Russian escalation across frontlines, new drones neutralizing enemy EW. Serhiy Zgurets' column

Frontline situation - Belgorod direction

Let me start with an area that the Ukrainian General Staff does not mention in its reports - the Belgorod region, where the Ukrainian military have been operating for three weeks. This area is important because measures are being taken there to deplete and constrain Russian forces. We are talking about the units that Russia has amassed in Kursk Oblast after it managed to push Ukrainian troops out of the region. 

However, there are still areas of about 95 square kilometers that Ukrainian troops continue to control, particularly in the area of Hueve. The Russian forces tried or planned to move some of their troops to other areas, such as Kurakhove, Toretsk or Zaporizhzhia, but they failed. Now the Belgorod region is on fire, and the Russians are moving their forces there.

Ukraine Russia war live map, March 22-29, Photo: Espreso

The map shows two areas in the Belgorod region, which are depicted in blue at the bottom of the map. These are the villages of Demydivka and Popivka, where Ukrainian troops were attacked. On April 6, Russian military commanders actively wrote that the 155th Russian Marine Brigade, which was transferred from the Kursk region, allegedly managed to block some of Ukraine's units. However, this is a lie. 

There was an illustrative reaction from our 255th Assault Regiment, which is now fighting in the Belgorod sector. Ukrainian soldiers reacted: “Clowns, you couldn't even take your officers out, and they want to live and help us.” This probably refers to the capture of Russian officers. In other words, the raids in the Belgorod region continue, and we must take only the best lessons from the Kursk operation, focusing on Ukraine's strengths.

Lyman direction

At the same time, the Russian aggressors have intensified their activity on almost all fronts. One of them is the Lyman direction. Here, the occupation forces are trying to break through Ukrainian defenses in the areas of Nove - Katerynivka - Nevske, which is now renamed Balka Zhuravka. These settlements are located on the border of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, on the western bank of the Zherebets River. Analysts assess the situation in this area differently, but in general it looks alarming.

Ukraine Russia war live map, March 29 - April 5, Photo: Espreso

In particular, DeepState reported yesterday, April 7, that the Russians are trying to conduct assault operations in the Nevske area and continue to put pressure on Katerynivka, using their superiority in manpower and destruction capabilities. These are the conclusions of analysts, but Ukrainian soldiers on the ground know the situation much better.

Maksym Bilousov, head of the communications department of the 60th separate mechanized brigade from the Lyman direction, said that in early 2024, active and powerful Russian mechanized assaults were observed, with about 10-15 units of equipment being used simultaneously. The Russians used Czar - REBs and Czar - grills, when a huge number of REBs were installed on one tank. But we managed to neutralize this equipment. And the summer was calmer, there was a so-called push. However, in the fall, mechanized assaults resumed again, which were no longer as powerful as in early 2024, but still caused a lot of trouble.

The officer continued, noting that since the beginning of the new year, Russian mechanized assaults have become less active. The invaders are using about one BMP, BMD, or BTR, along with motorcycles or adapted civilian vehicles. The Russians aim to bring infantry as close as possible to Ukrainian fire positions. Their main task is to use small groups or mechanized vehicles to bring the assault troops near the Ukrainian positions, after which these troops are meant to storm the Ukrainian positions. In addition to infantry, the Russians are actively using artillery, MLRS, drones, FPV drones, Blyskavka strike drones, and aerial drops. Furthermore, aviation is carrying out daily strikes, both on the battlefield and in the rear.

The head of the communications department of the 60th Brigade analogized his brigade's military to a dam that the Russians are constantly trying to break, looking for weaknesses. But we are holding the line, all units are working. We are constantly monitoring the situation on the battlefield, and our aerial reconnaissance and infantry are actively working. So the situation is complicated and difficult, but we manage to restrain the enemy's advance in our area of responsibility. We are making every effort to slow down their advance as much as possible and are developing plans to push them back. At the moment, geography is favorable for our defense, and the landscape helps our unmanned systems units to operate. 

However, we also need to hide, because the Russians are actively using aerial reconnaissance. The occupiers are constantly using Supercam and other reconnaissance drones. Therefore, we need to be skillful in disguise so that our positions are not visible from above. In addition, using the landscape, we need to find enemy crews of unmanned systems that launch FPVs at us as quickly as possible, as well as Blyskavka drones that can carry both thermobaric charges and anti-tank mines.

The serviceman noted that small arms battles occur from time to time due to the large number of Russian manpower. Russia constantly throws its infantry into “meat assaults”: first, less trained Russian soldiers may go, followed by more professional and better equipped ones who will see where the firing point was hidden and then work on it. Of course, those in front will die. To do this, Ukrainian defenders use attack drones, which the occupiers call “Baba Yaga,” and at night they mine all the ways that Russians can use on the approaches to the positions of Ukrainian units. Russian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles have repeatedly exploded on mines left for them. But the main problem is the number of Russian personnel and the fact that they are not spared.

Bilousov added that Ukrainian drones and artillerymen are destroying Russian forces around the clock. For example, there is data from a reconnaissance company published on the brigade's page, and as a result of grenade drops alone, about 30 Russian army soldiers are eliminated in a month. And these are just the figures from the reconnaissance company, but in terms of overall numbers, the Russian losses are enormous. To illustrate the work of Ukrainian artillery, we can give an example of the Russian accumulation, i.e. when the accumulation of up to 10-15 people is already recorded, our artillery is working. It is in this case that artillery is more effective than drops. It should be noted that the brigade is conducting a recruitment campaign and is looking for FPV operators, drops, and attack drones, but there are vacancies for riflemen, mortar operators, grenade launchers, medics, psychologists, drivers, cooks - all positions are needed.

German drones for Ukrainian Armed Forces

Next, let's talk about technology, namely German drones, which do not have Chinese components, are made of wood, but with artificial intelligence (AI) software. These drones are supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and destroy enemies despite all the power of Russian electronic warfare.

Last fall, Germany announced that it was planning to transfer 4000 unnamed barrage munitions to Ukraine. Later it became known that these were HF-1 attack drones from the German defense company Helsing, which is known in the field of AI and software. This company has begun to add such elements to the potential of drones.

There is a video by Bild magazine where the magazine's correspondent visited the Special Operations Forces that use HF-1 drones in the Sumy region. The military says that this aircraft can stay in the air for about an hour, and during this time the pilot finds the target. The HF-1 drone is used against various targets, from armored vehicles to air defense systems. The range of such a drone is up to 150 km, but de facto it is used at 40-50 km, because this is the distance for more optimal search and destruction of enemy targets.

What's the highlight of this development? This drone is made of plywood, so it's cheap in terms of the materials that make up its structure. But the efficiency of the HF-1 is high due to the software. When this drone is hit by Russian electronic warfare, it does not affect its effectiveness, because Helsing has provided HF-1 with software solutions that ensure that the barrage munition is guided to the target even if the control or GPS signal is lost. 

The drone's camera captures a target and, by processing the image, AI refocuses the target, and the target is destroyed. If the EW captured the aircraft somewhere in the middle of the flight, the drone does not fall, but enters the trajectory until the influence of the Russian EW disappears, and then the operator can continue to control the HF-1. The point is that Ukraine has already received more than a thousand of these samples, which will continue to be supplied.

But it is interesting that Helsing is preparing to supply the Armed Forces with more modern models of drones - HX-2, which became known only at the end of 2024. HX-2s are heavier and have a range of about 150 km. They are built according to a different aerodynamic scheme, and are also equipped with software that allows them to operate in the face of Russian electronic warfare. It also has a function of targeting enemy targets.

In total, Helsing plans to supply about 10 thousand of both the first and second versions of these drones, which are manufactured in Germany exclusively from European components. Of course, these components are more expensive, but such supplies are extremely important because they allow us to strengthen the potential of our Defense Forces to destroy targets that the enemy is trying to cover with electronic warfare. Germany supplies us with technological weapons in this important innovative area.