A sad anniversary is approaching. That of the three years of open war between Ukraine and Russia. In three years, combat tactics and military equipment have evolved significantly. On the ground, drones have largely taken the advantage. On both the Russian and Ukrainian sides, FPV quadcopters make it possible to strike targets directly with little or no collateral damage and for a pittance.
While the kyiv army, lacking men, is gradually banking on the automation of its forces, Forbes has spotted a new combat technique on its part. In a video posted by the Winchester drone group and viewed by the journalist, we see a fleet of Ukrainian drones attacking opposing drones before they do any damage themselves. But at one point, one of the drones sees an infantry soldier on foot and decides to target him.
Weapons used in the war in Ukraine
Could Ukrainian drones be used more than once now?
In this video, of which the journalist is unable to precisely locate the geographical origin, the Ukrainian drone opens fire on this lone soldier with its integrated assault rifles. He missed the target the first time, turned around and fired again. The Russian (or North Korean, depending on where the scene takes place) soldier falls. It’s unclear whether he was simply injured or died.
Officially, no new military doctrine emanating from kyiv instructs Ukrainian soldiers to shoot down the Russians with armed drones. However, in economic, logistical and strategic terms, using FPVs in this sense could only be beneficial. Most FPV drones used by the Ukrainian army today are kamikaze. They carry an explosive charge which, when thrown against their target, destroys them. If they were all armed with guns, the situation would change.
A coherent but risky strategic change
An FPV drone only costs a few hundred dollars to make. This is why the current strategy of making them suicide bombers is not surprising from an economic point of view. But those approximately 100,000 drones built each month by Ukraine would be even more profitable if they could strike more than once.
Before making this change, however, the Ukrainian military must consider one critical element. If the drones no longer carry rifles but explosives, they will also be much more at the mercy of Russian soldiers, who are also equipped with assault rifles.
