This article offers a deep dive into Ukraine's drone warfare, focusing on the 423rd 'Scythian Griffins' battalion. It details how drone operators monitor and strike Russian forces, contributing significantly to enemy casualties amidst challenging terrain and weather conditions, and explores the strategic and human aspects of this modern conflict.
The article provides an in-depth look at Ukraine's drone warfare, centered on the 423rd unmanned systems 'Scythian Griffins' battalion. Dmytro, a 33-year-old monitor, operates from a bunker near Zaporizhzhia, overseeing multiple drone feeds on the battlefield Delta system. The unit utilizes one-way FPV drones, commercial Mavic drones for reconnaissance, and bomber drones. The front line, a flat farming land between Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, poses significant defensive challenges, especially after a Russian advance in November that saw several miles lost. This was partly due to exhausted Ukrainian reserves, redeployed to other intense fronts, and Russian exploitation of late autumn fog, often combined with 250kg glide-bomb strikes launched beyond Ukrainian air-to-air missile range. Despite these challenges, Ukrainian electronic countermeasures divert 70% of these bombs. When the weather is clear, Ukrainian drone crews maintain an unceasing defense, spotting Russian infiltrators moving in small groups due to the flat terrain and lack of foliage. Pilots Maksym and Serhii, part of a mixed FPV and Mavic crew, describe their work, even comparing drone flying to video games. They highlight the joy in killing enemies, with Maksym recalling a 'normal good day' where they killed seven Russians and wounded three. The drones, with 20-minute battery lives, can strike up to 9 miles (15km) or 18 miles if launched from a 'mother drone'. The impact of drone warfare is stark: the 423rd battalion reported 418 Russian soldiers killed in November, contributing to an estimated 60% of all Russian casualties attributed to drones. Ukraine's chief military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, noted 10,000 combat missions daily in November. Vitaliy Hersak, the battalion commander, emphasizes the novelty of drone warfare, though he expresses concern over Russia's 'infinite numbers' of infantry versus Ukraine's exhausted reserves and the potential for pilot burnout. The article also introduces Sasha, a 23-year-old new recruit learning FPV drones, who joined out of a conviction to contribute. His sentiment, that for Ukraine 'the first thing is just survive,' encapsulates the ongoing struggle and the critical, evolving role of drone technology and its operators in the conflict.
