Russia Deploys Cheap Drones Spying On Ukraine's Defense System

UNSPLASH/USher ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Russia started using new drones that were cheap in long-range attacks in Ukraine, to try to identify air defenses, film any damage, and act as bait, a Ukrainian military spy official said.

Two new types of drones, used by Russia in five drone attacks in the past two to three weeks including attacks on Thursday, July 25, were produced from materials such as foam and coating wood plastic, the official told Reuters.

One of the drones is tasked with carrying Ukrainian cell phones' cameras and SIM cards to send images back to the Russian military.

They identified where our moving group is, where the machine guns are located that can destroy them. They are trying to get an idea where our entire air defense is," said Andriy Cherniak, spokesman for the military spy agency.

The previously unreported Cherniak details are further evidence Russia is trying to adapt its tactics and trying new technologies to gain the lead in its daily missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Iran's design of the Shahed attack drone, which flew towards its target and exploded during a collision, has been the mainstay of Russian airstrikes since the drone began use in the first year of the full-scale Russian invasion launched in February 2022.

Ukraine, which calls on Western countries to provide more air defenses, is trying hard to hide the location of its air defense systems.

A new Russian drone equipped with a camera does not carry explosives but is very similar to an ordinary Shahed drone and flies with its group, Cherniak said.

The second new type of drone does not contain explosives or is only small in size and is used as bait, added Cherniak.

Because it is almost indistinguishable from ordinary ground strike drones, the drone still needs to be shot down, so it can reveal where Ukraine's air defense system is located.

He said the new drone may cost just 10,000 US dollars or the equivalent of Rp. 162 million.

Drones can also fly at an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,000 feet), thus keeping them outside the reach of machine guns and automatic rifles.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a test ground for drone warfare technology, and both sides use attack and reconnaissance drones extensively on the battlefield. Kyiv has channeled its energy into domestic drone production to narrow the gap between its attack capabilities and Moscow, by launching long-range drone attacks on Russian targets including oil refineries.

Russia says long-range airstrikes were used to weaken Ukraine militarily. Ukraine says Russian attacks hit civilian buildings and caused serious damage to civilian energy facilities and the loss of civilian lives.

Russian troops occupy about 18 percent of Ukraine and make additional progress in the eastern region in recent months, putting Kyiv in an unfavorable position at the forefront of 1,000 km (600 miles).