Ukraine's drone warfare decimates Russian advance in Kursk
The Russians continued their operation to reclaim the part of the Kursk region occupied by the Ukrainians, suffering enormous losses. The main culprits behind these losses are mines and FPV drones. Here's what the Ukrainians are using.
1:38 PM EST, November 27, 2024
The Russians are constantly trying to push the Ukrainians out of the occupied territory of the Kursk region. This task is primarily carried out by naval and airborne infantry units. While the Russians have managed to reclaim a significant area, it has come at the cost of enormous losses. According to reports from sources like foreign volunteers in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, these losses result from mines and drones.
Below, you can see how one Ukrainian company destroyed several vehicles belonging to the Russian 104th Air Assault Guards Regiment. The Ukrainians targeted four out of five infantry fighting vehicles of the BMD family, one T-72B3 tank, and three off-road vehicles.
FPV drones and scatterable mines — an effective barrier against masses of Russians
FPV drones and the heavier bombing "Baba Yaga" drones form the core of Ukrainian defense during times of shortages, such as anti-tank guided missiles with a range of over two miles. These, combined with scatterable mines or minefields deployed with dedicated systems or multiple rocket launchers, create deadly fields for Russian armored equipment.
Such minefields can be placed more than six miles from one’s position, and the terrain currently favors the Ukrainians, forcing the Russians to attack along the few available roads. A common anti-tank scatterable mine in Ukraine is the PTM-3, which is rectangular and weighs 11 pounds, with four pounds of that being explosive material. While it won't destroy a tank, it can immobilize it.
FPV drones can carry, for example, PG-7VL grenades capable of penetrating even 20 inches of armored steel or weaker bomblets from cluster munitions, handheld anti-tank grenades, or attachment-type PGN grenades. Although they may not destroy a tank, they are effective against infantry fighting vehicles of the BMD family, which have very thin armor.
Meanwhile, bombing drones can drop mortar shells, and there are also models using missiles guided by reflected laser beams. Additionally, "Baba Yaga" drones or their night versions, called "Vampire," are used to lay traditional TM-62 anti-tank mines.
