Ukrainian forces escalate "Vampire" drone strikes deep into Russian territory
Ukrainian army formations operating near the border with Russia are using drones equipped with mortar shells to attack targets in enemy territory, reported American station CNN on Tuesday in a report from the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine.
One such formation is the Code 9.2 drone operators unit, part of the 92nd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, responsible for dropping shells on key transportation routes across the border.
"Operations using Vampire drones are usually carried out after dark. The most effective teams can 'send' up to 24 such drones to Russia in one night," according to an article on CNN's website.
Vampires under the supervision of Orlans
In March, the Ukrainian military service Defense Express explained that Vampire drones are machines used for conducting localized attacks. This type of unmanned aerial vehicle can travel a distance of about 10 kilometres, carry a payload of several dozen kilograms, stay in the air for just over 20 minutes, and reach speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour.
Ukrainian operators of these drones work under constant threat because they are continually "tracked" by Russian Orlans—reconnaissance drones that can be equipped with thermal cameras, enabling target detection in the dark. "The only way to protect oneself from Orlans is to hide and listen silently until the drone passes," reported the American station.
CNN reported that the Code 9.2 unit conducts operations just over 6.5 kilometres from the Russian border. Soldiers from this formation joke that, in some sense, these operations are more challenging than participating in bloody battles under Bakhmut in the Donbas because the proximity to enemy territory and the activity of its reconnaissance groups mean "you could wake up with a Russian soldier standing over you."
Kyiv's campaign of attacks
Ukrainian troops and special services also regularly conduct more advanced operations on Russian territory using drones. Military, industrial, and technological targets are attacked, including in regions far from Ukraine's borders, such as Tatarstan and the Leningrad region.
In recent months, strikes on Russian refineries have been widespread. The Reuters agency estimated that the processing capabilities of these facilities in Russia, taken out of operation in the first quarter of 2024 due to drone raids, amounted to approximately 4.6 million metric tons of crude oil (an average of 372,000 barrels per day), which was equivalent to about 7 per cent of the processing capabilities of all refineries in the country.
