Fatal news for Ukraine. She lost a key advantage over Russia
Russia catches up with Ukraine in the production of drones thanks to greater financial resources, production lines away from the front line, and especially the help of China – said Politico high -ranking Ukrainian official.
– Chinese manufacturers provide them [Rosjanom] Equipment, electronics, navigation, optical and telemetry systems, engines, microcircles, processor modules, antenna systems, control boards, navigation. They use so -called lid companies, change names, do everything to avoid export control and sanctions for their activities – said Oleh Aleksandrow, spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service. – Officially China warns all the rules. But only officially – he added.
Beijing has repeatedly denied that he would provide Russia with any drones or components to weapons, calling Ukraine's claims “unfounded accusations and political manipulation.” Aleksandrow said, however, that Russia is largely dependent on the supply of Chinese spare parts to tactical drones and long range.
Thanks to them, he is able to reduce Kiev's advantage in the field of technology and production of drones, which helped him stay on the front at a time when he suffered from ammunition deficiencies and delays in the supply of weapons from allies.
Drones instead of bullets
Pavlo Palisa, a former military commander, and currently the deputy head of the office of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelanski, stated in a statement that this year 80 percent Damage caused to Russian equipment and staff was caused by Ukrainian drones. Only in May they destroyed 89 thousand. Russian goals.
In the first years of the war, Ukraine managed to gain an advantage in the drone war. In 2024, she produced up to a million tactical drones, and in 2025 it plans to produce 2.5 million tactical drones and 30,000. long -range drones. Russia, however, is catching up.
While Kiev produces about 100 long -range drones a day, Moscow managed to increase their daily production to 300, and this is not the end – last week Zelanski said that it intends to finish to 500. Aleksandrow also added that Russian drone producers managed to increase the production of long -range drones from 15,000 in 2024 to over 30,000 This year, as well as up to 2 million small tactical drones.
Ukrainian soldiers working on adapting civilian drones to be used on the battlefield, Donetsk region, March 5, 2024.
– The enemy copies the experience of the Ukrainian armed forces and actively increases the number of unmanned units. That is why we must maintain the pace of development and constantly increase our possibilities to be one step ahead of it – said General Oleksandr Syrski, the chief commander of the armed forces of Ukraine last week.
Zelanski claims that Russia has much larger financial resources and has access to Chinese technology, such as DJI Mavic drones, originally developed for the civil market, but widely used by both armies.
“They are so cheap and effective that they are used every day as artillery shells,” said Zelanski, adding that dozens of producers in Ukraine are working on updated Mavic versions. Kiev claims, however, that China limited him access to new drones without applying similar fortifications to Russia.
– Chinese Mavic is available to the Russians and not available to Ukrainians. They simply closed it for Europe and Ukraine, including the EU. On the other hand, the Russians still have the opportunity to buy drones on the Chinese market – said Zelanski.
Technology race
Ukraine responds to this increase in the production of recently developed drones used to shoot down Russian unmanned vehicles.
– We spend a lot of money, more than we planned. Because everyone is developing – both the Russians and we – our new technologies appear. But we have a winning way out of this race if we find more financial resources – said Zelanski, calling Kiev's allies for larger investments in the Ukrainian defense industry.
Ukraine also reaches for unconventional methods. An example of one of them was the spectacular operation of smuggling drone launchers to Russia, which attacked the airports at which tactical bombers were stationed.
However, Russia is not lagging behind. It reaches for fiber optic drones, which are resistant to electronic prevention. Thanks to their use, the Kremlin managed to significantly destroy Ukrainian logistics trails in the Russian Kursk region and displaced most of Ukrainian soldiers from the territory occupied during last year's unexpected offensive.
The Ukrainian troops were able to detect conventional Russian drones immediately after their start, but it is much more difficult for fiber optic drones. “We must use various acoustic and other means to track down these drones,” said Andrij, army commander.
Fierce fight
Russia is also better at disturbing the action of Ukrainian drones.
“The Russians increase the production of not only drones, but also means of electronic combat,” said Andriy. – On our part of the front, radio frequencies change every two weeks. Therefore, when the state provides us with drones, only about 20 percent. of them is suitable for use. We must constantly spend additional funds and devote time to reconfiguration of these drones – he added.
Russia produces its long -range drones in its own version of the Silicon Valley – a special economic zone in Alabuga in Tatarstan, where it focused on production lines for Iranian Shahid drones, also known in Russia as Geran. The Kupol plant in Iżewsk, located 1800 km northeast of Ukraine, produces the Donons of Far Garpija. In addition, the main production lines of drones are located in the Moscow region, Jekaterinburg, St. Petersburg and other places.
– Their goal is to produce approx. 30 thousand. long -range drones of this type and 30,000 drones with false goals that they use until Ukrainian air defense exhausts – said Aleksandrow. – As for FPV drones, the Russians intend to produce up to 2 million pieces in 2025 – he added.
This increases pressure to Ukraine to counteract the growth of both the quantity and quality of Russian drones. “The most dynamic side will win in this drone war,” said Andriy.
