How would the methods of “drone warfare” in the 21st century cross with the “cavalry charge” of the 19th century?Russian soldiers in the Ukraine this past winter learned an element of the answer and it was not good. Equipped with a micro-explosive device, drones in the Donetsk region stopped and destroyed an attack with multiple Russian troops horsemen at that in what was called “one of the most unusual battles of this conflict” so far. However, such a battle was neither an isolated event nor a meeting, since it relates to a battle within the war over control, given that the Kazenyi Torets valley is an extremely crucial region.
In Ukraine, UAVs are essential to the region’s defenses, and they are even able to spot, as well as target, enemy soldiers even under the cover of thick fog. The use of horses by the Russians, possibly because they did not have access to vehicles, could be said to represent an army pitted against the kind of aerial coverage associated with widespread use of UAVs, as exemplified by the following nine factors, each of which shows that the assault itself has been broken down by the Ukrainian UAVs, with the conflict itself having significance to future warfare:
1. Fog did Not Conceal the Attack
The Russian commanders naturally relied on the winter fog to mask the attack at Razine. However, the thermal imaging and short-wave infrared imaging of the Ukrainian drones detected the tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and even the horsemen despite the winter fog. Because of this, the bad conditions for imaging did not impede the capabilities of the Ukrainian drones; hence, rendering stealth capabilities of the attacking force ineffective, enabling the Ukrainian artillery to strike well before the attacking forces reached the firing distance.
2. Horses on the Contemporary Battlefield
At least two Russian soldiers were attacked while on horseback-a very symbolic gesture in a war-scarred terrain that has otherwise seen very many drones. Ukrainian troops in the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade spotted the Russians, targeting them using FPV drones. As reported by Anatolii Tkachenko, It was actually the first time we’d noticed this. Horses were chosen because of stealth and because they could navigate mud, in which motorcycles were stuck, but on terrain that is thick with air sensors and observation drones spotting all things on the terrain, horses were terribly vulnerable.
3. Peculiarities of the Strategic Development of Kazenyi Torets Valley
“The fight took place in the neighborhood of the river Kazenyi Torets, which has always been the natural route that advancing soldiers take in an obvious and predictable pattern.” Also referred to as the Slovyansk-Kostyantynivka line, this valley forms an amphitube that is enclosed on all sides by urbanized settlements such as Kostyantynivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk that now form an “invulnerable defensive perimeter around the Donbas area.” To lose this part of Ukraine would be to lose defended territory but also the ‘city itself,’ which is imperative to an army’s survival and continuity. This is how Zelensky of Ukraine puts it with regard to the importance of this region in terms of its meaning to Russia.
4. FPV Drones as Precision Killers
These FPV drones-made of consumer-grade technology and flown by live feed-are remarkably lethal against infantry and lightly armored targets. Tied into the assault brigades, the FPV drones were able to strike targets within seconds of identifying them. In that battle, the use of the FPV drones was key to destroying the Russian forces well before they could even fathom the weaknesses in the defense formations, lending credence to reports indicating as much as 60 percent of the assault force could be drones.
5. Baba Yaga Heavy Bomber Drones
Along with these FPVs, the Russian army has been operating heavy bomber drones, which are termed as “Baba Yaga.” The Russian defense mentions the carrying capacity of these drones as 15 kg, capable of night navigation with the help of thermal cameras. Additionally, the capability of these drones in operating in weather conditions like fog and rain made them useful in targeting positions fortified by Russians. Currently, there are variants of these drones fitted with Starlink or IR Projectors in order to counter Russian detection.
6. Russian Low-Tech Adaptations
The cavalry charge is another example of the low-tech mobility trend in Russia. The weakness of armored equipment, as well as motorcycles, in moist soil has turned military forces to transport using horse, donkey, camel, and even e-scooters.
These methods are low-tech and cannot be easily detected, but they also are vulnerable to being constantly observed by drones. As stated in a report by Kommersant: “These are just ‘basic tools’ if it is proved that ‘modern technology’ is ineffective.”
7. SWIR Imaging under Adverse Weather
Conditions This is a battle where the fog’s penetration ability was made easy by the existence of SWIR imaging technology. Tests under controlled tunnel conditions confirmed that, in conditions of fog and rainfall, SWIR broadband cameras perform better than narrowband filters. When used in drones, it has very clear images in the fog up to 40 meters, allowing one to see objects which cannot be seen by RGB and thermal imagers.
8. Integration with Artillery
There is increased potential. This is because there is effective coordination between the use of drones and artillery. The reconnaissance drones offered targets to artillery, and this made the targeting process take only seconds. This is because artillery is capable of reacting quickly to threats and also breaking down complicated targets before they actually get momentum. The use of drones and artillery in the US Army is among those projects that indicate acceptance of their combination.
9. The Psychological Edge
Besides the physical harm that drones cause, another aspect of the drones’ advantage is the “intellectual side of the matter,” which is that “The constant surveillance also erodes the morale of the ground troops, inculcates caution, and forces the enemy to fall back on more dangerous and improvised strategies such as the fateful cavalry charge.” dct The pictures in the media of the price that has to be paid in failure have only served to increase this advantage.
“The Russian horse attack at Myrnohrad is a success in and of itself,” but “it’s largely the triumph of new technology over irregular warfare strategies.” “Horses can get through the mud safely from magnetic mines,” but “they won’t be able to outrun the drones in an open battlefield.” While both sides must realize just how the “reality of the battlefield has shifted,” one lesson has been “clear,” and that is “mobility is a liability if you lack camouflage,” and “it’s the side that outdetects and outstrikes that calls the shots in the future.”
