By Ezekiel David
Ukraine is increasingly relying on domestically made long-range drones to strike targets deep inside Russia, according to a BBC report. This strategy, enabled by Western technology and finance, aims to disrupt Russia’s war effort at a relatively low cost.
Ukrainian companies are said to now manufacture hundreds of inexpensive, one-way attack drones each month, with ranges exceeding 750km.
Terminal Autonomy, one of such companies, co-founded by an engineer from the Australian Army, manufactures hundreds of shorter-range drones in addition to over a hundred long-range ones each month.
“It takes about an hour to build the fuselage and half that time to put the brains inside it,” explained Francisco Serra-Martins, co-founder of Terminal Autonomy, highlighting the drones’ simple construction.
These drones target command centres, fuel depots, and air bases. They are frequently deployed in swarms. Although many are intercepted by Russian air defences, Ukraine benefits from a favourable cost-benefit ratio since drones are less expensive than the missiles used to shoot them down.
The BBC also revealed that Palantir, a US data analysis company, is providing software to help Ukraine plan these strikes. The software analyses Russian air defences and electronic warfare capabilities, enabling Ukraine to optimise drone flight paths and increase the chances of reaching their targets.
“Understanding and visualising what that looks like across the entire battle space is really critical to optimising these missions,” said Louis Mosley of Palantir.
Although NATO partners have not given Ukraine long-range Western-made weaponry, fearing escalation, their support for Ukraine’s drone programme indicates that they are willing to help in other ways.
Experts believe that the drone offensive is making a big difference. According to Prof. Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute, it highlights Russia’s susceptibility and compels them to reallocate resources. “The state can’t defend them fully and that Russia is vulnerable,” he declared.
Ukraine is planning on expanding its drone capabilities, and developing even more advanced and cost-effective weapons, with Serra-Martins warning: “What you’re seeing now is like nothing compared to what you’ll see by the end of the year.”
(Source: BBC)