AFU shows glimpse of how Ukraine's long-range drones get ready for take-off to strike Russia

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published a message summarizing the results of the combat work of unmanned aerial vehicle units. And this message was accompanied by some photos that can be considered a hint on how preparations for the take-off of Ukraine's long-range 'kamikaze' drones, which are used to strike the territory of Russia, are going.

Defense Express notes that this debriefing took place in a closed video conference format, and that it generally analyzed the effectiveness of the use of unmanned systems in confronting the Russian occupation army.

Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, is quoted as saying that in August 2024, the intensity of the use of the FPV drones on the frontline increased by 25% compared to the same indicator in June 2024.

‘During this meeting, representatives of all types and branches of the armed forces were also heard about the specifics of the use and prospects for the development of unmanned systems. Tasks to build capabilities in this area have been identified,’ the meeting's results are summarized.

At the same time, if one looks at the photos illustrating the process of preparing long-range 'kamikaze' UAVs for take-off in strikes on Russian territory, the following can be noted. Preparations for the launch take place at night, or closer to dawn. At the same time, the launch process itself takes place on makeshift launch pads, which are essentially just sections of roads with low traffic at night.

Photo: Defense Express

Probably, in case of massive attacks on the critical infrastructure of the Russian Federation, even several dozen such launch sites can be used. The photos above show only a few UAVs at one launch site.

At the same time, it remains a matter of some intrigue whether any additional control equipment is used during the launch of drones, as these photos do not show any such details.