The most striking detail of the Ukraine-Russia war since last spring has been the escalation of Ukrainian drone attacks on targets across Russia. Although there has been reluctance to officially accept responsibility for these attacks, there is no doubt that they are a clear example of the growing capabilities of Ukraine’s increasingly powerful drone force. do not have.
The development of Ukrainian drone tactics has helped to some extent counteract the large imbalance in the war with Russia. For the first full year after the Russian invasion, the battlefield was largely confined to Ukrainian territory, with little Russian territory touched. Russian and Ukrainian troops fought across a front line that runs some 625 miles through eastern and southern Ukraine, with Russian missiles hitting civilian targets across the country as if at will.
Ukraine’s response options were limited by restrictions imposed by allies providing military aid. Weapons provided by Western leaders could only be used within Ukraine’s borders, fearing Russian retaliation against their countries. This situation allowed Russian forces to regularly bombard residential areas, ports, infrastructure, and other civilian targets in Ukraine, knowing there would be no retaliation.
Fortunately, this extreme caution against attacks inside Russia did not apply to attacks using Ukrainian weapons. This is why Ukraine is placing great emphasis on the development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles as a practical, efficient and economical way to counter Russia’s immense air superiority and dependence on Western military aid. .
Many of Ukraine’s drones are improvised, with prototypes built by volunteers to test battlefield conditions. In an effort to stay ahead of their Russian adversary, Ukrainian drone manufacturers and operators are constantly innovating new and improved methods.
Ukraine’s drone force is not controlled by a single central authority, but is operated by various military units and state agencies. Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov heads the coordinating body and earlier this year co-founded the Defense Technology Group BRAVE1, which aims to unite collaboration between the government, the military, and Ukraine’s dynamic technology startups.
Since the Russian invasion, Ukraine’s drone fleet has grown exponentially. The country reportedly trained 10,000 new drone pilots in 2023. A New York Times article on Ukraine’s drone warfare said that the Ukrainian military is coordinating flights with air traffic control because so many small drones are flying around sections of the front line.
Ukraine is trying to meet rapidly growing demand within its military for more drones and new prototype aircraft capable of penetrating Russia’s defenses. In August 2023, The Economist reported that more than 200 companies are officially producing drones in Ukraine, and there are hundreds more small manufacturers. The Ukrainian government has allocated about $1.3 billion for drones in its 2024 budget.
In addition to drone adventures in battlefield areas, long-range attacks are also beginning to play a part in national defense strategies. Targets identified included Russia’s energy infrastructure (refineries and storage facilities), air bases deep within Russia, ammunition storage facilities, and air defense systems. Drones are being deployed to create an opening for missile attacks.
Although Ukraine’s navy has no warships in the Black Sea, drones are extremely useful in naval warfare, as the country’s drones have successfully retaliated against Russia’s Black Sea fleet. Ukrainian navy drones reportedly damaged a Russian warship in early August in the eastern Black Sea, far from the nearest Ukrainian-controlled coastline. The shift in the balance of power in the Black Sea is believed to be due to the increasing proficiency of Ukraine’s naval drones.
Drone strikes have been used to publicly humiliate the Kremlin and force Russian generals to move air defenses away from the front lines of the battle. On the day before Victory Day in May 2023, drones struck central Moscow. Business centers in the city of Moscow, where several government agencies are based, are regularly targeted, leaving the Russian capital’s air defenses vulnerable.
Ukraine has developed a clear military operational plan that combines drone attacks on the front lines, inside Russia, and at sea. The efficient destruction of military targets and the steady erosion of Russia’s ability to wage war runs counter to Russia’s strategy of attacking missiles as a psychological weapon to terrorize Ukrainian civilians. Ukrainian drones are weakening the country’s military and disrupting President Putin’s limited air defenses by attacking Russia inside the country.
Ukraine is not alone in using modern drone tactics. Russia has quickly adapted to the drone threat and added drones to its offensive operations with deadly success. Nevertheless, Ukraine’s strong technology sector and cutting-edge military leadership are helping the country take advantage of new opportunities created by drone warfare. While staying one step ahead of Russia remains a challenge, Ukraine currently holds a unique position in the world’s first large-scale drone war.
Ihor N. Stelmach is a former principal and history teacher at St. Michael’s Ukrainian Parish School in Hartford.
