In the war and from the military point of view, the Definition of an offensive It is “that way of acting from an army that attacks the enemy.” The offensive in a contest has as its own characteristics the movement, action and initiative, and the adversary is sought where it is to destroy it. All these guidelines have been followed in one way or another in the different wars and conflicts with a common denominator: humans. In The Ukraine War is no longer.
The first exclusive combined assault. It happened at the end of 2024, when the 13th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine (“Khartiia”) carried out The first combined attack in history using only drones surprising the Russian forces in the Járkiv region, near Lyptsi. This innovative operation used a variety of air and terrestrial drones, from FPV units to armed robots and recognition drones operating in different functions: attack, recognition and support, and resulting The first mechanized assault without human intervention in direct combat.
The operation was directed by the Brigade land robotics squad, known as “Deus Ex Machina”led by the soldier with badge “Happy”, a 22 -year -old with a formation in military engineering. His unit, specialized in the use and innovation of terrestrial drones, assumed the challenge of organizing a completely automated assault in just one week. To do this, Routes, control points and specific communication channels were established.
The role of drones. The objective of the attack was to prepare the terrain for future offensive, disorganize Russian troops, destroy key objectives and test coordination between the command center and drone units.
According to the Brigade “Shuhai” officer, The use of robotic platforms to attack the enemy and explore its positions is already a need on the modern battlefield. Ukraine has stressed that the operation marks a milestone in the future of wars.
One of the Ukrainian terrestrial robots used, in tests.
The plan. The preparation was meticulous due to the lack of precedents in this type of offensive. Three physical and virtual simulations were performed to ensure precision in executionand although the exact number of deployed drones was not revealed, the participation of several dozens was confirmed, including aerial and terrestrial FPV drones, terrestrial drones with machine gun torrettas, heavy four -seater drones of bombing and aerial drones of recognition and surveillance.
Two days before the attack, The drones were transferred to their initial positions. Less than 100 soldiers participated in the offensive in operators, logistics and planning. Approximately 30 drones of different types were deployed, each managed by a human pilot instead of using swarm technology.
Enemy execution and reaction. As we said, the offensive took place in a Russian fortified position near a dense forest. The simultaneous arrival of terrestrial and aerial drones took the Russian soldiers by surprisewho, accustomed to air drones attacks, did not expect the combination with armed terrestrial units. Ukrainian intelligence has explained that through the radio interceptions they found chaos in the Russian lines, which were confronted with an invisible enemy without human soldiers in sight.
One of the main challenges was the land. They say that the thick mud characteristic of Ukraine hindered the movement of terrestrial drones, and although some were stuck, none was destroyed by enemy fire. In addition, the offensive was carried out with a huge level of precision: No drone losses were reported due to Russian electronic warfarea Common problem in this type of operations.
Lessons learned. The Ukrainian infantry took and assured the position, consolidating an advance in the Járkiv front. Despite the success, the operation presented several challenges. How do we count, Several terrestrial drones were stuck in the fieldwhich slowed some aspects of progress. Some video records They showed that the Russians tried to repel the attack with mortars, drones with bombs and FPV units, although without achieving a significant destruction of Ukrainian devices.
In this regard, one of the main learning was The need to improve coordination between terrestrial and aerial drones, as well as the management of communications in combat. That said, and despite the obstacles, the operation reaffirmed that robotic systems have enormous potential in modern war.
A different war. We have told it in the past. The development of military robots is booming In various parts of the world. Companies such as Milrem Robotics (Estonia), Roboteam (United States-Israel) or Unmanned System Technologies (United Kingdom) have advanced in the production of terrestrial systems, although no one has yet managed to completely replace human soldiers. Reliability, coordination and adaptability remain challenges in real combat.
In that sense, the experience of the Khartiia brigade is unique, since they have managed to execute a robotic assault on real war conditions, providing valuable lessons for the industry and the armies of the world. “We are in the era of muskets in regard to war with drones,” The sergeant chief of the Ukrainian non -manned land vehicle unit reflectedcomparing the current technological advance with the first firearms.
The war future: autonomous. As technology progresses, the development of completely autonomous robots is approaching. Even so, priority remains to improve coordination, overcome logistics difficulties such as land and improve communication systems. “Russians should expect more operations like this”, “Shuhai” warnedunderlining that the war with drones will continue to evolve.
What began as an experimental mission with low expectations became a historical operation, demonstrating the ability of drones to coordinate a combined attack without direct intervention of human soldiers in the front.
Image | Alan Wilson, Michael Kötter
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