Latest news with #UnmannedSystemsForces
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Ukrainian soldier's best chance against Russia's advanced unjammable drones is as low-tech as it gets
Ukrainian soldiers are fighting against Russia's new fiber-optic drones that are resistant to jamming. Soldiers and drone trainers say they have to be stopped in an old-fashioned way: with shotguns. They are a last resort against regular drones, but often the only real defense against fiber-optics. The best chance front-line Ukrainian soldiers have against Russia's unjammable drones is less than ideal. Short on options for fighting these drones, soldiers rely on low-tech shotguns to survive. Fiber-optic drones that can't be stopped or thrown off course by jamming and other forms of electronic warfare are becoming increasingly prolific in this war, and bringing one down requires physically shooting it down. Vitalii Pervak, the CEO of Karlsson, Karas & Associates, a drone training school in Ukraine, told BI that "the best way to counter drones is to have a kinetic impact on them." He said that given how fast the front lines change, Russia's electronic warfare efforts, and Ukraine's regular shortages, "a shotgun is the best option." Dimko Zhluktenko, a drone operator with Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said his unit always has a 12-gauge shotgun with them as standard protocol on every mission for this reason. When it comes to fiber-optic drones, he has been trained and told by other soldiers that a shotgun is "the most reliable way to shoot down a drone if it's using the fiber optic" cables. Even with regular drones that can be stopped with electronic warfare, success isn't always guaranteed. If electronic warfare doesn't work, "then the last resort that you have is the shotgun." There is a "drone with explosives flying into you, and you can't jam it," Zhluktenko said. "So, you shoot it down." Fiber-optic drones have a long, thin cable attached to them that allows them to maintain their connection, relying on that instead of a radio frequency that is vulnerable to interference. With the rise of drone warfare in Ukraine came a rush to develop countermeasures. Electronic warfare has been effective at stopping more conventional drones, but now fiber-optic drones and AI-enabled drones are becoming more prevalent. Ukraine is working on other means to stop these terrifying new drones, such as pistols that fire nets to trap drones, but those capabilities are nowhere close to being common among Ukraine's units. Dmytro Slediuk, the head of the education department at Dronarium, a drone training school in Western Ukraine that has trained more than 15,000 operators, shared with BI that "regretfully, there are no specific means against fiber optic based drones," which is to say there aren't sophisticated means to stop them. Instead, soldiers "may counteract them using quite cheap and simple means." A US veteran who fought in Ukraine outlined the problem last month, explaining that "the FPVs, especially the fiber FPVs, they're unjammable, damn near undetectable, they come in hot at over a hundred miles an hour." "Unless you got a shotgun really, really, handy or one of the new net guns, which are very exciting, it's horrible," he said at a conference about drone warfare in NATO member Latvia. Using shotguns to engage drones is something Ukrainian soldiers are being taught to do. Viktor Taran, the CEO of the KRUK drone training school in Kyiv that has trained over 8,000 people, told BI that when it comes to fiber-optic drones, "the only way to take those drones down is mechanical," like with shotguns. Pervak said shotguns can be very "effective against any kind of drone. It doesn't matter what size the drone is, what frequencies it has, or whether it is a fiber-optic drone." "The effectiveness of the shotgun depends on the operator's training," he said. A shotgun is a long-barreled weapon that can fire a damaging spray of projectiles. The 12-gauge is a common type. He said his drone school, working with Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces 413th Battalion "Raid," has trained 250 soldiers and 30 instructors from different units. Igor Belov, the founder of PSS by Logics7, a Ukrainian company that makes weapon training simulators, told BI that it is working on a simulator to train soldiers on using shotguns to shoot down regular first-person view drones and fiber-optic drones. The company is already training soldiers with its simulators to face drone threats like drone swarms and low-flying drones. "We are developing products that our army truly needs," he explained, adding that "our first priority is to ensure they function effectively under real battlefield conditions." "All of our solutions are designed based on direct feedback from military personnel, with one clear goal — to have a real impact on the battlefield and to help save lives," Belov said. More than 60,000 soldiers have been trained on Logic7's systems. Dmytro Martsilenko, the press officer for Ukraine's 33rd Assault Regiment, was much less certain on the value of guns against drones. "There is not enough data to assess the effectiveness of using a shotgun against drones. Because there is not enough experience," he said. "Nevertheless, they are already practicing using shotguns against drones at training grounds," he added. "And EVERY unit is equipped with a shotgun." Another Ukrainian drone operator, who spoke to BI on the condition of anonymity, said his unit has a 12-gauge shotgun for shooting down drones if needed. Drones are being used more in Russia's war against Ukraine than in any other conflict in history, and they are used to gather intelligence, explode on target, launch grenades, and direct fire for other weaponry crews. The extensive use of drone technology has created a challenging battlespace, with so many in the air that soldiers can't always tell which side they belong to. There are conventional quadcopters and octocopters, fiber-optic drones, AI-enabled drones, loitering munitions, and more being deployed in this fight. For some, the answer is as simple as a shotgun. For others, it's electronic warfare. In some cases, a heavy machine gun can bring one down. And then, there are drones that require interceptors, which can be costly. For instance, Ukraine operates a limited supply of high-end air defense systems, but employing a multi-million-dollar interceptor at a drone that costs only tens of thousands of dollars isn't sustainable. The Ukrainians have been increasingly using drones as cheaper intercept alternatives. But for the front-line, tactical drone fights, Ukrainian soldiers are keeping their low-tech shotguns close at hand. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
16-06-2025
- Business Insider
The Ukrainian soldier's best chance against Russia's advanced unjammable drones is as low-tech as it gets
The best chance front-line Ukrainian soldiers have against Russia's unjammable drones is less than ideal. Short on options for fighting these drones, soldiers rely on low-tech shotguns to survive. Fiber-optic drones that can't be stopped or thrown off course by jamming and other forms of electronic warfare are becoming increasingly prolific in this war, and bringing one down requires physically shooting it down. Vitalii Pervak, the CEO of Karlsson, Karas & Associates, a drone training school in Ukraine, told BI that "the best way to counter drones is to have a kinetic impact on them." He said that given how fast the front lines change, Russia's electronic warfare efforts, and Ukraine's regular shortages, "a shotgun is the best option." Dimko Zhluktenko, a drone operator with Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said his unit always has a 12-gauge shotgun with them as standard protocol on every mission for this reason. When it comes to fiber-optic drones, he has been trained and told by other soldiers that a shotgun is "the most reliable way to shoot down a drone if it's using the fiber optic" cables. Even with regular drones that can be stopped with electronic warfare, success isn't always guaranteed. If electronic warfare doesn't work, "then the last resort that you have is the shotgun." There is a "drone with explosives flying into you, and you can't jam it," Zhluktenko said. "So, you shoot it down." Fiber-optic drones Fiber-optic drones have a long, thin cable attached to them that allows them to maintain their connection, relying on that instead of a radio frequency that is vulnerable to interference. With the rise of drone warfare in Ukraine came a rush to develop countermeasures. Electronic warfare has been effective at stopping more conventional drones, but now fiber-optic drones and AI-enabled drones are becoming more prevalent. Ukraine is working on other means to stop these terrifying new drones, such as pistols that fire nets to trap drones, but those capabilities are nowhere close to being common among Ukraine's units. Dmytro Slediuk, the head of the education department at Dronarium, a drone training school in Western Ukraine that has trained more than 15,000 operators, shared with BI that "regretfully, there are no specific means against fiber optic based drones," which is to say there aren't sophisticated means to stop them. Instead, soldiers "may counteract them using quite cheap and simple means." A US veteran who fought in Ukraine outlined the problem last month, explaining that "the FPVs, especially the fiber FPVs, they're unjammable, damn near undetectable, they come in hot at over a hundred miles an hour." "Unless you got a shotgun really, really, handy or one of the new net guns, which are very exciting, it's horrible," he said at a conference about drone warfare in NATO member Latvia. Trained to shoot Using shotguns to engage drones is something Ukrainian soldiers are being taught to do. Viktor Taran, the CEO of the KRUK drone training school in Kyiv that has trained over 8,000 people, told BI that when it comes to fiber-optic drones, "the only way to take those drones down is mechanical," like with shotguns. Pervak said shotguns can be very "effective against any kind of drone. It doesn't matter what size the drone is, what frequencies it has, or whether it is a fiber-optic drone." "The effectiveness of the shotgun depends on the operator's training," he said. A shotgun is a long-barreled weapon that can fire a damaging spray of projectiles. The 12-gauge is a common type. He said his drone school, working with Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces 413th Battalion "Raid," has trained 250 soldiers and 30 instructors from different units. Igor Belov, the founder of PSS by Logics7, a Ukrainian company that makes weapon training simulators, told BI that it is working on a simulator to train soldiers on using shotguns to shoot down regular first-person view drones and fiber-optic drones. The company is already training soldiers with its simulators to face drone threats like drone swarms and low-flying drones. "We are developing products that our army truly needs," he explained, adding that "our first priority is to ensure they function effectively under real battlefield conditions." "All of our solutions are designed based on direct feedback from military personnel, with one clear goal — to have a real impact on the battlefield and to help save lives," Belov said. More than 60,000 soldiers have been trained on Logic7's systems. Dmytro Martsilenko, the press officer for Ukraine's 33rd Assault Regiment, was much less certain on the value of guns against drones. "There is not enough data to assess the effectiveness of using a shotgun against drones. Because there is not enough experience," he said. "Nevertheless, they are already practicing using shotguns against drones at training grounds," he added. "And EVERY unit is equipped with a shotgun." Another Ukrainian drone operator, who spoke to BI on the condition of anonymity, said his unit has a 12-gauge shotgun for shooting down drones if needed. The drone fight Drones are being used more in Russia's war against Ukraine than in any other conflict in history, and they are used to gather intelligence, explode on target, launch grenades, and direct fire for other weaponry crews. The extensive use of drone technology has created a challenging battlespace, with so many in the air that soldiers can't always tell which side they belong to. There are conventional quadcopters and octocopters, fiber-optic drones, AI-enabled drones, loitering munitions, and more being deployed in this fight. For some, the answer is as simple as a shotgun. For others, it's electronic warfare. In some cases, a heavy machine gun can bring one down. And then, there are drones that require interceptors, which can be costly. For instance, Ukraine operates a limited supply of high-end air defense systems, but employing a multi-million-dollar interceptor at a drone that costs only tens of thousands of dollars isn't sustainable. The Ukrainians have been increasingly using drones as cheaper intercept alternatives. But for the front-line, tactical drone fights, Ukrainian soldiers are keeping their low-tech shotguns close at hand.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia attacks eastern Ukraine as Putin announces new drone division
Russian combat drones again carried out strikes overnight into Friday on Ukrainian targets, bombing areas around Sumy and Donetsk, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Friday. Air raid alerts sounded in eastern Ukraine, authorities said. The latest action comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he plans to establish a dedicated drone unit within the military, a move that mirrors Ukraine's creation of its own drone forces last year. "We are currently building drone troops as a separate branch of the military, and these should be developed and deployed as soon as possible," Putin said at a meeting discussing a new state arms programme, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Russia sees a rapid rise in effectiveness of unmanned aerial vehicles in combat, Putin was quoted by the Kremlin, noting that about half of enemy targets destroyed or damaged are now attributed to drone operators. Unmanned weapons have played a key role for both sides in the ongoing conflict. Ukraine created its Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) in June 2024, deploying various drones and developing them with industry partners, including unmanned armed boats and combat or mine-clearing robots. Putin stressed the need for improved air defence systems amid rapidly evolving aerial warfare, calling for a universal system capable of intercepting all types of incoming threats. While Russia's frontline air defences are strong, rear-area coverage is thinner, allowing Ukrainian long-range drones to repeatedly hit military and industrial sites far behind the front lines.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Ukrainian forces destroy anti-tank mine depot in Russia's Kursk Oblast
Ukrainian fighters from the 413th Battalion Raid of the Unmanned Systems Forces, as part of the consolidated unit from the 78th Separate Air Assault Battalion Dzhmil (Bumblebee), have discovered and destroyed an anti-tank mine depot in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Source: Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram Quote: "The soldiers from the 413th Battalion Raid of the Unmanned Systems Forces, operating in Kursk Oblast as part of the consolidated unit from the 78th Separate Air Assault Battalion Dzhmi, discovered and destroyed an anti-tank mine depot. The enemy had left them in a wooded area without proper camouflage and paid dearly for it." Details: The Unmanned Systems Forces also stated that fighters of the unit used UAVs to strike a Z-STS armoured vehicle, known as Akhmat due to it being developed for Chechnya's security forces. In addition, the operators from the 413th Battalion Raid destroyed Russian lorries, pickup trucks and minibuses with their strikes. Background: On the night of 11-12 June, Units from Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, in coordination with other defence forces units, hit an important facility of the Russian defence industrial base – the Rezonit technology park in Moscow Oblast. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainian drones hit Rezonit circuit board plant in Moscow Oblast
Units from Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, in coordination with other defence forces units, have hit an important facility of the Russian military-industrial complex – the Rezonit technology park in Moscow Oblast – on the night of 11-12 June. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook; Russian Defence Ministry on Telegram Quote from the General Staff: "Explosions were recorded on the territory of the Rezonit technology park, located in Zubovo in Moscow Oblast. This is a plant for the serial production and assembly of printed circuit boards and electronics manufacturing. Its products are widely used in the production of high-tech weapons and equipment." Details: The General Staff reported that information about the extent of the fire damage is still being gathered. "The defence forces continue to take all necessary measures to undermine the military and economic potential of the Russian occupiers and compel Russia to end its armed aggression against Ukraine," the General Staff concluded. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
