Ukrainian forces along the front line in the fiercely contested Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine are now using “all-weather” drones, according to a local official, in the latest development of the constantly-evolving drone war.
Four sets of drones capable of “working in the toughest weather conditions” were handed over to Ukrainian operators in the Donetsk region on Saturday, Vadym Filashkin, the Ukrainian head of the region’s military administration in eastern Ukraine, said in a statement posted to social media over the weekend.
“VALK-1 drone is a powerful Ukrainian development,” Filashkin said. “Whether it’s frost, snow with rain or fog, these drones always clearly see the enemy on the battlefield,” Filashkin said.
The drones are described as “all-weather,” something which is a “key development,” according to Samuel Bendett of the U.S. think tank the Center for Naval Analyses.
They can “now operate in the very difficult and unpredictable winter conditions,” he told Newsweek.
Sergey BOBOK/AFP via Getty Images
Both Moscow and Kyiv are racing to find ways of operating their own drones during harsh weather conditions, like wind and sleet, Bendett added.
“It remains to be seen if the Ukrainian claims of all the weather drone operations can stand up to the harsh conditions of the next several months,” he said.
Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian military for comment via email.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has amassed a “drone army,” developing new airborne vehicles and fundraising for more. The drones cover nearly every aspect of the fighting, from reconnaissance to suicide drone strikes and guiding artillery fire. Kyiv has poured resources into its domestic production of drones in the air, on land, and on water, as well as receiving drones from its Western backers.
Russia has also built up its arsenal of uncrewed vehicles, particularly first-person-view drones. Although Ukraine had initially dominated FPV manufacturing in 2023, Russia has ramped up its programs and sent large numbers of unmanned vehicles to the front lines, Bendett previously told Newsweek.
Russia’s FPV development has probably “grown exponentially,” Bendett said, although it is difficult to determine how many FPV drones are present on and above the battlefield.
However, poor weather can hamper the effectiveness of all unmanned aerial vehicles, impacting the operator’s control and the battery life of the drones.
The weather across the battlefields of Ukraine has posed several problems for both Moscow and Kyiv’s troops throughout the more than 23 months of all-out war.
Ukraine’s notorious muddy season, also known as the rasputitsa, has complicated mechanized operations several times through the changing seasons.
“If we’re talking about combat readiness, autumn rains and winter cold changes everything and limits the offensive potential for both sides,” Ukraine’s Major Viktor Tregubov told Newsweek in October 2023.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.