Ukrainian battalion wreaks havoc on Russian artillery with FPV drones
A video has been published on social media showcasing the work of one of the Ukrainian battalions. Using FPV assault drones, it carried out as many as 10 successful attacks on Russian equipment. We explain what the invaders lost.
The video presents the losses inflicted on the Russians by a battalion belonging to the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Army, which is holding the front in the Donetsk region. FPV assault drone operators managed to hit as many as eight Russian D-20 howitzers, as well as a Msta-B howitzer and a 2B9 Vasilek automatic mortar.
Ukrainian drones are decimating the Russians
The means employed by the Ukrainians are not surprising. The ongoing war on their territory is often referred to as a "drone war" since both sides are using various types of unmanned aerial vehicles on a large scale. FPV (first-person view) drones are unmanned aerial vehicles with a built-in camera that gives the pilot a live view in real-time until the moment of impact.
These are usually small, inexpensive commercial drones slightly modified for military use. They can be outfitted with explosive charges or grenades. In the first case, they turn into a kamikaze weapon. In the second, they drop grenades on enemy equipment from above.
Post-Soviet Russian artillery
The D-20 howitzers are ancient equipment developed back in the 1940s. They use 152-mm calibre projectiles, which can strike targets depending on the type of ammunition, at a distance of about 18 to 24 kilometres, with a firing rate of up to six rounds per minute. Each of these howitzers weighs 5,600 kilograms, is 8.7 metres long in the marching position, and must be operated by 8 to 10 soldiers.
From the Ukrainian perspective, the problem is that 152-mm calibre projectiles can be used, which the Russians receive as support from North Korea. Although the supplied ammunition sometimes fails, they can afford more attacks.
The Msta-B howitzers also use the 152-mm calibre gun, but more types of projectiles are handled. This much newer equipment, introduced into service in 1987, is towed and not self-propelled. It weighs just under 7,000 kilograms and measures over 12 metres in length.
It's different from the 2B9 Vasilek. It's an automatic mortar, similar to the D-20 howitzer, in that it remembers the times of the USSR but is still somewhat younger, as it was developed in the 1970s. In this weapon, the Russians use 82-mm calibre projectiles ranging from up to about 4 kilometres. However, its firing rate is several dozen shots per minute.
