Innovative Ukrainian tactic echoes Israel's Hezbollah strategy

The Ukrainians are demonstrating remarkable ingenuity in dealing with Russian forces. Their latest tactic is significantly influenced by a Mossad operation that employed explosive pagers against Hezbollah.

The images below suggest that the Ukrainians have likely incorporated a significant amount of plastic explosives with an EDP-r electric detonator and a switch into possibly damaged Motorola radios. The explosion's power is designed to severely injure the hands and face of anyone attempting to use the radio.

Both Ukrainians and Russians face difficulties due to a lack of secure communications. However, the Ukrainians continue to receive updated technology from Western countries. At the same time, the Russians fall back on older devices like the Soviet-era TA-57 field phones or commercially available radios from China.

These devices are vulnerable to eavesdropping, a fact both sides are well aware of due to repeated experiences. Captured enemy equipment is considered valuable, and the Ukrainians seem to be counting on this by deploying explosive Motorola radios in Russian territory using drones.

With the equipment shortages, it is quite possible that a Russian soldier might find and attempt to use such a device or pass it on to a higher-ranking officer. The latter situation is particularly advantageous since officers, especially those in communications roles, are scarce and difficult to replace.

The tactic would justify the investment if these Ukrainian efforts result in the loss of specialized Russian personnel. This strategy mirrors the effectiveness of Israel's large-scale pager operation, which significantly hindered Hezbollah's combat capabilities when IDF forces moved into Lebanon.