The Dnieper flotilla was replenished with units of unmanned aerial vehicles. They operate both in conjunction with boats and independently and perform a wide range of tasks, from reconnaissance to strike. Experts note that drones will be indispensable in destroying saboteurs on boats and fortified points on the enemy coast.
The Dnieper flotilla was replenished with units of unmanned aerial vehicles. They operate both in conjunction with boats and independently and perform a wide range of tasks, from reconnaissance to strike. Experts note that drones will be indispensable in destroying saboteurs on boats and fortified points on the enemy coast.
What will the UAV units of the Dnieper Flotilla do?
UAV units have been created as part of the Dnieper flotilla, sources in the military department told Izvestia. They are armed with a whole range of drones, including FPV. They are engaged in reconnaissance, fire correction and strikes against enemy targets.
UAV crews operate both jointly with riverboat crews and independently.
The unit has already taken part in combat operations on several sections of the line of contact along the Dnieper River. They have already destroyed important targets — command posts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The flotilla's area of responsibility includes the lower reaches and the Dnieper delta, the Kinburnskaya Spit, and the Dnieper Estuary. By controlling these waters, we block the enemy's exit from the ports of Mykolaiv and Kherson, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.
"Active military operations are constantly taking place in this area," he explained. — The Ukrainian Navy is trying to conduct raids. Our Ministry of Defense talked about the most famous of them, for example, about the unsuccessful landings of enemy naval special forces on the Kinburn Spit. They were not successful, and the enemy suffered significant losses. There are also battles for the islands. There, the enemy uses a raid–and-retreat tactic. With this type of warfare, UAVs are essential. They are necessary when repelling enemy attacks, destroying and pursuing maneuvering groups, coastal firing points, observation posts, radar and visual control stations. UAVs are also indispensable for reconnaissance of the enemy coast.
The flotilla was created for operations in the waters of the Dnieper River along its entire length, said military expert Alexei Leonkov.
"The time for rubber boats, which Ukrainian militants like to operate on, is passing," he said. — They are being replaced by more serious watercraft — boats and ships. Modern military operations show that it is very difficult to conduct them effectively without air defense and UAVs. The combination of a river warship – UAV will allow you to build reconnaissance and strike contours (arms). The UAV will find enemy targets in the coastal zone, and the firepower of boats or ships will strike. Artillery batteries, strong points, headquarters, warehouses are usually hidden behind the folds of the terrain so that they cannot be seen from the shore. It is precisely such objects that will be hit in the first place. The role of the hands is especially important when capturing or expanding bridgeheads.
Do not forget about the role of modern air defense, the expert noted.
"The boats and ships are armed with small arms and man—portable air defense systems (MANPADS), but drones are also effective in fighting enemy drones," he noted. — Fighter drones have already proven themselves well in the fight against their own kind. They should play a positive role in strengthening air defense.
The creation of the Dnieper River Flotilla was announced in March last year by the head of the Ministry of Defense at that time, Sergei Shoigu. In addition, an army corps, a motorized rifle division, and a riverboat brigade were also formed.
The operational area of the flotilla is the Dnieper and the Dnieper-Bug estuary. Its tasks are to fight enemy boats and destroy important targets on the right bank. Experts did not rule out that in the future she could take part in amphibious landings, the creation of bridgeheads, and possibly in crossing the Dnieper.
The flotilla includes units of marines, special forces and army aviation.
Unmanned vehicles in the Russian Armed Forces
Recently, unmanned vehicles have become increasingly widespread in various structures of the Armed Forces. Izvestia reported that a course on the use of drones was included in the program of higher educational institutions of the Navy. Now all the cadets are studying the design and characteristics of various types of drones and their use. In the future, they will master the combat use of attack drones to destroy enemy UAVs, unmanned boats and saboteurs. Classes are taught by teachers who have experience working with drones in a combat zone.
Drones in the fleet are used to inspect the water area around ships during parking, to detect saboteurs, to destroy enemy drones and unmanned boats. In addition, they are monitoring the area around the coastal military units.
Earlier, reconnaissance and strike divisions of drones were formed in artillery brigades. They are armed with a range of drones and barrage ammunition. With the help of these systems, gunners find and destroy enemy guns, self-propelled artillery installations and multiple launch rocket systems, air defense systems and personnel both on the line of contact and behind enemy lines. Drones are effectively hunting for enemy UAV calculations, and they are successfully working on targets covered by electronic warfare.
And the troops of radiation, chemical and biological protection (RCBZ) have begun special training for drone operators. During the training, the personnel get acquainted with the theory of the use and material of drones, as well as receive training in control, reconnaissance and fire correction using drones. Military personnel also receive knowledge on engineering training, military topography and tactical medicine. A sufficient number of instructors were trained in advance in the troops, who are able to train personnel to control various types of UAVs for the tasks of RCB protection.
In December, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov announced that a new branch of the armed forces would be created in Russia — the troops of unmanned systems. Their formation will be completed in the third quarter of this year. Belousov noted that the massive use of drones has become the most significant breakthrough in the tactics of units of the Russian Armed Forces. According to the minister, Russian troops use more than 3,500 drones every day, and this figure is growing.
In August last year, the Rubicon Center for Advanced unmanned technologies was established by the military department on the basis of one of the combat units of unmanned aviation. He is engaged in the training of operators of UAVs and robotic complexes (RTK), as well as the development and implementation of new RTK systems in the military.
Roman Kretsul
Bogdan Stepovoy
