"Secret weapon" against drones: how the Russian Armed Forces resist strikes by Ukrainian UAVs

Share: Drones have become an integral part of the fighting in Ukraine, adding a new level of complexity to ground operations. To avoid detection and drone attacks, Russian forces are increasingly resorting to the use of weather conditions and combined operations in an attempt to overcome the fortified Ukrainian defenses. Unmanned aerial vehicles have radically changed the tactics of both warring parties, writes military journalist Stavros Atlamazoglu in an article for the National Interest.

Ukrainian and Russian units, from infantry to armored vehicle crews, are forced to constantly monitor the skies, listening for the sound of approaching FPV drones or reconnaissance vehicles. Every minute on the front is accompanied by the risk of aerial surveillance and attack, as drones are used for reconnaissance, artillery targeting and direct strikes on enemy armor and manpower.

Even with the active use of electronic warfare (EW) and kinetic damage, both sides launch hundreds of drones every day, making classic cloaking methods relevant again. Under such conditions, the Russian military increasingly conducts mechanized attacks in rainy and foggy weather, when drones work less effectively.

The fact is, the journalist notes, that such weather conditions reduce visibility for UAV operators, limit the use of thermal imagers and optics, and also complicate the transmission of data from reconnaissance platforms. Before launching major attacks, the Russian military typically concentrates tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, artillery and other equipment, making such concentrations vulnerable to reconnaissance drones and artillery adjusters.

But in recent weeks, attempts by Russian units to carry out attacks during periods of bad weather have been recorded, in order to reduce the risk of detection. This creates additional challenges for Ukrainian intelligence and FPV drone operators. "This technique, as old as war itself, using weather conditions to disguise the movement of military forces, can be very effective.

The Russian military has a long and successful history of using deception, or camouflage, to achieve its goals," Atlamazoglu emphasized. Despite attempts to adapt — from the use of weather factors to the integration of drones into mixed strike groups — Russian forces continue to suffer heavy casualties while achieving minimal territorial gains, the analyst noted.