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Footage Shows Ukraine Using Suicide Drones to Kill Russian Armor

Ukraine Drone Attack
Ukraine Drone Attack

The war in Ukraine is getting deadlier by the day.

TOS-1A

TOS-1A. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

TOS-1A

TOS-1A firing. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Social media provides experts and even the casual observer access to what is happening. 

The below is another example of a war that seems to have no end in sight – and will be all over social platforms for months to come.

The War in Ukraine: Now on Social Media

The military of Ukraine has become quite efficient in finding creative ways to strike back against the Russian Army and the Kremlin’s forces.

This has included deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as improvised loitering munitions

It was a few months ago, back in February, that the social media account for the Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeponas) shared footage of a commercially available FPV drone used to destroy a Russian BMP-1 amphibious infantry fighting vehicle in the Eastern Donetsk Oblast.

What We Know

The video showed the drone striking the BMP-1 while another drone captured the moment from another angle.

Based on the footage, it appears unlikely that the crew inside survived the attack.

Since even before the start of the conflict, which just over a year ago when Russia launched its unprovoked invasion, experts have suggested that loitering munitions could be seen as the future of autonomous warfare.

These small aerial devices can stay airborne for a significant amount of time; can identify a target and then attack.

Loitering munitions – which are often lumped into the catch-up term of “drone” – are essentially smart missiles that are ideal when it is known there is a potential target of opportunity, but the targets exact location isn’t as clear.

Attack of the Drones

Ukraine hasn’t been alone in deploying loitering munitions, and Russia has used its own Lancet-3 against Ukrainian artillery, tanks, and air defenses.

The fighting in Ukraine has essentially served as a proving ground for the weapons, and a number of nations are now beginning to employ the platforms, which have increasingly become known as “suicide drones.”

It was just a few months back that Serbia announced it would acquire a number of loitering munitions from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a sign that Belgrade may be distancing itself from longtime ally and arms supplier Russia, Reuters reported.

Since last fall, Moscow has been employing a number of Iranian-made drones to target Ukrainian urban centers and critical civilian infrastructure.

Earlier in the year, Kyiv’s forces targeted a number of Russian Aerospace Forces’ bases with modified Tupolev Tu-141 or Tu-143 reconnaissance drones, which date back to the 1970s. While designed for photographic recon, these drones had been re-engineered to carry explosions.

With a range of 1,000 km (665 miles), these enabled Ukraine to strike at bases deep within Russia.

In one attack in December, at least three people were killed and half a dozen more wounded in a strike on Engels-2, while two Tu-95M (NATO reporting name “Bear”) long-range strategic bombers were reportedly damaged.

Engels-2 is one of the largest Russian airbases and is home to the 21st & 184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiments.

In addition to basing the Tu-95M, the facility also operates a number of Tu-160M (NATO reporting name “Blackjack”) bombers.

Author Experience and Expertise: A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

Written By

Expert Biography: A Senior Editor for 1945, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,000 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.