The Russian military has dramatically ramped up its air and missile strikes at targets deep behind the front lines in Ukraine in recent weeks, targeting troops, armor, ammunition dumps and air defenses using drones and missiles, including the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal.
Britain's defense ministry has attributed the success of “frequent [Russian] long-range missile strikes deep into Ukraine” through the month of May to the improved integration of “unarmed, surveillance unscrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) into operations” by the Russian military.
“These have included Russian-produced Supercam UAVs which are relatively cheap and have sufficient range to fly over the cruise missiles’ targets,” the MoD said in a defense intelligence update Sunday.
“Russia has highly likely adopted this tactic as an attempt to obtain more timely battle damage assessment and improve its targeting cycle,” the military said, noting that Russian forces’ previous, “slow and inefficient targeting process” had proven a “major weakness” in its operations in Ukraine.
Supercam Unmanned Systems Group is a major Russian UAV producer making drones for both the military and civilian markets. The small, propeller-powered drones have a flight range between 50 to 450 km, radio link range up to 110 km, wingspans ranging from 1 to 4.5 meters, and an endurance time of up to 7 hours.
UK Pledges 'Hundreds of Long-Range Attack Drones' to Ukraine
The United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with air defense missiles and unmanned aerial systems in the coming months, the UK government said on Monday, 05/15/2023.
"Today the Prime Minister will confirm the further UK provision of hundreds of air defense missiles and further unmanned aerial systems including hundreds of new long-range attack drones with a range of over 200 km. These will all be delivered over the coming months as Ukraine prepares to intensify its resistance to the ongoing Russian invasion," the government said in a press release.
The government also said that the UK will start training Ukrainian pilots this summer.
"This summer we will commence an elementary flying phase for cohorts of Ukrainian pilots to learn basic training. This will adapt the program used by UK pilots to provide Ukrainians with piloting skills they can apply a different kind of aircraft. This training goes hand in hand with UK efforts to work with other countries on providing F16 jets – Ukraine’s fighter jets of choice," the government said.
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