUS WARFARE

This paper analyses the intersection between emergent military technologies and the normative architecture of international law, using Russia’s deployment of drones and Autonomous Weapon Systems (AWS) in Ukraine as a case study. It examines whether such deployments comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution under International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and evaluates their implications for accountability under the Rome Statute. Drawing on verified reports of civilian targeting, the study identifies operational patterns indicative of systemic non-compliance, raising credible war crimes concerns. Beyond these immediate breaches, the paper addresses the strategic and ethical ramifications of warfare conducted with minimal or no human intervention, highlighting its potential to undermine legal accountability and humanitarian safeguards. It further exposes the inadequacy of existing international legal instruments in regulating AWS, arguing for the urgent creation of dynamic, forward-looking legal frameworks that evolve in step with technological progress. The analysis concludes that without a deliberate alignment between regulatory mechanisms and technological innovation, the protective core of IHL will erode, threatening both the legitimacy and the effectiveness of the international legal order.