They only cost a few hundred, but they can do millions of damage. Ukrainians learn drones I
Defense against drone attacks is expensive.
The text was originally published in Bloomberg.
In the airspace above Ukraine And Russia is featured a new battle – the ingenuity of drone engineers on both sides brings new opportunities, but also threats far beyond the front line.
This was fully shown on Sunday, when Ukraine carried out a series of dramatic attacks deep on Russian territory, where it damaged a significant part of the fleet of the Kremlin strategic bombers. At around the same time Mask It launched one of the largest drone and rocket attacks on Kiev.
This escalation has brought a new wave of innovation: Ukraine is developing a new generation of drones for searching and shooting out other unmanned aircraft. The goal is mainly Iran Designed by a shahid with a triangular shape that is produced in bulk in Russia.
Oleksandr Kamamyšn, advisor to the Ukrainian Minister for Strategic Industries, recently stated that Ukraine is increasing the production of weapons that have already proved to be shot down when shooting out these drones in Kiev and its surroundings.
At the same time, their production has acquired urgency, as Russian attacks are intensifying before peace negotiations in Istanbul. In May, Russia demonstrated that it is able to release hundreds of drones Shahid regularly, indicating its growing production capacity.
In the article you can read:
- What radically changed the battlefield,
- How much do the drone hunters cost,
- Why Greeding is pushing the Allies.
A common feature
The escalating drone attacks overloaded the Ukrainian air defense and led to a higher number of civilian victims – especially since when US President Donald Trump In February, he began to put pressure on the end of the fighting through phone calls and Ukraine leaders.
The boom of cheap drone technology has radically changed the character of the battlefield in recent years – traditionally strong armies are increasingly finding in a disadvantage. Low -cost weapons can destroy much more expensive equipment – including tanks, ships or other sophisticated drones.
This trend was fully manifested during Sunday’s operation, in which Ukraine hit four Russian air bases, including one in Eastern Siberia. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Greeny, the attack damaged approximately a third of the Russian fleet of strategic bombers. According to an unnamed representative, the Ukrainian secret service estimates damages at least $ 2 billion.
A similar situation occurred in Yemen – one of the poorest countries in the world – where the Húsian troops successfully focused on US exploratory drones using anti -aircraft missiles Earth – air. At that time, Yemen’s militants shot down at least seven Reaper drones worth approximately $ 30 million per piece. Briefly NATO US President Trump ordered the end of the operation and announced a ceasefire with this group.
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Defense against drone attacks is expensive. Israelwhich has the most effective and experienced air system in the world, relies mainly on expensive missiles. In May, the Israeli Ministry of Defense admitted that during the ongoing war it also deployed laser weapons to avert dozens of attacks from the air, including drones. Like capture drones, laser systems have significantly lower operating costs.
According to Kamyšyna, three Ukrainian companies today produce so -called. “Shahid hunters”, the price of one such drone is around $ 5,000. However, some prototypes on addressed developers work for this article may cost only $ 300 a piece.
The strategies used and the level of autonomy vary – some drones will detonate near the enemy goal to damage it by explosions, other than the shot and require direct intervention.
However, their common feature is that they are relative cheap. Shahid offensive drones, which Russia prefer, costs approximately $ 35,000, reports the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Ukrainian hexacopter bombing drones Vampire in the military technology company Skyfall. (Source: Andrew Kravchenko – Bloomberg)The highest level support
One of the companies trying to fight Shahid is Origin Robotics from Latvia. In June, he will send a test series to Ukraine to explode near the enemy unmanned aircraft to destroy them.
« As soon as (the drone) gets close enough to the target, his head explodes and the goal will hit his fragments, » said Origin CEO Robotics Agris Kipurs in an interview at the Riga Drone Conference last week. « Exactly for such goals is intended – large, armed drones that have been waiting for a long time in the air. »
Although the economic balance is recording Ukraine, according to analyst Bloomberg Wayne Sanders, drone technologies are not yet effective enough to be able to fully replace other air systems.
The idea of producing technology to capture enemy drones has support at the highest level of Ukrainian leadership. President Želenskyj Last week he negotiated with the military council about Russian tactics on the battlefield and increasing air attacks. He ordered his commander and head of intelligence services to prepare countermeasures.
« We have fighters that can shoot down drones, » said Zelenskyj, adding that they are facing a problem with Shahid attacks. « We are also heading towards the development of drone hunters. »
At the same time, it is pushing the Allies to provide Ukraine by the end of the year to provide $ 30 billion to support domestic weapons production.
Drone hunters, however, have their limits – they cannot defend themselves against a more sophisticated Russian missile system that is faster and more devastating than shahids. The most effective defense against them is the American Patriot missiles, the price of which is between $ 3 to $ 6 million per piece.
« The US addiction is also evident in indirectly, » Sanders said. « Direct funding concerns weapon capacities and indirect investments go to Ukrainian production to build their own industry. »
Nowadays, the alternative to the hunting drone is often soldiers with machine guns mounted on trucks, a low-tech solution with low success, which is getting worse when their goals fly at higher altitudes.
Kiev also uses a limited number of F-16 fighters donated by NATO member countries to shoot down drones. Over the past three years, Ukraine has faced more than 20,000 drone attacks from a long distance.
Drone Shrike during testing in Ukraine. (Source: Andrew Kravchenko – Bloomberg)A necessary weapon for both sides
However, Russian technologies are not lagging behind, says Carl Larson, Executive Director of Defense Tech for Ukraine, which supplies Ukraine. Russian drones with fixed wings often have posts cameras with cameras And they are programmed for empty maneuvers if they notice that they are trying to capture another drone.
Russian solid wings drones are now often equipped with rear cameras and programmed to perform forceful maneuvers if they record the drone that tries to capture them, Larson said in an interview.
« It is extremely uneconomical, inefficient and, frankly, physically increasingly complicated to hit the drone with another drone, » he said.
Therefore, Ukraine is developing wing drones, which directly collide with Russian goals, as well as other types that carry bezodless shotgun to shoot down enemy unmanned aircraft, he adds.
Skyfall, one of the largest Ukrainian drone manufacturers, according to a spokesperson (who wanted to remain anonymous for security reasons) is currently adjusting its popular model with a first person’s view (FPV) to use it to capture enemy unmanned aircraft.
FPV (First Person View) drones, as Ukraine used in attacks on Russian strategic bombers, have become a key weapon for both sides of the conflict. They can reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour and carry small explosive charges.
These drones have already fundamentally changed the way the front is organized – soldiers avoid clustering in one place and vehicles or other devices are placed away from trenches to minimize the risk of intervention.
Since FPV drones are increasingly used to destroy other flying objects, they can change not only the situation on Earth, but also control the sky.
According to a Skyfall spokesman, the Shrike FPV version designed to hunt other drones costs from $ 300 to $ 500 depending on the configuration. It is intended for the destruction of exploratory and offensive drones.
In April 63. The brigade of the Ukrainian army, which operates on the Eastern Front, published a video on which the drones Shrike reportedly hit the Russian survey drone Supercam and also Merlin – one of the most technologically advanced Russian drones. The video has not yet been independently verified.
Skyfall spokesman added that Shrike could not capture Shahid drones because they fly at higher altitudes.
« We are focusing on the disposal of suicide FPV drones and bomber drones, » said Carl Larson from Defense Tech for Ukraine. While Europe and the US are able to develop « expensive and sophisticated systems », Ukraine needs its own cheap solution to face these Russian attacks, he adds.
Christina Kyriasogla and Aaron Eglitis also participated in this report.
War in Ukraine
