Foreign Media: Ukrainian Military Drone Unit Commander Describes Revolutionary Changes on the Battlefield

According to a report by Reference News on May 13, the French newspaper Le Monde published an article on May 10 titled "Veteran Yuri Fedorenko Talks About the Frontlines of Ukraine in the Era of Drones and Artificial Intelligence," with the following content:

From the combat with Kalashnikov rifles to drone warfare, from trenches to artificial intelligence—during his 12 years of service in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Yuri Fedorenko, code-named "Achilles," has experienced the dramatic changes on the battlefield like many soldiers in the Ukrainian war.

The first battle Fedorenko participated in occurred in 2014, where both sides exchanged fire with automatic weapons, resulting in casualties on both sides. It was a typical face-to-face combat, and at that time, his code name was "Rambo." For him, the first phase of this war ultimately ended with him lying in a hospital bed, his body riddled with shrapnel from a rocket.

Now, this soldier has been promoted to major, and his code name has changed from "Rambo" to "Achilles."

After the full-scale conflict erupted in 2022, Fedorenko rushed to Kyiv to command a team of 30 people. At that time, the Ukrainian army was not yet prepared, and chaos reigned. He recalled, "I have never seen a more chaotic front line. There were regular troops, and next to them were guys in off-road vehicles rushing in with rocket launchers. It was a complete mess."

Four years later, Fedorenko commands the 429th Unmanned Systems Brigade, which shares its name with its commander, also called "Achilles," and can have a strength of up to 6,000 personnel. As part of the unmanned systems forces, the 429th Brigade is the elite of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' unmanned systems units. Ukraine is the first country in the world to establish this independent branch of the military beyond land, sea, and air forces.

Drones Make the Battlefield Transparently Two-Way

The Russo-Ukrainian War is certainly not the first conflict to change the way wars are fought. Every war gives rise to new weapons, sometimes even leading to technological leaps.

In the case of Ukraine, any soldier from 2014 only experienced urban combat and face-to-face trench warfare. They could not have imagined that 12 years later, the battlefield would become so transparent that the front line would be replaced by a "kill zone" approximately 50 kilometers deep, nor could they have imagined operating a drone capable of flying hundreds of kilometers and using artificial intelligence to lock onto targets in the final flight phase.

The first real transformation on the battlefield actually occurred in the year the full-scale conflict broke out, in 2022. Fedorenko recalled, "The nature of the fighting quickly changed. After the Battle of Kyiv, the war turned into maneuver warfare, and we found ourselves on a clear front line. The enemy launched attacks every day with one or two tanks and a small team of about 30 people." This was also a typical combat situation.

The officer continued, "We counterattacked and pushed them back," but "when not on the offensive, the enemy bombarded us with tanks and artillery." It was under these circumstances that Ukrainian soldiers decided to stop waiting for information from military intelligence and innovate on their own. Fedorenko said, "We figured out how to see them before they attacked. Then we had our first batch of reconnaissance drones. When the first drone took off, the enemy's positions and artillery locations became clear. At that moment, it was truly enlightening."

In just a few months, the battlefield became transparent, no longer requiring military intelligence or satellite imagery. Soldiers could see the enemy through the drone's camera and know when and where to launch attacks. Of course, the Russian military also quickly responded. By the following year, 2023, they began sending increasingly sophisticated drone combat teams to the front lines.

Now, the battlefield has become transparent in the eyes of both sides. Fedorenko summarized, "We can see all the enemy's movements, and conversely, they can see ours. Whether it’s frontline troops or command posts, everyone can access this information. It has become very difficult to launch surprise attacks."

The "kill zone," at least in the most active areas of the front line, has become a scorched earth. Fedorenko believes this situation "is unfavorable for the attacking side," and "despite Russia's military strength far exceeding that of Ukraine, due to the role drones play in this war, they can hardly advance."

The Role of Human Soldiers is Irreplaceable

Over time, the status of unmanned systems forces has become increasingly important. Along the 1,200-kilometer front line, not only are there various types of drones, but there are also ground robots responsible for evacuating wounded soldiers from the front and ensuring logistical supplies. At the same time, maritime drones are responsible for attacking Russian ships, while long-range drones target strategic objectives within Russia. Drones are gradually replacing machine guns and snipers. Fedorenko stated, "Although they cannot always match the effectiveness of human soldiers, they are good enough to save many lives." Meanwhile, thanks to advancements in battery technology, the autonomous capabilities of unmanned equipment are also continuously improving.

As for artificial intelligence, it primarily helps analyze information. Fedorenko explained, "Because the battlefield is transparent, we can see everything and hear everything; information has become a river. And the artificial intelligence, which has become very important in modern warfare, is used to analyze this information." Additionally, artificial intelligence assists in navigation and target locking. Fedorenko clearly pointed out, "Artificial intelligence itself does not kill. It can assist in completing certain tasks, but without human involvement, it can do nothing."

When asked whether humans might one day hand over the power to take lives to machines, the officer pondered and replied, "I believe humans will want to retain that decision-making power. But from a technical perspective, within a year, artificial intelligence could potentially execute tasks independently."

What about the soldiers themselves? Fedorenko believes, "A soldier will always have two arms and two legs, and more importantly, a brain." In February of this year, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, candidly told Le Monde, "Infantry is truly invaluable." Because no matter how intense the fighting is inside or outside the "kill zone," only infantry can truly seize every inch of land. Of course, the premise is that they are still alive. (Translated by Liu Zhuo)