🇺🇦🇷🇺 Eyes in the Sky: How Ukrainian Drone Videos Reveal the Reality of War
Senior Associate Copy Editor
The conflict in Ukraine has become a chilling showcase of modern warfare, where consumer drones have been repurposed into lethal weapons. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts like myself spend countless hours scouring through footage released on platforms like YouTube and Telegram, piecing together the intricate and often brutal reality on the ground. These videos, often shot from the drone operator’s perspective, provide a visceral understanding of the conflict, immersing us in the sights and sounds of the battlefield with a chilling immediacy. The whir of the drone’s rotors becomes the soundtrack to carefully planned ambushes, the detonation of artillery strikes reverberate through our screens, and the aftermath of these attacks lays bare the devastating consequences of war.
Target prioritization: Ukrainian drone operators often prioritize high-value targets like tanks (T-72B, T-62), highlighting the strategic importance of these assets in the conflict.
Innovative tactics: The videos demonstrate the Ukrainian forces’ adaptive use of drones, including the creation of “kill zones” and coordinated mechanized assaults, showcasing their evolving tactics.
Technological advancements: The emergence of new, heavier FPV drones with enhanced warheads (capable of carrying 5kg payloads) signals a significant development in drone warfare.
Propaganda and Information Warfare: The titles and descriptions of the videos, often employing terms like “BRILLIANT OPERATION” or “Terrifying Moments,” underscore the role of these videos in shaping public perception of the conflict.
My analysis of recent drone footage, coupled with other open-source intelligence, suggests that the coming weeks will likely see an intensification of drone warfare. The Ukrainians, emboldened by their recent successes and the increasing availability of more advanced drones, are expected to further integrate these tactics into their operations. Expect to see a rise in the use of heavier, longer-range drones capable of delivering more substantial payloads. This escalation, however, is unlikely to go unanswered. Russian forces, acutely aware of the asymmetrical advantage Ukrainian drone warfare presents, are likely to invest in counter-drone technology and adapt their tactics to mitigate this threat.
The videos highlighted below offer a glimpse into this new era of warfare, where the skies are no longer the exclusive domain of fighter jets, but contested by swarms of inexpensive, commercially available drones repurposed for war. Scroll down to see for yourself how this conflict is being shaped by the “eyes in the sky.”
Drone Footage from the last 24 hours
04 Jul: Tactical Genius. Ukrainians Create A KILL ZONE IN KALYNIVKA | War in Ukraine ExplainedReporting from Ukraine252,549 views | 24,657 | July 5 2024 04:45:00 (415 comments)[ Read more … ]
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Today there are a lot of updates from the Bakhmut direction.
The most interesting updates come from the northern flank of Chasiv Yar. Here, the Russians intensified their assaults towards Kalynivka to directly attack the center of Chasiv Yar from the north. However, the Ukrainians were readily awaiting these assaults, and so the Russians failed to advance and incurred losses so serious that they had to halt their attacks altogether and make an operational pause.
The goal of the Russian forces is to establish control over Kalynivka to utilize the canal crossing for further assaults on Chasiv Yar. If the Russians effectively exploit this advance, they would avoid crossing the canal from the Kanal district. Instead, attacking the town center from the northern crossing near Kalynivka could prove more efficient.
The Russian assaults on Kalynivka were preceded by an intense artillery barrage, augmented by glide bomb strikes, resulting in the destruction of most of the village. With no buildings left to use as firing positions, Ukrainian fighters withdrew to more favorable positions west of the canal. Subsequently, Russian troops advanced along Lisova Street, reaching the canal crossing.
Destroying all buildings in eastern Kalynivka proved to be a double-edged sword for the Russians. The destruction eliminated any possibility of concealing and protecting their troops from Ukrainian artillery, tank, and drone strikes. As a result, Russian forces were forced to move across open areas, leading to their rapid destruction.
Another video shows a Russian BMP loaded with infantry being hit at the ammo rack, resulting in a devastating explosion that killed everyone on board. The detonation was so severe that three other nearby vehicles in the column were also damaged by the blast and subsequently abandoned, with most of the troops killed. The only survivor among the Russian stormtroopers suffered severe burns over his body and subsequently lost consciousness. The original, uncensored footage of these operations can be found on our telegram channel through the link in the description.
Due to significant losses with little to no gains, Russian army morale in this area is very low. This has led the Russian command to set up barrier troops to kill deserters or capture them and send them back to the deadly frontline positions. Facing a shortage of motivated personnel and struggling to command mostly demotivated troops, Russian commanders deploy only small groups of infantry for assaults. Another reason for this tactic is the heavy losses in equipment and troops during larger assaults, where Russian forces lose between forty and seventy percent of their equipment. Ukrainian fighters in the area are using up to fifty drones daily to hit twenty-five Russian targets, primarily targeting Russian armored assault formations attempting to advance.
A Russian Storm-Z instructor claimed that Russian forces made their most significant gains in Chasiv Yar, Avdiivka, and Ocheretyne through attritional frontal assaults, air strikes, and artillery, without any advances on the flanks. These assaults resulted in the loss of a significant number of armored vehicles during intensified mechanized operations.
Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Roman Mashovets, stated that the number of available tanks for Russian forces in the Chasiv Yar, Siversk, and Kurakhove directions has significantly decreased to six hundred and fifty tanks. He also noted that the number of combat-ready armored fighting vehicles is now just one thousand eight hundred and fifty. For context, Russians have lost over fifteen thousand armored vehicles and eight thousand tanks since the start of the war, with around a dozen of each lost daily. This indicates that the current assault force can only last for a few months before being exhausted and withdrawn from battle.
Russian sources reported that Russian infantry are essentially forced to conduct dismounted assaults west of Bakhmut despite heavy Ukrainian drone operations. Some Russian infantry only receive a week and a half of training before deploying to Bakhmut, contributing to significant Russian losses…
30 Jun: BRILLIANT OPERATION: Ukrainian Forces CLOSE IN on Hlyboke with Mechanized Assault!Reporting from Ukraine369,324 views | 30,485 | July 1 2024 01:00:00 (703 comments)[ Read more … ]
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Today, there are a lot of updates from the Kharkiv direction.
Here, Ukrainians have consistently seized the initiative in all directions in the region, inflicting heavy losses on Russian forces not only in the city of Vovchansk but also through counterattacks north of Lyptsi. Following their successful recapture of lost positions southwest of Hlyboke, they began amassing additional forces around Lyptsi for the next steps in their plan to push the enemy back across the international border.
Firstly, the Ukrainian commanders initiated the deployment of fresh reinforcements, a move confirmed by frontline Ukrainian soldiers who reported that approximately two brigades had been assembled around Lyptsi in anticipation of future assault operations. Russian soldiers confirmed these statements, sharing with their military bloggers that they had noticed a buildup of equipment near the frontline and the reinforcement of second-echelon reserves over several days. Russian commanders provided further details, warning of a high concentration of Ukrainian strike battalion tactical groups along the entire front line. This buildup suggests that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are preparing a major counteroffensive in the coming days, supported by long-range artillery and Western multiple rocket launch systems. They also highlighted the recent arrival of new shipments of ATACMS missiles from Poland, totaling over 75 missiles, with at least half of them equipped with cluster warheads.
Secondly, the Ukrainians persisted with their audacious raids against Russian positions in and around Hlyboke, aiming to realign the frontline, push the Russians back to the southeast of the village, and simultaneously initiate storming operations. Leveraging the strength and quality of their forces in the region, the Ukrainians succeeded, with intense fighting erupting soon within the village itself. In response to these developments and the mounting signs of an imminent large-scale Ukrainian offensive, the Russian high command decided to intervene preemptively, attempting to disrupt the Ukrainian buildup before all forces could be fully assembled.
The initial Russian response was to escalate the use of loitering munitions systems, such as the Lancet drone, to target Ukrainian heavy equipment, which is crucial for any successful operations in the area due to the expansive open fields that favor mechanized offensives. A geolocated video released by Russian drone operators vividly illustrates the extent of Ukrainian penetration into Russian positions. The footage captures a Ukrainian Stryker armored fighting vehicle concealed in a tree line at the western entrance of Hlyboke, attempting a surprise flank attack to destabilize Russian defenses. The Lancet drone is shown successfully targeting the Stryker and setting it ablaze.
These Ukrainian assaults from the west of Hlyboke were aimed at distracting the Russians from the main push towards the village which came from the east as can be seen on this geolocated video shared by drone operators of the Ukrainian brigade Khartiia. The footage shows at least two Ukrainian armored vehicles maneuvering into position to storm a Russian holdout in a tree line. As they arrive, a Ukrainian BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle opens fire with its main gun to suppress the Russian defenders, allowing the assault group to dismount from an M113 armored personnel carrier. The BMP-1 then begins to slowly advance to the other flank, continuing its suppressive fire to support the ground troops. Subsequently, another M113 arrives, delivering additional soldiers and evacuating the wounded. Notably, the Western-made vehicle is equipped with a cage to protect against FPV drones. This proves invaluable moments later when an enemy drone detonates, unable to penetrate the M113’s defenses, ensuring the successful delivery of reinforcements to the battlefield. Complete uncensored footage of this Ukrainian counterattack can be found on our Telegram channel via the link in the description.
As a result of several coordinated operations, the Ukrainians successfully pushed the Russians back, leading to confirmed reports from soldiers on both sides that the fighting has now moved into the village of Hlyboke. The exhausted and heavily depleted Russian forces, facing imminent rotations, began mining the approaches to their positions in a bid to slow the Ukrainian advance…
Terrifying Moments! FPV Drone Wipe Out 7 Russian TANK! UNBELIEVABLE FOOTAGE!!Reporting From BF297,951 views | 2,579 | July 1 2024 08:38:53 (92 comments)[ Read more … ]
#ukrainiandrone #russia #ukrainewar #ukrainiandrone
#russia #ukrainewar
Terrifying Moments! Huge EXPLOSION of a 7 Russian T-72B TANK! UNBELIEVABLE FOOTAGE!
WOW!! Huge EXPLOSION of a Russian TANK!! INCREDIBLE FOOTAGE!!NEWS WAR IN UKRAINE128,339 views | 1,232 | July 4 2024 08:08:42 (32 comments)[ Read more … ]
#ukrainewar #ukrainiandrone #russia
WOW!! Huge EXPLOSION of a Russian TANK!! INCREDIBLE FOOTAGE
And on this footage we can see how the Ukrainian tank t 62 is firing at the Russian infantry in the trenches, then turns around and leaves, followed by a Ukrainian bmp which forces the Russian infantry to flee using heavy machine gun, in parallel with this unloading the Ukrainian paratroopers who are firing at the Russian trenches with small arms and RPGs with fragmentation-fugitive ammunition. This footage is an example of an extremely well-planned assault that ended in success.
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Ukrainian new heavy FPV drones with enhanced warheads will be “nightmare” for RussiansKanal13215,048 views | 1,522 | July 4 2024 11:52:27 (56 comments)[ Read more … ]
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The Ukrainian military has begun using a new model of a heavy FPV attack drone capable of carrying a 5-kilogram warhead. The footage of the drone’s use was released by the Terra unit.
According to military media outlet, heavy FPV drones with a 6-motor design were spotted in service with the 3rd Assault Brigade, or rather, its Terra attack drone unit.
The addition of two extra motors allowed the drones to carry a warhead weighing up to 5 kilograms, significantly increasing their destructive potential.
According to the unit commander with the call sign “Abdullah,” the main purpose of the heavy drones is to destroy enemy fortifications, dugouts and buildings where enemy infantry is holed up.
Indeed, in the released video, these drones are used primarily to drive enemy manpower out of buildings and closed fortifications.
In the episode about preparing drones for flight, where operators hang a warhead, they showed different types of munitions, including thermobaric and high-explosive fragmentation munitions weighing about 3 kilograms.
The combined tactics of using drones is also notable: the first drone, equipped with an explosive warhead, destroys the roof of a building, creating a “passage,” after which another drone with a thermobaric munition flies into it.
Terra’s fighters have launched a fundraiser for 100 heavy drones. In general, the military and philanthropists have been paying considerable attention to heavy attack FPV drones since the end of last year.
At that time, one of the most popular models was the Mammoth drone, developed by the Ukrainian company Escadrone. It had a classic 4-motor design and a 10-inch form factor.
The Mammoth was a serial record holder for a long time, as it could carry up to 4 kg of payload. With such a warhead, the drone can cover a distance of 12 kilometers. However, with a smaller warhead of 1.5 kg, the maximum distance increased to 30 km.
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Tags: #Ukriane, #Russia, #Putin, #Putler, #Russian invasion of Ukraine, #Zelenski, #Kiev, #Kyiv, #Kadirov army, #Kadirov, #Kherson, #Bucha, #Kharkiv, #Ukrainian pilots, #vagners, #Russian tanks, #NATO, #drones, #Moscow, #Kreml, #war victims #Ukraina, News, The Washington Post, waPo Video, Washington Post Video, Washington Post YouTube, a:politics, aid, biden, putin, s:Politics, support, t:Other, Ukraine, war, fact check, news coverage, Donald Trump, news, wp video, forbes, nytimes, newspaper, media, journalism, Ilham Aliyev, Baku, Azerbaijan, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Tel-Aviv, Garabag, Karabakh, football, ronaldo, messi, brian tyler cohen
Horrifying Moments! How Ukraine Bradley Easily Destroys Russian FPV Drones and Armored VehiclesU.S. Defense News154,547 views | 1,822 | July 2 2024 18:40:33 (69 comments)[ Read more … ]
A Ukrainian M2A2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) gunner successfully engaged and shot down a Russian First-Person View (FPV) drone using the vehicle’s 25mm Bushmaster chain gun.
An M2 Bradley ODS SA infantry fighting vehicle of the Ukrainian 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade has survived an enemy FPV drone strike, as reported by the Brigade’s press service.
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