Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery Warns the West Is Not Ready for Drone Warfare

The Cipher Brief’s Brad Christian speaks with retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery from Kyiv following his latest visit to Ukraine’s front lines. Montgomery discusses what he witnessed firsthand inside Ukraine’s evolving drone defense network, why Ukrainian civilian resilience remains remarkably strong despite relentless Russian attacks, and why the United States and its allies may be dangerously unprepared for the next phase of modern warfare. In this conversation: • Ukraine’s battlefield and civilian resilience • Russia’s ongoing drone and missile campaign • Cognitive warfare and Russian influence operations • What the U.S. military is learning - and missing • The vulnerabilities in America’s drone defense systems • Why Ukraine’s counter-drone operations are years ahead • The long-term risks to NATO and U.S. readiness As Montgomery warns, the future of warfare is already unfolding in Ukraine - and the West is running out of time to adapt. Subscribe to The Cipher Brief for expert national security analysis and reporting from the front lines of global conflict.