Ukraine Says 20-50 Kilometer Drone Kill Zone Hardens Winter Infiltration
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jul 23
Ukraine Says 20-50 Kilometer Drone Kill Zone Hardens Winter Infiltration
2 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Jul 23
Summary
A Ukrainian special operator said winter makes infiltration missions far harder because bare terrain strips away the vegetation cover that now helps small teams slip past Russian lines.
The danger is concentrated in a drone- and robot-saturated kill zone that usually stretches about 20 kilometers from the front and can reach 40 to 50 kilometers in some areas.
Gur, deputy commander of a small unit in Ukraine's 4th Ranger Regiment, said a mission that takes hours in summer can stretch into several days in winter as troops move in stages and pause repeatedly.
Heat sources that could ease freezing conditions also risk exposing soldiers to drones, which he said constantly watch for movement and now cause most battlefield casualties.
His unit conducts search-and-strike operations, ambushes, raids and assaults from Sumy to Donetsk, where concealment from drone cameras is critical in both open terrain and urban fighting.