Ukraine's innovative drone tactics combat mine threats

We regularly write about drones and their wide range of applications in Ukraine. The Ukrainians constantly surprise us with their resourcefulness and engineering prowess. This time, using only a drone, a rope, and a hook dragging on the ground, they have created a highly effective tool for sappers.

"Traditional" uses of drones on the battlefield—such as kamikaze attacks, surveillance, and observation—are not enough for the Ukrainians. They leverage technology to deliver humanitarian aid or send holiday packages to the Russians.

A video has appeared on the internet showing another application of a drone. Using a drone, a rope, and a hook, Ukrainians have constructed an ideal tool for demining areas.

A drone from the Kara-Dag National Guard brigade removes wire triggers of mines using a rope and a hook... - reads a post on platform X.

Ukrainians have long been trying to use unmanned systems to remove mines. Such a creative solution is one of the manifestations of the resourcefulness of Ukrainian soldiers, who can at least partially reduce the threat from minefields - reads a post on platform X.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine will need drones and other machines and devices for sappers. The problem of Russian mines in Ukraine is enormous. And that's just part of the threat. The territory of our eastern neighbor is regularly bombarded. The number of unexploded ordinances and duds scattered across the country is difficult to estimate.

According to the authorities in Kyiv, about 67,000 square miles of Ukrainian territory potentially need demining. This is almost one-third of its entire area. (...) According to estimates from the World Bank, the total cost of demining Ukraine is nearly 38 billion dollars – reports the Center for Eastern Studies.

Meanwhile, the Globsec report states that at today's levels of effort and speed of removing explosives, it will take up to 757 years. Currently, no one in Ukraine has time to worry about this problem. A regular war is ongoing, and demining the area is only done as needed.