Russia wanted to attack Ukrainian bases, but every time they assembled their troops to prepare to charge, they were attacked by enemy UAVs.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are playing a key role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where the side with superior technology has the upper hand in battles. After Ukraine’s failed large-scale counter-offensive late last year, the war has entered a new phase, with Russia shifting from defense to offense.
To attack, Russian forces must leave fortified lines, an advantage that has helped them neutralize the modern Western weapons in the Ukrainian army’s inventory. However, the challenge that awaits them is the UAVs that are increasingly being used by the Ukrainian army for defense.
“Ukraine now appears to have the upper hand in the UAV war,” said Forbes editor Vikram Mittal. “This allows them to effectively thwart a new offensive by Russian forces.”
In recent weeks, Russian units have stepped up their offensive efforts around the city of Kupyansk and the village of Krakhmalnoye in Kharkiv province, as well as the area around the city of Avdeevka in Donetsk province.
Ukrainian soldiers prepare suicide UAVs to attack Russian positions in Donetsk province on January 17. Photo: Reuters
“However, Russia only achieved minimal gains from these attacks, mainly due to the inability to concentrate its forces,” Mittal said. “The attackers had to concentrate their forces to attack weak points in the enemy’s defenses. Russia could not do that because of the Ukrainian UAV attacks.”
Ukrainian UAVs have repeatedly attacked Russian units of battalion size or larger, including rear-line formations. At the front, any company-sized assault formation can easily become a target for UAVs, forcing Russia to split its forces into platoons supported by tanks and artillery.
"However, due to the incomplete command and control system, Russian platoons face many limitations in combat coordination and reduced ability to attack effectively," Mittal assessed.
Ukraine can carry out such attacks thanks to UAVs that can more accurately target Russian units, while countering enemy anti-UAV systems.
The Ukrainian military has been rushing to integrate new technology into its domestic UAVs in recent months. Two years ago, it relied heavily on the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2, but now it has a wider range of UAVs in its arsenal, including models donated or purchased from abroad and domestically produced vehicles.
Since the conflict with Russia broke out, the number of Ukrainian UAV manufacturers has increased from 7 to 80. Ukraine's approach to UAV production is in stark contrast to Russia, which has always focused on mass production, especially of suicide UAVs.
According to Mittal, the requirements of mass production lines make Russian UAVs lack design flexibility, focusing on output rather than their adaptability.
“Productivity plays an important role in the war of attrition. However, anti-UAV technology is evolving very quickly and the vehicle needs to be adaptable,” Mittal said.
Ukrainian soldiers prepare a UAV for takeoff in Kharkiv province in October 2023. Photo: Reuters
To prevent that scenario, Ukrainian companies need to stay ahead of Russia in counter-UAV technology. They could benefit from a US and its allies initiative to boost Ukraine’s UAV development capabilities.
Nguyen Tien (According to Forbes, Reuters, AFP )
Source link
Comment (0)