(FreedomBeacon.com)- The arduous conflict taking place in Ukraine’s Donbas region and other parts of the nation initially brings to mind the First and Second World Wars. Massed formations of soldiers engaged in a territorial control conflict within trench fortifications and populated areas. Some Russian-backed DNR and LNR statelets in Ukraine have even been seen using Mosin rifles in combat, first employed during the Russo-Japanese War.
This does not imply, however, that modern weapons of war have not found a combat role. In their defense against Russia’s invasion, the Ukrainian armed forces used loitering weapons, often known as suicide drones, to remarkable effect.
Videos that claim to show an attack by a Ukrainian suicide drone on a Russian oil refinery in Novoshakhtinsk, in southern Russia’s Rostov Oblast, surfaced on June 22.
A drone is shown flying near its target in the actual strike video before making a sharp drop toward the plant’s infrastructure. Off-camera, individuals can be heard cursing loudly as a fire rages, and a massive explosion occurs.
The refinery is only about five miles from Russia’s internationally recognized border with Ukraine. Still, to escape Russian air defenses in Donbas, the drone would have had to fly across a sizable portion of Russian-occupied territory.
Russian official media started attempting to blame the attack immediately, implying that the strike was made possible by updated American commercial satellite photos of the region.
Although the governor of Rostov Oblast suggested that it might have been a Ukrainian-made drone, it is unknown at this time precisely what drone model was utilized in the attack.
The Pentagon decided to give the Ukrainian Armed Forces loitering ammunition in early May, with 121 Phoenix Ghost and 700 Switchblade drones. The Switchblade is a compact tube-launched system that is available in two models: 300 and 600. While the Switchblade 600 is made to attack armored targets, the 300 version is smaller.
Whether or not loitering munitions were crucial in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they will undoubtedly be used extensively in the coming battle. The deployment of loitering munitions in Ukraine today has taught both sides and international military observers essential lessons about their usefulness.
