Ukrainian Special Operators Revamp 4-Man Trench Assaults as Drones Expand 10-20 Kilometers
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jul 18
Ukrainian Special Operators Revamp 4-Man Trench Assaults as Drones Expand 10-20 Kilometers
2 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Jul 18
Summary
Ukrainian special operators now assign one soldier to watch the sky almost constantly during trench assaults, reshaping how four-man teams move, cover and clear Russian-held positions.
10 to 20 kilometers from the line of contact has become a drone-saturated "kill zone," soldiers say, forcing training to shift from mainly surviving artillery to countering threats from above.
4th Ranger Regiment operators now rehearse infiltration in small groups with drone pilots, practicing concealment, sheltering, firing at hostile drones and resuming movement once the threat passes.
Pump-action shotguns have been added to live-fire drills as a last-resort defense against FPV drones, especially fiber-optic models that cannot be jammed by electronic warfare.
The adaptation shows how Ukraine's trench fighting—already likened to World War I—has been transformed by drones and robots into a more complex, constantly surveilled battlefield.
Ukraine's drone tactics evolve in weeks. Can Western armies adapt before the next war begins?
When every soldier must watch the skies, how does the very nature of ground combat change?
With cheap drones now dominating the battlefield, is the era of the main battle tank officially over?
22,000 Robotic Missions: How Ukraine’s Drone Revolution Is Redefining Modern Warfare and Global Defense
Overview
Modern warfare is changing rapidly as unmanned systems, like drones and ground robots, move to the front lines. Ukraine, facing a smaller population and shortages of Western weapons, has become a key place for this evolution. By turning to domestically produced drones and robots, Ukraine compensates for its manpower and equipment gaps. The battlefield, shaped by intense artillery, drone activity, and constant surveillance since Russia’s 2022 invasion, has made human movement dangerous. This has pushed Ukraine to rely more on unmanned systems, highlighting a major shift in how wars are fought and how soldiers are protected.