How precision weapons fail to protect civilians in modern wars

Precision weapons have been used in multiple conflicts to target civilian infrastructure and cause widespread harm. Recent campaigns in Ukraine, Yemen, Gaza and Nagorno-Karabakh show how such weapons can intensify societal pressure rather than spare civilians. Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s power grid have left cities like Mykolaiv without heat, light or water. A Kalibr cruise missile hit a substation, demonstrating how precision attacks can still inflict mass civilian suffering. In Yemen, Saudi and Emirati forces carried out over 25,000 air raids between 2015 and 2022, with more than a third striking civilian sites.

Israel’s war in Gaza has also seen precision weapons used against homes and power targets. These attacks blur the line between defeating Hamas and devastating the environment. Analysts Marius Bales and Max Mutschler argue that precision weapons do not protect civilians in autocratic systems.

In these conflicts, international pressure rather than domestic outrage has limited civilian targeting. The erosion of democratic norms has also weakened checks on executive power, increasing tolerance for high death tolls. Precision weapons have repeatedly been used to harm civilians rather than shield them. The lack of strong domestic or international restraints allows such tactics to persist. This pattern is evident in conflicts from Yemen to Gaza and Ukraine.