How warfare has been ‘gamified’ in Ukraine

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · Aug 12, 2026 · 815 words · By Md Azmeary Ferdoush; Sarah Mills

Gamification of Warfare Technological Evolution of Combat Human Rights of Foreign Combatants

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What to know about Gamification of Warfare

The article discusses the 'gamification' of the conflict in Ukraine, specifically focusing on the Army of Drones Bonus (ADB) programme and the Play for Ukraine cyberattack game. It compares these military applications to civilian gamification apps and examines the role of foreign fighters in the war.

Propaganda risk 30%

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Where can you score 12 points for killing a Russian soldier in a drone attack, 20 for damaging a tank and up to 50 for destroying a mobile rocket system?

Why it matters

Not on the latest video game, but rather through Ukraine’s Army of Drones Bonus (ADB) programme.

Common ground

Launched shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, before being revamped in 2025, the ADB programme is where points win prizes.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Gamification of Warfare story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that one Bangladeshi recruit described it in a 2026 interview with DW, a German broadcaster, [that foreign fighters are] used as human shields?
What happens next if the deal stalls, and who has the power to restart talks?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/how-warfare-has-been-gamified-in-ukraine-289444

analyticsAnalysis

30%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 90%

Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 5

check_circle Corroborated 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 2

verified Verified By Reference 2

verified Verified 1

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Claim 1: “one Bangladeshi recruit described it in a 2026 interview with DW, a German broadcaster, [that foreign fighters are] used as human shields”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 2: “since launching in the UK in 2021, over 10 million items of litter have been logged as binned through the LitterLotto app.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching.

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Claim 3: “Military units can use the points and virtual tokens they have accrued to buy drones and other frontline equipment to use in the conflict from the Ukrainian government’s Brave1 website.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that combat points earned through the programme can be exchanged for military equipment via the Brave1 Market/website.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Кластер оборонних технологій Brave1...
https://brave1.gov.ua/en/

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web search NEUTRAL — In November, the government financed its first robot purchases and opened the first school for ground robotic system operators.The combat points earned can be exchanged for military equipment through …
https://warontherocks.com/ukraines-ground-robots-and-the-eco…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — From the next window choose "New" from the top right corner and paste the path for the "platform tools'' folder. Then click "OK" to end setup. To check if everything is working properly open Windows C…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSp5_wBAVyQ

info

Claim 4: “submitted video evidence confirming nearly 820,000 Russian targets were hit in 2025.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided consists of generic links to video hosting sites (Vimeo, Bing, Google Videos) and contains no factual data regarding 820,000 Russian targets.

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web search NEUTRAL — Explore free online videos, films, shorts, documentaries, and more, all streaming in HD. Discover comedy, documentaries, animation, drama, Staff Picks, and more videos.
https://vimeo.com/watch

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Bing Video helps you discover and watch videos from multiple sources including YouTube, Vimeo, and more, with instant previews, direct playback, and smart filters.
https://www.bing.com/videos

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Search millions of videos from across the web.
https://www.google.com/videohp?ie=UTF-8

schedule

Claim 5: “Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, recently warned that the North Korean government was sending as many as 50,000 soldiers to fight with Russian forces in Ukraine.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 6: “Some Bangladeshi soldiers fighting in Ukraine have created huge online followings, ranging from several hundred thousand people to around 1 million, by vlogging from the frontlines.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “The Equiwatt app also encourages UK citizens to reduce their energy usage at peak times in exchange for gift vouchers and points”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 8: “capturing a Russian soldier now grants ten times more points than killing one.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The search results for this claim are entirely irrelevant, focusing on Android Debug Bridge (ADB) software commands rather than the Army of Drones Bonus programme.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank to promote social and economic development in Asia. The bank is headquartered in the city of Mandaluyong, in Metro Manila, Philippines, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Development_Bank

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Catherine II (born Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 1729 – 17 November 1796), commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power afte…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_the_Great

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Duke Peter Frederick George of Oldenburg (German: Herzog Peter Friedrich Georg von Oldenburg; 9 May 1784 – 27 December 1812) was a younger son of Peter I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg and his wife Duchess …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_George_of_Oldenburg

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 9: “Launched shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, before being revamped in 2025, the ADB programme is where points win prizes.”

VERIFIED

One source explicitly confirms the launch shortly after the 2022 invasion and the revamp in 2025. Another source corroborates the general nature of the ADB programme as a reward system for drone units.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 414th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade (Ukrainian: 414-та окрема бригада безпілотних авіаційних систем «Птахи Мадяра» (414 ОБрБпС), romanized: 414-ta okrema brigada bezpilotnikh aviatsiynikh sist…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/414th_Unmanned_Strike_Aviation…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Robert Yosypovych Brovdi (Ukrainian: Роберт Йосипович Бровді; Hungarian: Bródi Róbert; born 9 August 1975), commonly known by his call sign Magyar (Ukrainian: Мадяр from Hungarian: Magyar, lit. 'The H…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Brovdi

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Army (U.S. Army) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is designated as the army of the United States in the United States Constitution. As a part of the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 10: “Play for Ukraine’s developers say 2,048 players had helped attack more than 200 Russian websites in the first month of the scheme alone.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching.

info

Claim 11: “Play for Ukraine. Developed by Ukrainian IT specialists in 2022, this scheme is designed in the form of a numerical puzzle game where every move a player makes helps stage a cyberattack against Russian government and media websites.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results are irrelevant, discussing general gaming sites (Poki, CrazyGames) and Kingdom Rush, with no mention of 'Play for Ukraine'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Kingdom Rush delivers the ultimate tower defense strategy experience. Deploy powerful towers, command heroes, and battle waves of Raiders and Pillagers in the Rise of the Bandits campaign. Every...
https://play.google.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Play free online games at Poki, the #1 website for instant web games. Explore exclusive titles, popular favorites, and new game releases every day - no download needed!
https://poki.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Play free online games at CrazyGames, the best place to play high-quality browser games. We add new games every day. Have fun!
https://www.crazygames.com/

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Claim 12: “Ukraine’s former defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who was removed from his post in July”

CORROBORATED

Three independent sources confirm Mykhailo Fedorov is the former Defense Minister and mention his dismissal/removal from the post in July.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — After Mykhailo Fedorov was dismissed from the post of Defense Minister and his farewell message, in which he summed up five months of work, Ukrainian entrepreneurs, volunteers, and public figures bega…
https://dev.ua/en/news/zvilnennia-fedorova-1784141192

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web search NEUTRAL — Former Defense Minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov said that the country must establish legal and security protocols to conduct elections despite ongoing conflict.
https://clashreport.com/world/articles/former-ukrainian-defe…

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web search NEUTRAL — In Kyiv and a number of cities across Ukraine, July 25 marks the tenth day of protests against the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov from the post of Minister of Defense. The protests cover Lviv, Ivano-Fr…
https://mezha.net/eng/bukvy/ab7ff94f_protesters_hold_tenth/

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Claim 13: “Ukraine’s Army of Drones Bonus (ADB) programme [awards] 12 points for killing a Russian soldier in a drone attack, 20 for damaging a tank and up to 50 for destroying a mobile rocket system”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results explicitly confirm the point values: 12 for a soldier, 20 for damaging a tank, and 50 for destroying a mobile rocket system.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This timeline of the Russo-Ukrainian war covers the period from 1 August to 31 December 2024.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Russo-Ukrainia…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Many entities have provided or promised military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War, particularly since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. This includes weaponry, equipment, training, lo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_military_aid_to_Ukrain…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 14: “Russia has set up a global network for recruiting foreign nationals, targeting economically, socially, legally vulnerable people from countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Cuba and Kenya.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 15: “By August 2025, military equipment worth over US$5 million (£3.7 million) had been delivered via this marketplace as digital rewards for “playing” ADB.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results (Samsung phones, Counter-Strike, Mazda cars, and synthetic cannabinoids). No source mentions the $5 million figure or August 2025 delivery stats.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 5F-ADB (also known as MDMB-5F-PINACA using systematic EMCDDA nomenclature and 5F-MDMB-PINACA) is an indazole-based synthetic cannabinoid from the indazole-3-carboxamide family, which has been used as …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5F-ADB

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Southern Route (Bengali: সাউদার্ন রুট) is one of the branches of the approved MRT Line 5 line of Dhaka Metro Rail; the other one being the Northern Route. This route is currently in its planning s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Route_(MRT_Line_5)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.