When War Comes from the Sky?

Being far from the front lines is no longer enough to guarantee safety in Sudan. After more than three years of war, the concept of the “front line” has gradually changed. It is no longer confined to areas where ground forces are deployed or artillery exchanges take place. The growing use of drones has allowed military operations to reach cities and facilities that, until recently, were considered relatively distant from direct combat.

The city of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, provides a clear example of this transformation. In recent months, the city has been repeatedly targeted by drone attacks, while ground front lines have moved to within less than 40 kilometers of it. On August 12, witnesses and medical sources told Reuters that eight drones targeted the city in a single day, killing two people and injuring others. Neither side in the conflict claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Yet El Obeid’s significance lies not only in the number of attacks it has endured, but also in the way it illustrates a broader trend in Sudan’s war: the transformation of unmanned aerial power from a supporting tool for ground operations into a capability that can redefine the geographical boundaries of warfare.

From the Battlefield to the Urban Depths

Data cited by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), based on figures from the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), indicate that at least 141 drone attacks were recorded in North Kordofan between the beginning of 2026 and July 8, with most occurring in El Obeid. The attacks did not target military sites alone. They also struck schools, markets, fuel stations, water points, and the city’s main power station.

These targets reveal a different dimension of the impact of drone warfare. Striking a military facility may remain, in terms of its immediate purpose, part of military operations. Attacking electricity, fuel, or water infrastructure, however, can produce consequences that extend far beyond the targeted site and affect a broader network of services on which civilians depend.

This is one of the defining characteristics of drone warfare: the military impact of a strike may be local, while its civilian consequences can spread geographically and across interconnected systems.

In El Obeid, for example, the United Nations Human Rights Office documented 45 civilian deaths and 41 injuries between June 6 and June 28 in 15 drone strikes in the city and its surrounding areas. At the same time, obtaining water itself became a source of additional danger. UN Women reported that some women and girls had begun avoiding going out during the day to collect water for fear of drone attacks, while going out at night exposed them to other risks, including harassment and sexual violence.

The consequences of drone attacks therefore extend beyond direct casualties. They can also reshape civilians’ behavior, mobility, and ability to access essential services.

The Collapse of the “Safe City” Concept

The experience of Port Sudan may offer an even clearer illustration of the transformation in the geography of safety during Sudan’s war.

Many displaced civilians sought refuge in areas far from the front lines, assuming that such locations offered greater security. Mohamed Abdel Moneim, a pseudonym, was among them. He left Khartoum Bahri in June 2023 and moved to Gezira State before relocating to Port Sudan following the fall of Wad Madani in December of the same year.

For him, Port Sudan appeared to be a logical choice, not only because it was far from the front lines, but also because the government and state institutions had moved there as an alternative administrative capital. This seemed to suggest that greater security measures would be in place and that the city was unlikely to become a battlefield.

That assumption collapsed in May 2025, when the city was subjected to a series of drone attacks. According to the Assessment Capacities Project (ACAPS), the attacks continued for six consecutive days, from May 4 to May 9, targeting both military and civilian facilities, including Port Sudan International Airport, a fuel depot, the Othman Digna Air Base, and the Flamingo Naval Base.

On May 6, drone strikes hit a fuel depot and the city’s main power station, triggering a major fire and a complete electricity blackout.

The impact did not stop with the electricity supply. The power outage disrupted water-pumping and desalination facilities, worsening an existing water shortage. Within roughly 24 hours, another crisis emerged: fuel shortages and queues began forming at fuel stations. According to ACAPS, the attacks affected electricity and fuel infrastructure, disrupting fuel and water