Russian troops haunted by Ukrainian drones: Morale in crisis

"The Russians cover themselves with the decomposing bodies of their comrades to escape from our drones," says Lt. Anastasia Blyshchyk. The fear of drones is immense. They dominate the front so thoroughly that sometimes, the mere sight of them leads Russians to commit suicide.

Since the beginning of summer, Russians have been using a tactic of wave infantry attacks with infrequent support from tanks and armoured personnel carriers on most front sectors. The Ukrainians first break the attack with a strong artillery strike, and then drone operators literally hunt down individual soldiers.

Even during breaks between assaults, drone units are not idle, conducting so-called sweep missions. Operators hover above the front line and its immediate rear, searching for moving or hiding Russian soldiers. The number of operating drones is growing exponentially.

Kyiv has expanded the drone forces into battalions and regiments, comprising about 900 to 1,000 soldiers. These are often self-sufficient units with technical backups, motor pools, support companies, and logistics. They have become a formidable military force and, above all, a psychological tool that effectively undermines Russian morale.

The Ukrainians use FPV class drones extensively due to their low production costs, ease of operation, and relatively long loiter time; these drones can fly over a chosen area for several hours and wait for a suitable target. They are fairly effective, especially when compared to the cost of a single artillery shell. It is much cheaper and simpler to eliminate enemy personnel using drones.

For a year and a half, primarily mobilized reservists from Russia—poorly trained, demoralized, and not very eager to fight—have been arriving at the front. The Ukrainians focused on them, initiating literal hunts for individual soldiers to instill a continuous state of threat in the Russians and force them deeper into the ground.

The tactic of psychological attrition is known from the trench warfare of the Western Front of the Great War. Over 100 years ago, soldiers were hunted by snipers, artillery, and heavy machine guns. Soldiers had to hide in trenches where life was concentrated.

Nowadays, not even trenches are safe. Drones with suspended grenades roam the lines. This is intended to instill in Russians the feeling that they are always in the crosshairs of Ukrainians and to discourage them from fighting.

This works quite well, considering statements from prisoners of war. Mobilized soldiers cannot withstand the constant state of threat mentally. So much so that they sometimes commit suicide at the mere sight of an approaching drone.

Several such incidents have been recorded. One of the most well-known occurred in May 2023, when near Bakhmut, a soldier injured by a drone blew himself up with a grenade at the sight of another approaching drone. Another soldier shot himself.

Russian soldiers often panic at the sight of a drone. Sometimes, they attempted to shoot down FPV drones using sticks, brooms, or stones. These methods were often ineffective, and Russian units were not widely equipped with anti-drone gear.

Such directional emitters, like the Polish ones produced by Hertz, send an electromagnetic pulse with a range of 3 to 5 kilometres, cutting off communication with the operator. The simpler the system neutralized, the greater the range. Once intercepted, small drones can be forced to land and captured. Such equipment is sorely lacking on the Russian front.

Russians instead train their soldiers to dodge drones, similar to dodgeball. Tests of this solution showed that dodging is ineffective, and all soldiers were hit.

This tactic also fails on the front for many reasons. Firstly, in the chaos of war, it is very difficult to hear a drone. When I was twice in Kherson, it was easier to spot a drone than to hear it. They were seen very often, usually from a short distance. Ukrainian soldiers, who were our guides, only pointed them out. Fortunately, they were Ukrainian reconnaissance drones patrolling travel routes.

Secondly, due to the drones' high manoeuvrability and the wide range of possibilities provided by the suspensions they can carry—from mortar grenades to hand grenades and kamikaze drones with impact fuses.

As a result, Russians resort to all means. Lt. Anastasia Blyshchyk, the spokesperson for the 47th Independent Mechanized Brigade fighting near Pokrovsk, noted that enemies often pretend to be dead or use their fallen comrades as shields.

—Lt. Blyshchyk states, "Everything is littered with Russian corpses. Summer, everything stinks, and they lie next to them, pretending to be dead. Or even cover themselves with these bodies!"

This is why the Russians fear FPV attacks so hysterically. Ukrainian drones are beginning to be mythologized by soldiers. In Zaporizhzhia, soldiers of the Chechen 141st Special Motorized Regiment stated that Ukrainians have special drones with claws to capture Russian soldiers.

The Chechens believe that Ukrainians specifically hunt soldiers at night to hide their method of capture. The problem is that multi-rotor drones with a payload exceeding 150 kilograms would have to be large, loud, and easily noticeable. Additionally, Ukrainians do not possess such drones. But this does not prevent the Chechens from spinning their theories.

The Ukrainians, on the other hand, did not dispel this myth in any way. Russians' perception of drones plays into their hands. In war, psychological victory is extremely important. At least in this aspect, Ukrainians are winning.