1 of 1 A Russian BMP 2 tank recovered and repaired by the 92nd Brigade in the Kupyansk Oblast. — Photo: Boris Vichith/RFI A Russian BMP2 tank was recovered and repaired by the 92nd Brigade in the Kupyansk region. — Photo: Boris Vichith/RFI
While waiting for the equipment promised by the West, Ukrainian soldiers try to retake as much as possible to face the enemy. The RFI report followed work in an infantry unit in the Kupyansk region of northeastern Ukraine. The military says the use of drones on the battlefield has increased.
On his phone, Oleksandr shows photos of one of the conquests he is most proud of: vehicles marked with the letter “Z” and ammunition left behind by the Russians in their retreat.
Two months ago he found a hiding place with Grad rockets: “I found this in a grove where the Russians kept their rockets. We’ll get in touch with the sender,” he says ironically. “They brought them here to send after us, but they didn’t have time because they had to flee quickly. Now that we’ve found them, we’re giving them back,” he says.
Given the lack of weapons in his unit, Oleksandr remains vigilant, but opportunities to find Russian gear are fairly rare. “We’ve spotted a vehicle, but it’s almost at the front line. We have to push them [os russos] back a little first, and then we can salvage it,” says the soldier about the best strategy.
“These salvage operations relieve our unit, so we can cover our backs and stop offensives,” he explains.
A Russian armored personnel carrier was also made functional again. While waiting for the vehicle to be officially registered, the military keeps it away from the front lines.
1 of 9 February 25, 2022 Natali Sevriukova cries in front of the building where she lived after a rocket attack in Kiev, Ukraine, eastern Ukraine — Photo: Andriy Andriyenko/AP 9 March 9 Bodies are dumped in a mass grave on the outskirts of the city from Mariupol, Ukraine. Russian bombing prevented burials. — Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP 4 of 9 Nadiya Trubchaninova, 70, cries as she holds the cross over the grave of her son Vadym, 48, who was killed by Russian soldiers on March 30, 2022 in Bucha, Ukraine. — Photo: Rodrigo Abd/AP 5 of 9 soldiers carry the bodies of the dead in an attack on the Kramatorsk railway station, Ukraine — Photo: FADEL SENNA / AFP 6 of 9 people next to a house and car damaged by a rocket attack in Kiev, Ukraine — Photo: Portal/Valentyn Ogirenko 7 of 9 A camera on a vehicle’s dashboard captured the moment when an explosion hit the city of Dnipro, Ukraine — Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine/Reproduction 8 of 9 A woman is seen at a building explosion during of a Russian military offensive in Chuguiv, eastern Ukraine, on Thursday morning (24) — Photo: Wolfgang Schwam/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images 9 of March 9 Father puts his hand on the window in a railway carriage as he is during the war between Russia and Ukraine said goodbye to his daughter at the main train station in Odessa — Photo: Bulent Kilic/AFP
The Russian army invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022
Drones: an increasingly common tool in warfare
The drone war began in the first weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These devices of all kinds, available in large numbers and at low cost, have turned the fight upside down.
- How drones became key weapons in the Ukraine war
Such devices include the Turkishmade TB2 combat drone. Armed with four missiles, it proved so efficient that it was nicknamed the “Kalashnikov” of the sky.
According to weapons experts, when Americans refused to export their family of stateoftheart drones, cheaper drone models came to fill this gap in the market for durable midaltitude machines.
In Ukraine, the TB2 Bayraktar changed the war by being easy to use and posing a constant threat to the enemy. The TB2 is just one example, as the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been very inventive when it comes to drones. Kiev has massively converted commercial drones into combat drones, such as the Chinesemade DJI Magic. Equipped with highquality optics, this small device allows artillery to find targets and adjust shots. It is easily modified and can also carry a rifle grenade.
Access to a high quality signal like the Starlink satellite network also allows these drones to meet near military standards. A real revolution on the battlefield.
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