How modern warfare is being reshaped in Ukraine as the world watches | National Post
AI Analysis
Drones have become a dominant force in the Ukraine conflict, responsible for up to 80% of battlefield damage. Both Ukraine and Russia are employing advanced technologies, including fibre-optic controlled drones, to maintain operational effectiveness in heavily monitored 'kill zones'.
Key Takeaways
- Drones account for up to 80% of battlefield damage in Ukraine.
- The front line is a 'kill zone' monitored by drones, affecting troop movements.
- Ukraine uses ground drones for supply and evacuation missions.
- Russia employs fibre-optic cables to control drones, countering electronic jamming.
- The conflict highlights the importance of communication technologies in drone warfare.
Why It Matters
The extensive use of drones in Ukraine underscores their critical role in modern warfare, influencing military strategies and operations. The shift towards fibre-optic controlled drones by Russia represents a significant advancement in countering electronic warfare, potentially setting new standards for drone operations globally.
How modern warfare is being reshaped in Ukraine as the world watches | National Post
[Subscribe $6 for 6 months]
Interceptor drones can look like miniature planes. Photo by Tetiana DZHAFAROVA/AFP
KYIV, Ukraine — As the war in Ukraine drags into its fifth year, drones have come to completely dominate the front line — a transformation in modern warfare that is being watched around the world.
Here is a look at the technology that is reshaping the war, four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion by pouring tanks and men over the border:
Kill zone
Ranging from cheap commercial devices designed for civilian use to explosive-packed miniature aircraft, drones are responsible for up to 80 percent of battlefield damage, Ukraine’s Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has said.
“Modern warfare is now impossible without drones,” Koleso, a Ukrainian infantry soldier, told AFP in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian troops use ground drones to ferry supplies and evacuate the wounded. Photo by Tetiana DZHAFAROVA/AFP
NP Posted
Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.
Sign Up
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Interested in more newsletters? [Browse here.]
The front line has been transformed into a “kill zone” stretching up to 20 kilometres (12 miles) deep — “an area between two sides where nothing can survive because it’s constantly monitored by drones”, military expert Kateryna Bondar explained.
Soldiers can only operate there in small groups, moving fast and with their eyes fixed to the sky, hoping to stay undetected.
Heavy pieces of artillery, as well as sluggish tanks and armoured vehicles, are too slow and visible — making them easy targets for both sides.
Unwilling to send more men that necessary into the kill zone, Ukrainian troops use ground drones to ferry supplies to dangerous areas and to evacuate wounded soldiers.
Fibre optics
Maintaining a stable connection between the drone and its operator, controlling it remotely, is a crucial task.
“That’s where the real race is happening — communications and connections,” Bondar said.
Fibre optic cables have started covering fields near the front. Photo by Handout/24th Mechanized Brigade of Ukrainian Armed Forces/AFP
Initially, most drones operated on a radio connection.
But they proved vulnerable to electronic warfare — the practice of jamming and intercepting enemy craft, causing them to drop out of the sky or lose connection to the operator.
Read More
Story continues below
- [China expanding aid for Russia’s war, say western officials]
- [Zelenskyy accuses Russia of dragging out negotiations as talks end]
Russia has turned to drones controlled by ultra-thin fibre-optic cables, largely immune to electronic jamming.
In scenes that resemble a dystopian sci-fi movie, their widespread use has left swathes of frontline cities and fields