A new tactic used by Russian drones has been observed in the Kherson region

Russian forces have changed their tactics for deploying attack drones in the Kherson region. According to Ukrainian military officials, Russian pilots have begun accelerating the drones to speeds of about 170 kilometers per hour and sending them into a dive, which makes them much harder to intercept. At the same time, this tactic often results in indiscriminate strikes on civilian infrastructure.

Servicemen from the 34th Separate Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy discussed these new aspects of UAV deployment in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

According to Ukrainian military officials, Russian pilots have begun accelerating drones to speeds of about 170 kilometers per hour and sending them into a dive, which makes it much harder to intercept them. At the same time, such tactics often result in indiscriminate strikes on civilian infrastructure.

In turn, the commander of the interceptor crew, call sign “Skipper,” noted that after crossing the line of contact, Russian drones suddenly accelerate and go into a dive, preventing the FPV interceptors from catching up to them. At the same time, he assesses the effectiveness of such attacks as low, since many drones fail to hit their intended targets.

Military officials also report a sharp increase in the number of attacks. Whereas previously about 400 drone strikes were recorded per day in Kherson and the surrounding region, the number now may reach 800–850. According to Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, defense forces manage to destroy approximately 95% of Russian drones.

FPV drones using fiber-optic cables pose a particular threat. Military officials note that such drones can operate at distances of up to 50 kilometers, are undetectable by radar, and are virtually immune to electronic countermeasures. To protect the civilian population in Kherson, anti-drone net corridors continue to be set up along roads.

According to Vitaliy Chervenkov, chief of artillery and deputy commander of the 34th Separate Marine Brigade, since the appearance of the Russian Federation’s“Varyag” unmanned systems unit on the occupied left bank, the number of FPV drone attacks on the civilian population of Kherson has increased significantly.

Андрій Колісніченко