According to Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine, the development of unmanned systems, or drones, is essential to giving Kyiv an advantage over “a numerically superior” Russian army late on Monday.
“My top priority is to advance the use of unmanned systems,” stated Syrskyi on Telegram following his meeting with his deputy, Vadym Sukharevskyi. “We are looking for asymmetric solutions to gain a qualitative advantage over a numerically superior opponent.”
The war has shifted from being fought on the battlefield to being fought on each other’s energy, transportation, and military infrastructure due to the increased usage of drones by both sides.
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Moscow’s forces have been applying more pressure throughout the whole frontline and gaining ground as the Ukrainian military is outnumbered and outgunned in combat.
After winning Russia’s presidential election on Sunday, President Vladimir Putin was given a further six years in office. He declared that Moscow forces were in a stronger position in the battlefield in Ukraine and promised to continue his military campaign.
Ukraine In February, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy authorized the establishment of a drone-focused branch of the Ukrainian armed forces as part of his military reforms. Sukharevskyi was assigned the task of developing unmanned devices and training soldiers to operate them.
Drones, according to military specialists, might provide Ukraine a technological advantage over Moscow given its lack of artillery shells and other conventional weapons. However, the drone market in Russia is also growing quickly.
Due to the fact that drones are getting smaller, deadlier, and more portable, Ukraine has been using a flurry of them to strike Russian oil refineries in recent months, reportedly taking out 7% of the country’s refining capacity in the first quarter.
The Russian defense ministry promised over the weekend to defend Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Crimea against further strikes in response to Ukraine’s air and sea drone attacks, some of which have been successful.
Since it started more than two years ago, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has resulted in millions of Ukrainians being displaced and thousands of deaths on both sides.
Reporting from Melbourne by Lidia Kelly and Kyiv by Oleksandr Kozhukhar; editing by Lincoln Feast.
