how drones invaded the battlefield in Ukraine

They are called Orion, Merlin, Black Hornet and Bayraktar, and they play a crucial role in the Ukrainian conflict, for both kyiv and Moscow. In turn spy eyes, guided missiles and formidable torpedoes, drones are as popular with soldiers as they are feared by populations. It is difficult, for example, for the inhabitants of Odessa or Lviv to forget the dull hum of the Shahed kamikaze drones, launched en masse on their city by the Russian army for a year.

With these devices, war has even invaded Russian territory, as evidenced by the numerous attacks reported in recent months in Moscow and its surrounding region. At the end of August, drones targeted the Russian airport of Pskov, 600 km from northern Ukraine, destroying at least one military plane. Heavy weapon damage low cost : according to Ukrainian media, These are cardboard machines, inspired by the Australian Corvo PPDS, which were used for this mission.

Thanks to their small size (the Black Hornet mini-drone measures just 16 cm), these devices fit everywhere. In Ukraine, they are used so much that every 10 km portion of the front line is generally flown over by “25 to 50 drones from both camps”, according to a study by the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi). Enough to interest armies around the world, who see Ukraine as a huge testing zone.

Up to 9,000 drones lost per month on the Ukrainian side alone

The quantity of drones used by Ukraine to repel the Russian invasion continues to amaze experts. According to Rusi, the Ukrainian army loses around 300 drones per day, or around 9,300 devices per month. “This is unheard of !”assures franceinfo Ulrike Franke, researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations, a study center based in Paris. “The Ukrainians have many systems, including small, inexpensive civilian drones, which can therefore be sacrificed”she explains.

The most accessible devices used by Kiev are quadcopters (drones with four propellers) originally intended for the general public, which generally cost around 500 euros per unit – although the bill can reach 15,000 euros for the most robust machines. “Thanks to crowdfunding, people bought a lot of drones to supply to Ukrainians”, relates Ulrike Franke. These civilian models are very good at reconnaissance, so much so that each Ukrainian unit has one or even several drone pilots.

But these commercially available devices can also be “modified using 3D printers, to be able to drop grenades and small shells on the enemy”, explains to franceinfo Stéphane Audrand, consultant specializing in armaments. Mines can also be installed on FPVs, these ultra-maneuverable drones normally designed for racing. The Ukrainian army regularly shares images of booby-trapped devices capable of infiltrating the shelters of Russian soldiers before exploding.

Unlike the vast majority of weapons, “Drones are generally made to be lost”, analyzes Ulrike Franke. After “more than 20 years of technological progress”these devices are now manufactured by many countries, “like China, Turkey or Israel”, recalls the specialist. With one notable consequence: they are less expensive, and therefore more accessible.

Devices designed for the Ukrainian terrain

Beyond the financial aspect, the popularity of the drone can be explained by the particular conditions of the war in Ukraine. The “lockdown” of the sky for classic military aviation, above all, “because there are too many anti-aircraft missiles, which greatly complicates strikes”, explains Stéphane Audrand. Much stealthier than fighters or bombers, armed drones have a better capacity to strike behind enemy lines. This is the case of the Bayraktar TB2 on the Ukrainian side, the Orion on the Russian side, but also the kamikaze drones, particularly used by Russia.

In September, Moscow’s forces launched a record number of drones of this type into Ukraine: 503 kamikaze devices, according to the specialist magazine’s count. Defense Express. This is twice as many as the previous record recorded, which was 246 drones in July. These devices, of the Shahed 136 type, are supplied to Russia by Iran. But the regime of Vladimir Putin, “who uses these drones as missiles”, explains Ulrike Franke, intends to manufacture her own machines. By the summer of 2025, 6,000 kamikaze drones must leave Russian factories, as revealed in mid-August by Washington Post.

The drone is also proving particularly effective in the context of positional warfare, which has taken hold in Ukraine since May 2022. From the trenches surrounding the devastated town of Bakhmut to the front line set all along the river Dnieper, these devices constantly scan enemy positions. “This is certainly the first use of the drone, holding and knowing the front”, recalls Stéphane Audrand. On the lookout for the slightest movements of Russian troops, the Ukrainian army has thus become “one of the most ‘dronized’ in the world”explains the consultant.

“With Ukraine, a new stage has been reached”

The massive use of drones seems to have reshuffled the cards of military strategy. “With Ukraine, a new stage has been reached”estimates Stéphane Audrand, who describes “a movement deepening the battlefield.” From now on, “Everyone must be careful” and the soldiers “are not safer up to 100 km from the front line”he explains.

“Each section can strike at the rear. The tactical command posts must move all the time. It’s a conflict where no one can rest.”

Stéphane Audrand, arms specialist

at franceinfo

The same observation applies to the navy, “because Ukraine also has very interesting naval drones”, recalls Ulrike Franke. In November 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced with great fanfare the creation of “the world’s first fleet” aquatic armed devices. Since then, it’s difficult to know where this project is. kyiv was indeed much more discreet when, at the beginning of August, several marine drones struck ships in the Russian base of Novorossiysk, on the Black Sea.

“At sea too, the zone of impunity is shrinking, points out Stéphane Audrand. We can no longer approach within 150 or 200 nautical miles [entre 278 et 370 km] on one side.” For the specialist, drones “democratized deep strikes”, and it would be inconceivable to do without it, for kyiv as for Moscow.

The drone has become “indispensable, but not central”

Should we, however, make these remotely controlled devices the heart of a military strategy? Especially not, warns Ulrike Franke. “We have the impression that this system is central, but it is in fact complementary to other means”she nuances. “Not all operations are organized around drones, insists Stéphane Audrand for his part. Yes, they occupy a place that we have never seen before, essential… but not central.”

Be careful not to exaggerate the importance of these remote-controlled devices in the conflict either. With their onboard cameras, the drones share their exploits. This is not the case for artillery shells, which nevertheless inflict “half of the losses on the battlefield”recalls Stéphane Audrand.

“There has always been a sort of fascination with these devices, which some people have at home. But we must not forget the tanks, the artillery… You cannot win a war with drones.”

Ulrike Franke, researcher at the European Council on Foreign Affairs

at franceinfo

Very effective at the start of the invasion of Ukraine, the drone did not remain a miracle weapon for long. The Russian army has in fact developed effective means of jamming the systems of Ukrainian aircraft, “by producing navigation interference (…) as electronic protection”, details Rusi in its report. As for the Kiev forces, the old German Gepard tanks proved particularly formidable against the machines launched by Russia, to the point of being nicknamed “drone killers”.

The massive use of drones in Ukraine nevertheless remains “a case study for all armies, a testing ground for innovations”confides Ulrike Franke. “The conflict has particularly awakened Westerners, who do not have a lot of drones, and few different models”, she explains. In France, the arms giant Nexter-KNDS explain for example still being at the stage “studies” concerning these devices.

Ukrainians are already well accustomed to these devices which should remain omnipresent, even after a hypothetical end of the fighting. Land or flying, drones are in fact increasingly used for mine clearance missions, which could last “decades” according to experts.