(Dan Tri) – Ukrainian soldiers said they are facing challenges when Kiev’s firepower systems are regularly targeted by large Russian UAVs.
A Ukrainian artillery gun opens fire (Photo: Reuters).
Moving out of its hiding place in the forest, the German-supplied Ukrainian Panzerhaubitze 2000 cannon had only a few minutes to fire before taking cover again in position to evade Russian surveillance in the sky above.
Across the hills and valleys of the Eastern front, Ukrainian artillery units are playing a game of `cat and mouse` with Russian UAVs specializing in hunting for high-value artillery weapons.
The Russian army has stepped up ground attacks along a 1,000km front on the southern and eastern fronts, threatening some of the last major cities of the Donetsk industrial region controlled by Kiev.
Russia is increasing counter-fire activities to overwhelm enemy firepower, paving the way for Moscow to move forward.
Soldiers of Ukraine’s 43rd artillery brigade say they face increasing surveillance from Russian UAVs flying overhead.
Soldier Lyova, 27 years old, said his unit had been attacked by UAVs before, but now the frequency has increased significantly.
Senior officer Andriy Stavnychyi said Russian reconnaissance drones such as Orlan or Supercam pose a big challenge for Ukraine.
`Sometimes there’s a lot to do during the day but we can’t move because something is always flying above,` he said.
According to Rob Lee, senior expert at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), Russian UAVs often pose a greater risk to Ukrainian artillery units than Moscow’s counter-fire radar.
The flexibility of UAVs and the ability to fly high to scan the front from above makes it easy for Russia to detect enemy targets to attack.
Russian UAVs are always in a state of lurking, forcing Ukraine to constantly hide firepower systems as well as reinforce protection against the risk of destruction.
Stavnychyi reiterated the position of the Ukrainian military and other senior officials, who have called for equipping Kiev with electronic warfare systems to jam Russian drones.
Expert Rob Lee said that Ukraine’s weaker counter-fire capabilities mean that Russia could become even more dominant when deploying firepower to penetrate enemy lines.
Like other Ukrainian artillery units, the 43rd Brigade faces a severe ammunition shortage that limits its weapons’ potential.
In addition, repairing these weapon systems is also a challenge when operating them.
According to Stavnychyi, everything needs to work together in one system, including electronic warfare and surveillance, (and) artillery.
