Ukraine acquires 2,000 China-made drones to 'harass' Russia military

Ukraine has ordered 2,000 drones of Chinese origin as it gears up for yet another round of drone battles with Russia. Ukraine has managed a number of tactical wins by destroying Russian equipment but has lost most of its planes to electronic warfare and anti-aircraft fire. Drones that are readily accessible for purchase are utilised for attack missions, ISR functions, and directing artillery fire. Even Russia used Chinese DJI drones for a long time to adjust the howitzer barrage and make sure the shells hit their targets. Russia has considerably decreased the usage of UAVs built outside of the country. To lessen reliance on imports from the West, its domestic industry has developed a variety of drones for the purpose, many of them are quite simple but contain more components made in Russia. The large fleet of civilian UAVs that were supplied to front-line forces was seen in a video released on X (formerly Twitter) by Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation. The Army of Drones project’s almost 2,000 Autel EVO MAX 4T drones with artificial intelligence will conduct reconnaissance, modify artillery, and locate even covert Russian targets. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky introduced the Army of Drones project last year as a global crowd-funded initiative to produce a sizable stock of drones for use in the conflict against Russia. These may be purchased off-the-shelf from the open market, or the donations could be used to design and construct fresh drones in the nation in collaboration with the country’s incipient state-run defence firms and private sector. By modifying them with basic release mechanisms and dumping grenades on trenches and behind open hatches of tanks and armoured vehicles, Ukraine has prominently exploited civilian and recreational UAVs against Russian soldiers. Additionally, it has mounted big quadcopters that can break through Russian armour with Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPG). Numerous viral videos depict Russian soldiers being taken aback when small bombs modified with fins to maintain their stability and ensure they land next to them. In some violent footage, servicemen could be seen either being murdered instantly or suffering grave injuries, while others could be seen lying maimed on the ground after collapsing and probably dying to their wounds. To a lesser extent than the AFU did using commercially available drones, Russia also imitated the practise in the middle of last year. Hexacopters fitted with Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) warheads were also employed by the AFU at one point to attack Russian armour. The newest, however, are First-Person View (FPV) drones, which allow UAV pilots to experience the drone’s point of view while in flight by wearing a screen under their brow and covering their eyes. This enhances flight control and flexibility. Thousands of drone pilots are being trained in both nations due to the great demand for this profession. Both forces have produced videos including drone footage from FPV UAVs that have been outfitted with explosives for use as loitering weapons against tanks, artillery pieces, and other ground targets.