Key points
- Drone use continues to determine the shape of the war
- Ukraine develops drones domestically as well as receives them from friendly countries
- Ukraine to provide its combat units with $60m to acquire their UAVs
- To develop four million UAVs annually
ISLAMABAD: Kyiv’s prioritisation of its expanding drone industry has been helpful in the country’s ability to resist Russian advances.
According to The National Interest, around three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, drone use continue to determine the shape of the conflict. Since February 2022, both Moscow and Kyiv have depended on an array of drones (UAVs) to carry out their respective war agendas.
Russian soldiers have allegedly acquired many of their drones from Iran. Ukraine has deployed both domestically-produced and foreign-delivered aerial lethal weapons more regularly.
As the war continues, Kyiv is ready to allocate additional resources to keep its drone stockpile. This week, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence introduced it would provide its combat units with $60 million of direct funding per month to acquire their UAVs.
Combat unit needs
According to Defence News, this move will allow for the fast fulfilment of the combat units’ needs.
Ukraine’s Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov added that “Commanders of the units will have the flexibility to use these funds to acquire the drones that are the most effective for carrying out mission requirements at the front, which marks another step towards building a highly flexible system to ensure the military has everything necessary for Ukraine’s defence.”
Previously, these units had to depend upon centralized purchasing for important equipment.
Ukraine’s preference for drones was recently highlighted by the announcement that Kyiv would develop four million UAVs annually. President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Kyiv was quickly speeding up its production of these aerial weapons, which was almost non-existent before Moscow’s invasion.
In a statement given by the Ukrainian president, it was also told that Ukraine had already acquired roughly half a million more drones in the first three quarters of 2024 than its original target.
UAV weapons
Kyiv’s domestically-produced UAV weapons continue to develop as local manufacturers race to develop more advanced designs. One of Ukraine’s most used UAVs is the Shark unmanned aerial system, developed by a combat drone manufacturer in Ukraine.
Capable of being able to detect enemy radar stations or air defence systems, this UAV has a good range of 60km and has been nicknamed the “iPhone” by Ukraine’s combat units. The ALTIUS-600 UAV is another famous Ukrainian drone, which can be integrated and launched from a range of military aircraft, ground vehicles, and even sea-based platforms.
“Sea baby”
Perhaps Kyiv’s most notorious UAV is a drone submarine nicknamed the “sea baby.” The volunteer group Ammo Ukraine developed the weapon, which has a range of around 600 miles and can carry out attack, transport, and reconnaissance missions.
Last year, Kyiv’s fleet of Sea Babies created problems for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, inflicting serious damage to Moscow’s warships.
Last summer, an explosive-laden Sea Baby sank a Russian corvette, a landing ship, a patrol boat, and a tug boat during a raid on Crimean anchorages.
With new resources being allocated to UAV achievement this year, Ukraine’s stockpile is about to get even bigger.
