Ukraine’s drone pilots hit Russian targets from 500km away

{"text":[[{"start":8.2,"text":"From the inconspicuous basement of a Kyiv apartment building, Bohdan Velma geared up for what he and many drone operators in Ukraine hoped would soon be routine: shooting down Russian drones from the comfort of their desks."}],[{"start":21.85,"text":"A few hours later and 200km away, fragments of a long-range attack drone lay scattered over a field far from the Ukrainian capital, the latest milestone in an arms race that has come to define the war in Ukraine."}],[{"start":36.3,"text":"“It’s a logical evolution,” said Velma, chief executive of Tenebris, a Ukrainian drone maker. "}],[{"start":42.349999999999994,"text":"The company’s flagship “Bagnet” (Bayonet) product entered combat last year as part of an effort by Ukraine to develop, mass-produce and deploy a new breed of interceptors designed to fly into and explode Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Moscow to pummel Ukrainian cities."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":60.14999999999999,"text":"With Russian attacks growing in intensity and Ukraine facing a shortage of air-defence missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have proven to be a cheap and effective solution. As of March, they were responsible for 70 per cent of all Russian drones shot down in the Kyiv region, according to Ukraine’s top general, Oleksandr Syrsky."}],[{"start":81.5,"text":"But the first generation of UAVs had limited flight time and relied on radio frequencies, which meant that their operators had to stay close — and potentially become targets themselves. "}],[{"start":92.7,"text":"The same companies that rushed last year to develop these interceptors, including Tenebris, have been working on upgrades that use a secure internet connection, allowing operators to control their UAVs hundreds — and potentially thousands — of kilometres away."}],[{"start":107.25,"text":"The Bagnet’s test flight out of Kyiv was observed by three Ukrainian officers on the ground. Two minutes into the flight, the pilot assisting Velma deactivated the safety feature to arm the drone. "}],[{"start":119.05,"text":"Soon after, AI-powered software highlighted a Russian drone in a green square and guided the interceptor towards its target until the image cut out. Velma and the pilot erupted with joy."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":131.7,"text":"Ukrainian forces have used similar methods to hit the Russian rear. Closer to the frontline, they use Starlink internet terminals to guide larger quadcopter drones and robots to resupply infantry and evacuate the wounded."}],[{"start":145.95,"text":"But long-distance piloting has not yet been deployed to the small quadcopters operated by soldiers just a few kilometres from the drones they are flying."}],[{"start":156.2,"text":"If deployed en masse, long-distance piloting could alleviate Ukraine’s enduring manpower crisis and save the lives of drone pilots deployed near the frontline who are subsequently targeted by Russian strikes."}],[{"start":169.1,"text":"Conversely, Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said his country was also in the process of setting up units dedicated to “hunting” Russian drone pilots."}],[{"start":180.04999999999998,"text":"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last month that the number of drone interceptors produced had overtaken the number of pilots."}],[{"start":188.99999999999997,"text":"“The situation last summer was critical, we were already producing enough interceptors but we just didn’t have enough crews,” said Lyuba Shipovich, the co-founder of Dignitas, a Ukrainian NGO supporting the use of unmanned vehicles in the military."}],[{"start":204.04999999999998,"text":"“Now, you can picture having fewer, very skilled operators located underground somewhere in Kyiv and on the field you’ve got boxes filled with interceptors . . . and based on the path of the Shahed, the operator picks from which box he will launch the drone,” said Shipovich. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":219.89999999999998,"text":"Meanwhile, Russian forces have used Starlink internet devices to fly Shahed-type drones inside Ukraine, which prompted Kyiv to contact Starlink founder Elon Musk in late January to shut down the “unauthorised” use of the internet terminals."}],[{"start":235.64999999999998,"text":"“The technology is working, it’s just a question of deployment,” said an executive of Wild Hornets, the Ukrainian company producing the popular “Sting” interceptor, who requested anonymity for security reasons. "}],[{"start":248.14999999999998,"text":"The manufacturer said this month that one of its interceptors had shot down two Shahed-type drones, guided by a pilot in a hotel 500km away."}],[{"start":258,"text":"Oleksandr Kamyshin, Zelenskyy’s adviser on strategic industries, said the Wild Hornets news proved that “distance is no longer a limitation”."}],[{"start":267.2,"text":"“Ukraine is building a defence system that can protect allies far beyond its borders,” he added."}],[{"start":273,"text":"This week, Wild Hornets also said one of its Sting interceptors flew in northern Ukraine with the pilot sitting outside the country, 2,000km away."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":282.5,"text":"Ukraine has looked to export its anti-drone expertise, with Zelenskyy securing a host of defence agreements on a Middle East tour earlier this month. About 200 Ukrainian experts were deployed to the region, with Zelenskyy confirming to the FT they had destroyed Shahed drones launched by Iran against US and Israeli targets in the Gulf."}],[{"start":303.75,"text":"Even if this new breed of drones goes into wider use in Ukraine’s war effort, it will be just one part of its complex air-defence system, say analysts and soldiers. "}],[{"start":312.55,"text":"Russia in recent weeks launched unprecedented waves of hundreds of drones at once, many of which managed to slip through. Moscow’s ballistic missiles are having some success in hitting their targets given Ukraine’s shortage of Patriot interceptors."}],[{"start":327.7,"text":"“Layered defence is essential,” said Eugene Lesin, a deputy company commander in the “Darknode” UAV interceptor unit. “Lower-cost systems — machine guns, anti-aircraft artillery, interceptor drones and electronic warfare — absorb the bulk of the attack. High-end systems such as fighter jets and surface-to-air missiles then engage the remaining targets.”"}],[{"start":349.75,"text":"Kyiv has rushed to implement AI solutions that are able to increase the autonomy and accuracy of the interceptors. The Bagnet quadcopter was equipped with a guidance system created by French start-up Alta Ares, which is able to detect and navigate an interceptor towards its target in the final phase of flight. "}],[{"start":368.7,"text":"Other Ukrainian and foreign companies are working on similar solutions."}],[{"start":372.95,"text":"“The goal is to make it as simple as possible so that we don’t have to waste several months in training an operator,” said Velma."}],[{"start":388.55,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1776741987_6443.mp3"}