Russian infantry vs. Ukrainian drones! The war has become a deadly competition

Ukraine does not have enough people to join the front-line trenches in the Donetsk region, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces have an abundance of unmanned aerial vehicles, which they now rely on to compensate for the lack of infantry. According to The Wall Street Journal, the war has already become a competition between Russian infantry and Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

"As Russian soldiers advance towards Ukrainian positions, drones with explosives are directed at them, and larger drones drop bombs on them. The infantry only opens fire when a random Russian soldier manages to get past the drones,” the American publication writes.

Thus, in some rural areas, Ukrainian drone operators can practically defend the front line themselves.

As the battalion commander, Senior Lieutenant Munin, told the publication, the increase in the number of drones has allowed his battalion to take the pressure off the infantry. For example, while a year earlier his team could launch 15 first-person view drones, now they can send at least 60 per day. In addition, many of the drones are now equipped with thermal imaging cameras, which makes it easier to detect Russian attacks at night.

However, Munin adds, the Russians seem to have "unlimited manpower" and continue to send people forward in small groups that can more easily slip past drones.

In addition, Russian EW (Radio Electronic Warfare) sometimes shoots down Ukrainian drones. On rainy or foggy days, most drones cannot fly, allowing Russian forces to launch larger offensives with armored vehicles. When the leaves come back on the trees in spring, Russian infantry will also be harder to detect by drones.