Drone warfare has played a significant role for both Kyiv and Moscow amidst Russia’s ongoing invasion.
The Kremlin notably acquired Iranian-designed lethal combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as early as summer 2022 to support its offensive efforts in the country. Ukraine often deploys a variety of foreign drones, including Turkey’s formidable Bayraktar TB-2 drone. Since Kyiv officially launched its counter-offensive, industry experts expected a surge in UAV activity. This week, Ukraine attacked Moscow with at least five drones, according to Russia’s defense ministry.
While each drone was reportedly shot down or jammed, Moscow had to reroute flights out of one of its main airports due to the attack. The Kremlin referred to the drone barrage as a “terrorist attack,” while Kyiv has remained silent surrounding its alleged involvement in the barrage. These attacks come just one week following the Russian mercenary Wagner Group’s near insurrection in the country.
Drones play a role in Kyiv’s counter-offensive
“An attempt by the Kyiv regime to attack a zone where civil infrastructure is located, including an airport that receives international flights, is a new terrorist act,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram. Although Ukraine has not taken responsibility for the attack, they are likely the culprit. Over the last year and a half of warfare, Moscow has launched dozens of its own projectile, drone and missile barrages targeted Ukrainian assets, including civilian infrastructure and its energy sector. However, the Kremlin justifies these attacks as part of its “special military operation” in the country.
In light of the recent drone barrage, former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev cautioned that “Armageddon” could be imminent if the West does not halt its support for Kyiv in light of the approaching North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit later this month. These inflammatory remarks also coincided with a provocation over Syria this week. On July 5, two Russian Su-35 jets acted dangerously and belligerently in Syrian airspace in an attempt to disrupt an American MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone. Russia’s increasingly hostile behavior towards American pilots in the MENA region is likely a signal that Moscow is irritated with the West’s aid to Kyiv.
Ukraine is enhancing its drone arsenal
Although the drones used in the Moscow attack have not been identified, Ukraine has a variety of lethal UAVs at its disposal. In addition to the Turkish TB2 UAV, Kyiv also operated the Golden Eagle drone, the Altius 600, the Switchblade 600 and the mysterious Cyberlux K8. In the early days of the war, inexperienced Ukrainian soldiers had to figure out how to best use the drones at their disposal most effectively. After eighteen months of conflict, however, Ukrainian forces are well versed in UAV functions and capabilities. Today, Kyiv is committed to building an Army of Drones. According to Forbes, Ukraine is working toward putting more robots and fewer humans in the front lines.
As Kyiv’s counter-offensive heats up in the upcoming months, Ukraine will turn more towards its arsenal of enhanced drones to aid the recapture of territories. Russia, however, will also likely lean on its lethal UAVs to defend its advances.
Maya Carlin, a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
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