Ukrainian drone pilots thwart Russian fortification efforts in Kursk
In the Kursk region in Russia, operations started much earlier, before the Ukrainian army launched its offensive. Drone pilots from Sumy played a key role there. Their task was to conduct reconnaissance and destroy Russian equipment and fortifications at the border.
The base of the drone strike unit is located in partially destroyed buildings on the edge of the forest. Journalists from the Polish Press Agency visited the base. The soldiers' vehicles are hidden under the trees to avoid detection by enemy drones.
Among the dense vegetation, one can spot a dugout hidden under a camouflage net, wooden barracks, and tables made of planks with explosives and small drones on them.
When the journalists arrived, part of the unit was in the process of preparing for an expedition to areas right next to the border. "Sometimes we operate within 1-2 kilometres of the enemy. Here, where we are now, we check and assemble the equipment. There, at the border, we engage in real combat. Such missions last several days," says the unit commander, Oleksandr.
Before launching the offensive on Russian territory, the soldiers of the 117th Brigade's drone strike unit had the task, among others, of cutting off the enemy's ability to observe the border situation through the cameras installed there.
"In our area of responsibility, we destroyed dozens of these cameras, practically blinding the Russians," he explains.
"The Russians took the construction of the fortifications very seriously"
After crossing the border, the soldiers were surprised by the large number of concrete fortifications built by the Russian army.
"It's clear that they took the construction of the fortifications very seriously. They didn't stop at dugouts and trenches; they poured everything out of concrete. When our forces entered the Kursk region, they saw concrete fortification towns. They are very difficult to capture in combat," emphasises one of the soldiers.
Therefore, the next task for the teams operating the drones is to prevent the Russians from building infrastructure. "We don't allow them to build fortifications. We destroy places where they store construction materials. Someone might say: 'Oh well, they burned some planks.' But they have to buy those planks again and transport them, which is a significant loss for them. We also destroy construction equipment, which is also costly," explains Oleksandr.
"It's clear that they have already given up on the Kursk region"
The best pilot of the unit is a man around 40 years old who goes by the pseudonym Ketl. Asked about his biggest successes, he talks about the recent destruction of a fuel tanker for the Russian army. "But I almost forgot, that I hunted down the Murom-P system. Wikipedia states that it costs £82,000," he recalls.
Murom-P is a mobile long-range visual surveillance system. It can detect a person at a distance of 10 kilometres using a camera and up to 3 kilometres using a thermal camera. "A big success," Oleksandr rejoices.
The weapons his unit operates are cheap and effective. "A drone that can carry an anti-tank grenade launcher shell costs about £328. And that shell destroys equipment worth much more. And it eliminates the enemy's manpower. It's a very cheap way to fight the enemy," he explains.
When asked to evaluate the Kursk operation by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the drone pilots unanimously agree that it is a "brilliant idea".
"Unfortunately, the Russians haven't yet withdrawn their troops from other parts of the front, but it is clear that they have already given up on the Kursk region. Thanks to this, our people who live near the border can live more peacefully. Their fields and homes are no longer being shelled by artillery. The Kursk operation allowed us to create a 'sanitary zone' where it is safer to live," says the commander of the 117th Territorial Defence Brigade drone unit from Sumy.
