Russia's tank tactics falter under relentless drone assaults
David Axe, writing for Forbes, shared his opinion that Russian tanks have become almost useless. According to the American war correspondent, this situation is due to the extensive use of drones by the Ukrainians.
"Along the 800-kilometre front line in Ukraine and western Russia, there are so many Ukrainian drones that Russian armoured vehicles cannot emerge from hiding without attracting deadly drone attention," reports David Axe.
Russian tanks destroyed by Ukrainian drones
Some Ukrainian brigades describe Russian assaults using solitary tanks as "suicide missions."
David Axe described one such attack that took place in January this year, north of the ruins of Toretsk in the Donetsk region. The crew of a Russian tank was travelling on a dirt road toward the front line. However, they stood no chance against an aerial attack. The tank was immobilized by four Ukrainian kamikaze drones; a fifth, heavier drone finished the job by dropping grenades on the Russian vehicle, ultimately destroying it.
Russians losing even the best tanks to drones
Ukrainians most often use cheap and simple FPV (first-person view) drones. They are equipped with cameras and provide pilots with real-time live feeds until the moment of impact.
To transform a small, commercial drone into a lethal weapon, modifications are made by attaching explosive charges (which detonate on impact) or grenades (which are dropped on the target from above). In recent weeks, there has been an increase in the use of FPV drones using fibre-optic communication, which are resistant to interference.
From the Russian perspective, the realities of the war in Ukraine are all the more painful, as Ukrainian drones can eliminate not only old, post-Soviet tanks but also the latest machines from the Russian defence industry, such as T-90M tanks.
In David Axe's opinion, the progress currently achieved by the Russians on various sections of the front is due to the use of artillery and, primarily, infantry. This is a tactic that results in significant personnel losses, which Moscow has disregarded since the beginning of the war. Reuben Johnson, a former Pentagon consultant in defence technology, also noted in his analysis how Russian tanks turned out to be weaker than expected and unsuitable for modern threats.
