Russian tanks equipped with the new Arena-M active protection system, designed to shoot down incoming drones, have seen their first combat use in Ukraine — but the system's debut showed only limited success, as Ukrainian drones still destroyed the armoured vehicles by attacking in overwhelming numbers. The episode highlights the ongoing arms race between drone warfare and armour, with military analysts suggesting Russia is experimenting with ways to deploy tanks on a drone-saturated battlefield, though the system will likely need further refinement to be truly effective.

The Arena-M made its first documented battlefield appearance during a company-sized Russian assault in Donetsk Oblast on 22 July, which Ukrainian forces repelled, destroying at least seven T-72B3A tanks, some fitted with the system, according to Euromaidan Press. Ukrainian soldiers reported that Arena-M did intercept some incoming drones, but that it still took between 15 and 20 drones to finish off each tank. Analysts noted the system, in development since 2019, struggles to detect small, slow-moving drones compared with faster missiles and rockets, and carries only around a dozen countermunitions — inadequate against drone swarms that can cost as little as $400 each, making the trade heavily favourable for Ukraine despite the tanks costing millions.