Ukrainian FPV drones target Russian convoys in cross-border strikes

Ukrainians, after receiving numerous approvals from NATO countries to use donated equipment for attacks on Russian territory, are not idle. Simultaneously, there are also attacks using improvised weaponry on poorly protected Russian rear positions. We present the details of one such attack.

So far, Ukrainians, for political and image reasons, have tried not to carry out too many attacks on Russian border territories. Of course, there were previous shellings of targets, including in the Belgorod region, using, among others, Polish 122 mm (4.8-inch) rockets, but this does not compare to the current dynamics with the use of, for example, M142 HIMARS systems.

Now, an exciting recording has emerged showing the destruction of a Russian convoy still within the Kursk region, 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles) from the border. Ukrainian soldiers from the 103rd Territorial Defense Brigade destroyed the Russians using FPV drones, which meant they had to sneak relatively close to the column. At least a dozen vehicles and an unknown number of soldiers were destroyed.

The Ukrainians do not have sufficient advanced long-range anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), such as the Stugna-P or the FGM-148 Javelin. The Russians attack the Ukrainians with a mass of equipment, even of a museum nature. Even for a tank, such as the T-62 or the T-54, something must be used because it is resistant to machine guns or automatic cannons.

For this reason, Ukrainians use FPV drones to carry weapons that are ineffective under normal conditions. Examples include RKG-3 anti-tank hand grenades capable of eliminating combat vehicles from the BMP series or single-head PG-7VL anti-tank grenades. Depending on the construction and payload, the range of such drones is several hundred meters or more than a kilometre (half a mile).

In the case of the latter, fired from an RPG-7 launcher, the effective range of hitting the target is up to 400 meters (440 yards), and the penetration capability of about 50 centimeters (20 inches) of armor steel is not enough for the front armor of most tanks in Ukraine. The side and rear are different.

Moreover, such projectiles can be stopped by an adequately thick steel plate separated from the tank's main armour by about 50 centimetres (20 inches). In this way, the famous Russian armoured barns proved to be exceptionally resistant to FPV drones but defenceless against professional anti-tank weapons.

The base of the famous drones is simply lightened commercial constructions like the DJI Mavic or DIY builds. To build them, not much is needed because only the following are necessary: frame, electric motors with rotors, control system, camera, and battery. Then, the payload is often attached to such drones with zip ties, and the detonator is two wires that touch to cause an explosion.

Theoretically, the simplest form of protection against them is electronic warfare systems like the Silok-01. The Russians even designed helmet-mounted solutions based on electronics from AliExpress. However, these are not widespread, and there is no guarantee that the opponent will not adapt their drones to the jammers' range.

The war in Ukraine has shown that a sort of frequency war is ongoing between drone manufacturers and jammers, with periods of both unchecked flight and complete grounding for either side.