From burning oil refineries to a slowing ground offensive — Russia is struggling in its war against Ukraine, partly due to the growing prowess of Ukrainian forces in using medium-range drones, writes "Reuters".
By striking Russian air defenses and logistics facilities dozens of kilometers behind the front line, Ukraine is disrupting Russian combat operations and paving the way for long-range attacks on Russian oil and military facilities, two Ukrainian commanders, two drone specialists and three military analysts said.
Ukrainian officials say more resources have been directed to the so-called "medium-range strikes", which typically cover targets between 30 and 180 kilometers behind the front line.
This has allowed Ukraine to strike Russian radars, short- and medium-range air defense systems, communications infrastructure, logistics centers, and heavy military equipment in the so-called. "operational depth", the sources said.
According to Robert Brody, commander of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces, long-range strike drones are now able to more easily pass through Russian defenses and strike oil facilities deep inside Russian territory.
"The role of medium-range strikes is currently crucial," he stressed, referring to strikes at a distance of up to 2,000 kilometers.
Military analysts note that such attacks alone cannot change the course of the war against Russia, but they have a significant impact and it is possible that the dynamics of the conflict will gradually shift.
In recent months, Ukrainian long-range drone attacks have caused the most serious damage to Russian oil infrastructure since the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022.
Last month, Russia reduced oil production due to the attacks with drones against ports and refineries, and crude oil supplies through the only remaining Russian oil pipeline to Europe were cut off.
The strikes have boosted morale in Ukraine after a winter of massive Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid, and the pace of the Russian advance on the front is the slowest since 2023.
Scale expansion
President Volodymyr Zelensky said this month that the number of Ukrainian "medium-range strikes" had doubled since March and quadrupled since February.
"Cousteau" - field commander of the 7th battalion of the 414th separate unmanned systems brigade in Brod, said that Ukrainian capabilities for such strikes have developed significantly since the fall.
"We have expanded the scale, increased the number of teams and expanded the number of systems used. In addition, we have a wider variety of platforms," he explained.
According to him, his unit focuses mainly on targets up to 100 kilometers from the line of combat contact. The most valuable targets are Russian radar installations and air defense systems such as "Buk", "Thor" and "Pantsir". Other main targets are heavy equipment and logistical facilities.
"The device itself usually travels about 150 kilometers from the launch point and then begins to search for targets in the designated area," he noted.
"Cousteau" indicated that the most frequently used medium-range strike drones in his unit are the Ukrainian-made "Chaklun V" and "B-2".
Brovdy said that manual control, rather than guidance by coordinates, provides greater accuracy and that no more than three drones are usually used for a confirmed destruction of a target.
According to him, his forces have destroyed at least 129 air defense systems this year in Russian-occupied territories.
Ukraine has carried out numerous strikes on oil facilities in the Russian Black Sea port city of Tuapse, and last week Brody reported that his forces had also attacked the Ryazan oil refinery — one of the largest in Russia.
The Ukrainian attacks also forced the shutdown of the NORSI refinery — the fourth largest in Russia — as well as facilities in Perm, about 1,500 kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Pressure on Russian logistics
The deep strikes have allowed for an increase in medium-range attacks because they force Russia to disperse its air defense systems away from the front line, said Justin Bronk, a senior analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
This allows Ukrainian forces to engage targets beyond the range of artillery or FPV drones operated by first-person shooters — such as ammunition and fuel depots, command posts, supply vehicles and other equipment for medium-range drones.
In April, Ukrainian forces carried out more than 160 strikes at a distance of between 120 and 150 kilometers, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported.
Such attacks complicate Russian operations on the battlefield because they increase the distance between front-line units and the forces supporting them, explained Ilya Mashina, commander of the 431st Separate Unmanned Aviation Systems Battalion "Vrodyagi".
"The further back you force the enemy to withdraw, the more you complicate his logistics," he said, emphasizing the importance of careful planning and constant coordination to achieve a real effect.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War said the Russian offensive has slowed has picked up pace since October, partly because of medium-range strikes, but also because of local fortifications and terrain, especially in the Donbas.
Russian forces are also experiencing communications problems after tech billionaire Elon Musk restricted Russia's use of the Starlink satellite internet system.
Innovation by necessity
According to analyst Justin Bronk, the rapid development of Ukrainian medium-range strike capabilities is the result of the need to fill a critical gap as Russia puts pressure on Ukrainian forces, which are outnumbered and outgunned, and has also successfully used such attacks.
The frequent use of the battlefield has accelerated innovation as Ukraine seeks to boost its own defense production and reduce its dependence on foreign supplies.
Communication between manufacturers and operators on the front line means that feedback loops are being implemented drone systems within days, "Cousteau" said.
A technical engineer from the same unit, who goes by the call sign "Symbol", said some manufacturers are already delivering platforms that are almost fully combat-ready and require no additional programming.
"Before, medium-range strikes were more of a one-off capability," he noted. "Now they are a systemic part of operations."
Emil Kastehelmi of the Finland-based Black Bird think tank said that medium-range attacks may not turn the tide of the war against Russia, but they pose a serious challenge that Russian forces will have to adapt to.
"And I don't think we've seen the peak of these capabilities," he said.