Ukraine's drones slowing Russian advance
A weary Ukrainian platoon commander speaks to the transformed nature of modern warfare as he's medically evacuated from the front lines.
Kamikaze drones. Surveillance drones. Bomber drones. Drones that kill other drones. They swarm the skies in vast numbers.
They're cheap, they're deadly and they're among the main reasons Ukraine believes that it can hold out against advancing Russian forces this year and even beyond, according to a dozen Ukrainian commanders, officials and arms manufacturers involved in Kyiv's defence.
Ukrainian soldiers describe the drone-infested corridor covering about 10km either side of the line of contact as the "kill zone" because remotely piloted unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed by both sides can swiftly spot and neutralise targets.
The war's evolution into the most drone-intensive conflict ever seen has eaten away at Russia's ability to exploit its traditional advantages in troop numbers, artillery and tanks, according to two Ukrainian battlefield commanders interviewed.
Russia had consequently adapted its tactics, the Ukrainian battlefield commanders said; its forces now typically attack in small groups of five or six — on foot or on motorbikes or quad bikes — in an attempt expose Ukrainian positions by drawing their fire and then launching drone strikes at them, they added.
Despite the changes in warfare, Russian forces retain the ascendancy and are making slow but steady advances in the east and north of Ukraine. Russia has also caught up in UAV technology after falling behind early in the war, according to military analysts.
The people interviewed for this article believed that Ukraine could fight on and resist Russia even if no more US aid was forthcoming, though they didn't give precise timelines.
Many cited the primacy of drones as having levelled the field to some degree and made Ukraine more self-sufficient, and also pointed to growing military supplies from European allies.
"We can hold out for months," said Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's arms expert and strategic adviser, when asked about what would happen if US weapons supplies ceased. "In 2023 or 2024, it would have been a lot worse — we would be talking about days or weeks."
Polish military analyst Konrad Muzyka said Ukraine's focus was to sap the strength of Russian attacks.
He said Ukraine would likely struggle in a long war of attrition due to its manpower shortages and Russia's superior resources.
"Drones can fill in the gaps to some extent and give you some breathing space, but they are not a substitute for artillery."
Drones are demons, at least for those in the kill zone that straddles the 1,000km line of contact.
Reconnaissance UAVs from both sides — resembling shrunken airplanes, made of plastic or styrofoam and equipped with sophisticated cameras — can spot enemies from several kilometres away.
They hover over the front lines, relaying back what they see in real time. They find targets for the fleets of bomber drones — often hexacopters the size of coffee tables that can drop precision grenades with 3D-printed tailfins — as well as kamikaze drones, some with RPG warheads strapped on to pierce armour, which can fly into soldiers, tanks and weapons systems.
The platoon commander being evacuated from the front, a 35-year-old called Ivan who goes by the call sign "Atom", said soldiers on both sides now saw UAVs as the biggest threat to their lives.
According to internal Ukrainian estimates seen by Reuters, drones accounted for 69 per cent of strikes on Russian troops and 75 per cent of strikes on vehicles and equipment in 2024.
The wartime UAV arms race has spawned many innovations; both sides are deploying short-range, fibre-optic drones that cannot be electronically jammed, as well as "interceptors" that hunt down and destroy enemy reconnaissance and attack drones.
The average cost of a long-range strike drone ranges from US$50,000 to US$300,000, about 10 times less than a missile of similar range.
"This is our asymmetrical answer," he said, adding that Ukraine started developing such drones "precisely because we lack missiles".
Kamyshin, Zelenskyy's adviser, added: "You can't win a big war if you are only defending. Long-range drone strikes are one of the main cards Ukraine can play against Russia right now."
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