“I’m almost amazed that there haven’t been more attacks like this.”

A possibly Ukrainian drone was shot down over the Kremlin at night. A few days ago there was an attempt to assassinate Vladimir Putin in Moscow with a kamikaze drone loaded with explosives. Is it really conceivable that the Ukrainians could capture Putin with a drone?
We have been discussing for years that drones can be used to attack individuals. In August 2018, there was an attempted drone attack on the president of Venezuela. So the idea is not new. We’re probably going to see more of that in the future. I’m almost surprised there haven’t been more attacks like this. In the specific case of Vladimir Putin, I cannot say much more. It is unclear whether it was actually an attempted attack on him, by whom and with what system. But in principle such attacks are conceivable.

What kind of drone can even reach Moscow?
Of course, that depends on where you’re flying from. Ukraine employs quite a few drones. Most of these cannot fly thousands of miles. Hobby drones usually can’t do this, while military drones sometimes can. Roughly speaking, the larger the drone, the greater the range. Ukraine has repeatedly used drones to fly into Russian and Russian-occupied territory. In December there were attacks on two Russian airfields. Old Soviet drones were used there – an old system that the Ukrainians actually sorted out and then put back into use.

What kind of drones does Ukraine use?
In the end, we have incredible bandwidth in action. We have systems that are just now developing specifically for this war in Ukraine, both in the West and in Ukraine itself, and we see systems that have been flying for decades, some of which are already mothballed. Some can only fly and see for a few miles. The smallest are 11 centimeters small and protrude from the hand. The largest have a wingspan of more than 10 meters, are armed and cover hundreds of kilometers.

Where do the Ukrainians get their planes from?
Ukraine has built a very strong drone industry. This ranges from smaller to large systems, from fixed wing bodies to rotor systems. But they also have the Bayraktar drones from Turkey, systems supplied from the West and many commercial drones from China. It is impressive to see how many civilian drone systems are now in use in Ukraine. For example, drones that have been developed for agriculture and then converted for military purposes.

You just screw rockets on it?
Yes almost. Rockets, or explosives, or even cameras. What load do you need. Other civilian systems are just used as is, mainly systems with cameras that are then used for military reconnaissance.

What are the general tasks of drones in the war in Ukraine?
There are three main types of use: the first is reconnaissance, the second is propaganda and the third is attack, both attacks by the drones themselves and attacks coordinated by drones. Drones work best like any other weapon: in combination with other systems. Notably, the Russian side also uses its drones to terrorize civil society in Ukraine and specifically attack infrastructure, but the Ukrainian side does not.

What do you mean by propaganda?
Ultimately, it’s about recording videos of successful operations and distributing them through social media. The Ukrainians in particular have distributed numerous such videos. About attacks on Russian positions. A famous drone video shows a Ukrainian shell falling into the opening of a Russian tank. But it also shows the devastation the Russians wreaked in cities like Mariupol.

What role will drones play in the upcoming spring offensive?
I don’t expect completely new types of missions. Education will continue to play a crucial role. Kamikaze drones are also still used. Propaganda also remains an important theme. But we’ve also seen more unusual applications, such as drones being used to urge Russian soldiers to desert. A loudspeaker is then hung under the drone.

What do you expect from this Ukrainian offensive?
Expectations are high. One has the feeling that it is a “make or break event”. Ukraine is concerned that it could lose Western support if the offensive does not produce the desired results. But if they manage to achieve quick successes, they can pull momentum to their side, both militarily and politically. The Ukrainians are well trained and equipped, they can retake their territory, that’s the big goal. So the Ukrainians will give everything they have. (aargauerzeitung.ch)