Ukraine Skillfully Used Drones, Jammers to Break Into Kursk: Russian Observers

The Ukrainian military has made skillful use of its drones and jammers to break into Russia’s Kursk region, Russian military observers have suggested.

During the incursion, Kyiv reportedly used signal-jamming devices to down Moscow’s surveillance capabilities and limit its border defense.

This allowed Ukrainian drones to carry out a surprise attack on the ground while troops were advancing into enemy territory.

According to Russian military expert Samuel Bendett, it is no surprise that Ukraine would be using such an approach, considering its huge investment in electronic warfare.

“It does seem plausible,” he told CBC News. “We know Ukraine [is] ahead of Russia when it comes to developing [these] tactics and techniques.”

Carefully Planned

According to data released by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukraine has advanced over an area of at least 800 square kilometers (308 square miles) of Russian territory.

Its military also reportedly controls more than 28 Russian towns after last week’s incursion.

Though some details have been leaked to the media, Ukraine is remaining silent on how exactly the successful offensive occurred.

However, Oleksiy Goncharenko said the military action was “carefully planned.”

“I understand that you need to attack places where you wouldn’t expect it. That’s what the Ukrainian Armed Forces did,” he explained. “If we used new tactics and new technologies, that’s definitely a plus.”

Drone Army Paying Off?

In 2022, Ukraine announced plans to build an “army of drones” from donations in response to Russia’s aggression.

It also established a new army branch dedicated solely to drone warfare.

This huge investment in unmanned aerial systems appears to be paying off, as Kyiv is able to strike deep into Russia using its kamikaze drones.

“We have everything to win the war against the Russian Federation. Everything to replace a person in the trench, at sea, in the air, and underwater,” Ukraine deputy defense minister Ivan Havryliuk said.