Drones dominate the battlefield: A new era in Ukraine conflict
Drones are changing how war is conducted in Ukraine, replacing traditional ground battles, reports the "Guardian."
The war in Ukraine has taken on a new dimension with the use of drones, which are increasingly replacing traditional land battles. According to the "Guardian," Ukrainian soldiers have noticed that "there are fewer ground battles because drone skirmishes in the air are replacing them."
New combat strategy
The front lines, previously divided by infantry positions, are now a death zone several miles deep, where Ukrainian and Russian drones clash, writes the "Guardian." Denys, a Ukrainian soldier, mentions in an interview with the newspaper that back in 2022, "we were running with rifles and hiding behind trees. Now there is less shooting and more fighting against drones or with their help."
Ubiquity of drones
Despite ongoing artillery and mortar shelling, small drones with live feed (FPV) capabilities have become a key tool in this war. Unmanned aerial vehicles, capable of carrying about two pounds of explosive material, are used both for precise attacks and so-called swarm attacks. A Ukrainian soldier describes these actions as "artillery bombing by drones."
Denys describes how, during the battles near the city of Toretsk in the Donbas, "we dropped two pounds of explosive material on Russian positions every eight minutes for three hours until the Russians retreated."
FPV drones move at a speed of about 37 mph and are equipped with thermal cameras, allowing them to operate effectively at night as well. Their flight time is limited by battery life, and their effective range is about three miles. The "Guardian" emphasizes that learning to operate a drone requires "70 hours of flying in a simulator and 70 hours of training with the drone itself."
