On the ground, Russian troops are flying under the enemy radar, probing a multisectioned 1,000-kilometer front with scattered infantry, motorcycles and light vehicles that inch forward. Assaults have stepped up in Donetsk, and Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk have been focal points. In the north, more than 50,000 Russian troops are said to be massing near Sumy, an effort to push 10 kilometers into Ukrainian territory to create some form of buffer zone. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky conceded that there is an increase in forces, but said his country is improving in the region. Russian progress in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions comes as part of a Kremlin plan to gain control over the northern border zones. But experts say it is unlikely to be able to take the regional capital in Sumy because of thick forests.
Ukraine’s Drones and Russia’s Air Tactics
To try to fend off these advances, Ukraine is also beefing up its drone abilities. The country is developing a “drone wall,” a multilayered defense along key front lines that could inflict severe losses on the invading Russian troops. The reliance of Ukraine’s military on drones to strike Russian supply lines up to 30 kilometers from the battlefield has been steadily slowing enemy advances. These joint drone-artillery attacks have thwarted all manner of attacks while suffering only a few Ukrainian casualties.
Russia, though, is ramping up production of drones and new missiles, including launching mass attacks designed to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses. Zelensky cautioned that Russia may one day launch as many as 1,000 drones in 24 hours. Russia has produced drones with higher altitude and improved resistance to jamming, including the Shahed, one of which has flown at 4,900 meters recently. Zelensky added that Russia was now making 300 to 350 Shahed drones daily.
Ukraine’s Problems and Technological Battle
Ukraine is moving F-16 and Mirage jets to protect its own airspace, and is working on drone-to-drone interceptors. Yet, concerns remain. The previous military chief and current London ambassador, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, has said Ukraine must fight a “high-tech war of survival”, while focusing on causing economic pain to Russia, via drone warfare. Ukraine lost its lead in technological innovation, and now the enemy has advanced, he said.
But Russia has begun deploying short-range, fiber-optic drones that are impervious to jamming, as of now something the Ukrainians do not have at scale. These drones are controlled with thin optical fibers, rendering them harder to break. Ukraine has not lost the drone war, but the people still must face increased challenges as Russia continues to gain ground both technologically and strategically, according to Zelensky.
Despite intensifying pressure, Ukraine is bolstering its drone capabilities and reorganizing its defenses, seemingly resolved to prevent additional territorial losses.