LONDON, July 26 (Reuters) – Russia has begun including new, cheaply-made drones in its long-range attacks on Ukraine, to try to identify air defences, film any damage and act as decoys, a Ukrainian military spy official said.
The two new types of drone, which Russia has used in five drone attacks in the last two to three weeks including an overnight strike on Thursday, are produced from materials like foam plastic and plywood, the official told Reuters.
One type carries a camera and a Ukrainian mobile phone SIM card to send images back to the Russian military.
“They identify where our mobile groups are positioned, where the machine guns are that can destroy them. They’re trying … to get a picture of where all our air defences are located,” said Andriy Cherniak, a military spy agency spokesperson.
The previously unreported details from Cherniak are further evidence of Russia seeking to adapt its tactics and try new technology to gain an edge during its daily missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones, which fly to their target and detonate on impact, have become a staple of Russian aerial attacks since they began being used in the first year of Russia’s full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.
Ukraine, which has been appealing to the West to provide more air defences to repel increased Russian airstrikes on its power facilities since March, tries hard to conceal the locations of its air defence systems.
A Ukrainian military intelligence official stated that Russia has started using inexpensive drones in their long-range attacks on Ukraine to pinpoint air defenses, record damage, and serve as distractions.
The official told Reuters that Russia has used the two recently introduced drone models in five separate attacks over the past two to three weeks, including one that occurred overnight on Thursday. These drones are made primarily from materials such as foam plastic and plywood.
One variant has a camera and a Ukrainian SIM card to transmit pictures to the Russian military.
They locate the locations of our mobile units and the positions of the machine guns that could eliminate them. Andriy Cherniak, a spokesperson for the military spy agency, stated that they are attempting to gather information on the exact locations of all our air defenses.
The new information from Cherniak reveals more proof of Russia’s efforts to modify tactics and experiment with new technology in order to gain an advantage during its routine missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Shahed attack drones designed by Iranians have been frequently used in Russian aerial attacks, flying to their target and exploding upon impact.
Ukraine has been requesting more air defense from the West to fend off Russian airstrikes on its power facilities since March, while also making efforts to hide the locations of its air defense systems.