Great game on the Ukrainian front

The first information about the strategy appeared in 2024, and its dynamic improvement took place in 2025. The ePoints rule is comparatively simple. Soldiers carrying out a combat task must paper its effect. In practice, this is most frequently done with recordings of reconnaissance or impact drones. The materials then go to the DELTA system, the Ukrainian battlefield management platform, where they are verified and evaluated by scoring.

How much is simply a Russian mark worth?

The number of points awarded depends on the kind of mark and its meaning. The strategy is regularly updated, so the different rates changed with the programme's development. Ukrainian authorities do not print full, up-to-date point tables – these data are partially protected.

In the first period of operation of the program, six points were awarded for the elimination of the Russian soldier. The demolition of the tank was worth 40 points, and the chopper was shot down even 100 points. 1 of the highest scores was the capture of a Russian soldier. For this the unit could have received about 120 points. In the following months, the strategy was modified. Scores for the elimination of unmanned operators and the demolition of electronic combat measures have increased markedly. According to the Ukrainian authorities, this was due to The increasing function of drones in the modern battlefield and the request to combat Russian capabilities in this area.

Anti-aircraft systems, command stations and another specialized military equipment are besides highly scored. Importantly, points are given to an entity alternatively than a circumstantial operator. This means that the effect achieved by the full division – from drone crews to persons liable for reconnaissance, mission planning or data analysis – is rewarded.

Military Amazon

Individual points are not just a part of the ranking. They can be exchanged for military equipment available on the Brave1 marketplace platform, launched by Ukrainian authorities as a digital catalogue of technologies intended for armed forces.

Brave1 was established in 2023 as a state-run platform supporting the improvement of military innovation. Its task is to combine armies, states and private arms manufacturers. Over time, an extended ecosystem of drone companies, electronic combat systems, was created around the project. land works and another solutions utilized on the front. 1 of its elements became the Brave1 Market. Ukrainian media and Western commentators frequently compare it to Amazon or an online military store. The authorized units can view the offer of available equipment, compare parameters and place orders utilizing previously collected points. The maker receives the order and supplies the equipment through the state logistics system.

The catalogue primarily includes various types of unmanned vehicles – from simple FPV drones to heavier impact and exploratory platforms. The offer besides includes electronic combat means, drone systems, ground logistics and combat robots, as well as parts and components utilized to build their own structures.
According to data published by the Ukrainian authorities in Brave1 Market, hundreds of products from tens of home producers are available. Through ePoints and Brave1 Market, tens of thousands of drones, electronic combat systems and another devices have already hit the front. The program is constantly developed, and the catalogue of available equipment regularly expands.

More than a prize system

Although ePoints is most frequently presented as a mechanics for awarding points for destroyed targets, in fact its functions are much wider. For Ukrainian authorities, points are primarily a tool for managing the vast ecosystem of drone units, equipment manufacturers and data coming from the battlefield.
One of the most crucial benefits is the ability to verify the actual effects of combat activities. Each study needs to be documented and confirmed, which reduces the hazard of inflating the losses of the opponent and allows to compare the effectiveness of the different subdivisions according to the same criteria. In terms of war on the thousand-mile-long front, this is essential for assessing the situation and planning further actions.

The strategy besides helps to make decisions on the distribution of equipment. Ukraine is not able to equip all units to the same degree and it is so essential to set priorities. Thanks to ePoints, additional drones, electronic means of combat, or land robots are mainly sent to those branches that regularly paper the effective usage of specified equipment.

The programme besides plays the function of an extended conflict experience base. The strategy receives recordings, information about the equipment used, the kind of mark and the results of the attack. This allows to analyse the effectiveness of circumstantial method solutions and tactics utilized on the front. In practice, this means that it is possible to identify more rapidly the best practices.

Weapons manufacturers besides benefit. Thanks to the Brave1 platform they receive direct feedback from soldiers utilizing their constructions in combat conditions. If a peculiar drone model is peculiarly effective, this is rapidly reflected in the number of orders placed by units. If method problems arise, information about them besides goes to the maker much faster than in the classical military purchasing system.

A intellectual origin is besides important. The programme's creators openly admit that they wanted to make a mechanics to encourage individuals to be more active and effective. Rankings and the ability to get additional equipment introduce an component of competition between subdivisions and are intended to motivate to accomplish better results on the battlefield.

War like a computer game?

It was this aspect of the ePoints programme that attracted the top interest in Western media. erstwhile information about the points awarded for the killed soldiers, destroyed tanks, or captured prisoners appeared, there were no shortage of comparisons to computer games. The comments reiterated terms specified as "gamification of war" or "Call of work on the real front".

The basis for specified comparisons does exist. The strategy uses well-known gaming mechanisms: scoring, rankings, competition between participants and prizes awarded for the results achieved. Soldiers and individuals can follow their results, compare them with the achievements of others, and gain more and more opportunities for action.

Critics of the program point out that specified an approach can lead to dangerous simplification of the reality of war. In their assessment, there is simply a hazard that the opponent begins to be seen not as a man, but as a origin of points, and that the combat success is brought to the results achieved in the digital system. There are besides questions as to whether the rivalry between individuals will not prompt any commanders to focus on targets giving the most points at the expense of another tasks.

Ukrainian authorities are rejecting these allegations. They stress that points are not an end in themselves, but a tool for making more efficient usage of limited resources. They besides point out that the allocation of points is determined by the military value of the target, not only the number of losses committed. Hence advanced scores for drone operators, means of electronic combat or captured prisoners.

Regardless of ePoints ratings, it remains 1 of the most different projects created during the war. It combines elements of the military evaluation system, logistics platform, database and incentive mechanisms. It was this combination that brought not only the media, but besides planners and analysts from another armies. It may be that Ukrainians cross paths, which in the close future will besides be followed by armed forces from another countries.