If a general lives in the penthouse at the top of a skyscraper, and maybe has a few thousand people who support him, nukes are not going to help deal with revolutionaries on the bottom floor. They are too indiscriminate and can't be used against close up targets.

Whereas a general with a drone swarm and a few thousand supporters might be able to suppress a city. Fortunately a little far fetched, but what was impossible with nukes is only impractical with drones.