‘Drone war’ has completely changed combat tactics in Ukraine — GUR

Deputy Chief of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Vadim Skibitsky stated that the use of drones has “absolutely” changed the picture of combat operations.

He made the remarks in an interview with the outlet Apostrophe.

“The drone war, FPV, and other means currently in use have not simply changed but have completely affected even the tactics of conducting combat operations. We no longer see tank columns, nor the movement of not just formations but even units at the company or battalion level, because it is impossible. What is happening now is infiltration of servicemen, some kind of individual assault actions,” Skibitsky noted.

At the end of June, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky also spoke about the impact of drones on the course of the conflict. According to him, the mass use of drones has complicated both sides’ ability to conduct large-scale offensive operations, as a result of which soldiers move on foot — as in the First World War.

In the same month, New York Times columnist Constant Méheut noted that new technologies in the conflict in Ukraine have changed the methods of conducting combat operations.

At the same time, in June, the senior sergeant of the third army corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vladimir “Bob,” cautioned against oversimplified assessments: according to him, it is wrong to say that “exclusively drones” are fighting in the conflict and that they have completely replaced infantry.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump was reportedly horrified by the “drone war” in Ukraine.