Ukrainian drones and mines stall Russian advances in Kursk
The Russians continue their operation to reclaim parts of the Kursk region occupied by Ukrainians, suffering significant losses. The causes are mines and FPV drones, which the Ukrainians are employing effectively.
The Russians are persistently attempting to push Ukrainians out of the occupied Kursk region, with a primary focus on using naval and airborne infantry units. The Russians have managed to recapture a substantial area, but at the cost of heavy losses. These losses, as reported by a foreign volunteer in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, are largely due to mines and drones.
Below, you can see how one Ukrainian company destroyed a group of vehicles belonging to the Russian 104th Air Assault Guards Regiment. The Ukrainians targeted 4 out of 5 infantry fighting vehicles of the BMD family, one T-72B3 tank, and three off-road vehicles.
FPV drones and scatterable mines — an effective barrier against masses of Russians
FPV drones and the heavier bombing "Baba Yaga" drones are at the core of Ukrainian defence during shortages, such as anti-tank guided missiles with a range of over 3 kilometres. These, combined with scatterable mines or minefields deployed with dedicated systems or multiple rocket launchers, create deadly zones for Russian armoured vehicles.
Such minefields can be placed more than 10 kilometres from Ukrainian positions, and currently, the terrain favours the Ukrainians, forcing the Russians to attack along the limited available roads. A common anti-tank scatterable mine in Ukraine is the PTM-3, which is rectangular and weighs about 5 kilograms, with approximately 2 kilograms being explosive material. It won't destroy a tank but can immobilise it.
FPV drones can carry weapons such as PG-7VL grenades that penetrate up to 50 centimetres of armoured steel or weaker bomblets from cluster munitions, handheld anti-tank grenades, or attachment-type PGN grenades. While they may not be enough to destroy a tank, they are effective against infantry fighting vehicles of the BMD family with their thin armour.
Bombing drones, on the other hand, can drop mortar shells, and some models use missiles guided by reflected laser beams. Additionally, "Baba Yaga" drones or their night versions "Vampire" are employed to lay traditional TM-62 anti-tank mines.
