Optimized for night operations, Ukraine's vampire attack drones, dubbed Baba Yaga by Russian troops, evoke the image of the elusive witch from Slavic folklore for their terrifying and elusive capabilities. Radio Free Europe (RSE).
On February 2, Ukrainian soldiers launch a Vampire unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near Zaporozhye in search of Russian positions.
With thermal imaging capabilities that enable round-the-clock operations, these attack drones, known as Baba Yaga by Russian forces—after the mythical Slavic witch—wreak havoc on Russian positions.
Ukrainian soldiers of the 92nd Achilles Brigade unload a Vampir combat drone near the frontline town of Bakhmut on February 1.
Nearly two years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the battlefield along a nearly 1.200-mile (XNUMX-kilometer) front has largely been frozen, with both sides resorting to expensive long-range precision artillery, air-to-air cruise missiles and relatively cheap drones.
A Ukrainian soldier attaches grenades to drones that will be used to seek out and destroy Russian targets.
Ukrainian-made drones are not only used to target Russian positions along the front, but also targets inside Russia.
Cheap and easy to modify, drones have proven to be a cost-effective way to destroy expensive Russian hardware from a safe position far from the front lines.
A Ukrainian soldier attaches a grenade to a drone.
As the use of drones intensifies, both sides are now engaging in electronic warfare to jam the other's devices, resulting in significantly high drone losses. US officials report that the Ukrainian armed forces are losing about 10.000 drones each month.
Drone operators search for Russian positions near Bakhmut.
Ukraine claims that its use of vampire drones has been particularly effective in targeting tanks at night.
Under cover of darkness, a Ukrainian soldier prepares to launch a Vampira drone.
In a recently released video, a drone unit operating near Bahmut exclaims, "At night, it's time for vampires to fly."
Bonus video:
