World first: flying drones deliver Ukrainian combat robots behind Russian lines

Ukraine's Third Army Corps announced that during Operation Vivaldi, 125 square kilometers of territory were brought back under Ukrainian control in the Lyman area, in the northern part of Donetsk region. One of the operation's most important innovations was that large flying drones carried explosive-laden ground combat robots more than ten kilometers behind Russian lines.

According to the corps' data, fifty of the 125 square kilometers had actually been under Russian occupation, while in the remaining area Russian infiltration groups were eliminated and disrupted Ukrainian control was restored. Ukrainian forces liberated the settlements of Shandryholove and Derylove, and gained full control over Drobysheve, while in an earlier phase of the operation they announced the recapture of Serednye and the clearing of additional villages. The data on territorial gains was released by Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, commander of the Third Army Corps.

According to the corps, during the operation the world's first attack of its kind was carried out, in which heavy flying drones delivered ground combat robots behind enemy lines. The aerial vehicles transported tracked or wheeled robots loaded with explosives into the rear of Russian positions, where they were then guided by remote control to designated targets. The robots carried out reconnaissance, attacked positions and logistics points, and cleared the way for Ukrainian infantry. One of the method's key advantages is that Ukrainian soldiers do not have to personally enter areas monitored by drones and covered by artillery. The ground robots can carry explosives to Russian dugouts, deliver supplies to forward units, evacuate the wounded, and conduct reconnaissance using their cameras and microphones, while their loss represents a much smaller cost than the destruction of a soldier or a conventional armored vehicle. According to Biletsky's plans, over time unmanned systems could take over as much as a third of the tasks currently performed by soldiers serving on the front line.

According to Ukrainian statements, more than 15,700 drone and robot missions were carried out during Operation Vivaldi, and the unmanned vehicles moved around 3,300 tons of equipment and supplies. The corps claims that Russian losses exceeded three thousand men, and that the operation dealt a severe blow to the offensive capabilities of the 20th and 25th Combined Arms Armies as well as the 1st Guards Tank Army.

The operation aimed to eliminate Russia's infiltration tactics

In recent times, the Russian army has frequently sent small infantry groups through gaps in Ukrainian positions, which sometimes hid several kilometers deep before attacking logistics routes and the defenders' rear areas. The Ukrainians used electronic warfare, aerial reconnaissance, strike drones and robots to locate and destroy these groups. The Third Army Corps emphasized that Operation Vivaldi has not yet ended. Referring to the choice of name, Biletsky said that Vivaldi has four seasons, and so far the Ukrainian army has only presented the first.

Source: G4Media