According to the article, when Russian soldiers advance
toward Ukrainian positions, small explosive drones are sent to attack them,
while larger UAVs drop bombs on them.
“Infantry only opens fire when a stray Russian soldier
manages to slip past the phalanx of unmanned aerial vehicles,” WSJ reported.
In some rural areas, Ukrainian drone operators can almost
single-handedly defend the front line.
Senior Lieutenant Munin, commander of a drone battalion
within Ukraine’s 60th Separate Mechanized Brigade, told WSJ that the sharp
increase in drone numbers has relieved pressure on infantry.
A year ago, his battalion could launch 15 FPV drones on a
difficult day. Now, Ukraine produces about 200,000 drones per month, allowing
him to deploy at least 60 in a regular day—and even use them against severely
wounded Russian soldiers, the report said.
Additionally, many Ukrainian drones are now equipped with
thermal cameras, enabling them to detect Russian attacks at night.
WSJ noted that this strategy by Ukraine’s command has
worked—up to a point. Nearly a year after Russia’s offensive on Pokrovsk began,
its forces have failed to capture the city despite their overwhelming advantage
in manpower and artillery ammunition.
Munin said Russian forces appear to have “unlimited human
resources” and continue sending soldiers forward in small groups, attempting to
slip past Ukrainian drones.
However, Russian electronic warfare (EW) systems sometimes
disable Ukrainian drones. On rainy or foggy days, most drones cannot fly,
giving Russian forces an opportunity to launch larger offensives with armored
vehicles.
WSJ also noted that when leaves return to the trees in
spring 2025, Russian infantry will be harder to detect using drones.
Russia also has its own drone army, posing a major threat to
both Ukrainian infantry and civilians in frontline cities. A medic working near
Pokrovsk told The Wall Street Journal that about 70% of Ukrainian losses in the
area are caused by drone strikes.
According to the report, drones find it relatively easy to
detect advancing Russian infantry in open fields. However, in towns and
villages around Pokrovsk, where there are more buildings for Russian troops to
take cover, infantry remains indispensable.
“Drones cannot replace people,” a battalion commander in Ukraine’s
Defense Forces, who has been fighting south of Pokrovsk for the past two
months, told WSJ. During this time, his unit retreated about 1.6 kilometers.
“They [drones] can disrupt an enemy attack but not stop it
entirely,” the officer said.
On the Pokrovsk front, Russian forces currently outnumber
Ukrainian troops by about 10 to 1, according to Ukrainian soldiers cited in the
article. However, an increasing supply of drones and a small influx of new
troops allow them to continue fighting.
A Ukrainian brigade commander told WSJ that for every
wounded or killed Ukrainian soldier, at least seven Russians are lost. However,
he believes Kyiv would need 10 times more troops to fully halt Russia’s
offensive.
The state of Ukraine’s drone program
On Jan. 3, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that
Ukraine plans to produce at least 30,000 long-range drones and around 3,000
cruise missiles and missile-drones in 2025.
Later, The
Wall Street Journal reported that 2025 is expected to see the emergence of “killer
robot” drones on the battlefield as computers take over more UAV operator
functions.
On Jan. 29, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced
the launch of licensed production of advanced FPV drones at a state-owned
enterprise.
On Feb. 2, Business
Insider reported that Ukrainian manufacturers had developed upgraded versions of China-made Mavic drones after Chinese authorities restricted their
export.