©picture alliance / ROPI | POU
Ukrainian forces are achieving success with a new tactic to drive the Russians out of their country. They hit Vladimir Putin's troops in a sensitive and vulnerable spot.
On the front lines, Ukraine already created so-called "kill zones," areas where drones take out anything that moves. Now, there's a new variant that firmly hinders the Russians: logistical lockdown. Up to 150 kilometers behind the front line, all military supplies are attacked. Highways are turning into motor courts, and this is beginning to take its toll at the front line.
Russian milbloggers are sounding the alarm. The particularly popular Rybar posted a map of highways and red dots: "The situation is deteriorating rapidly." The overview shows destroyed supply routes in occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Lines for men, ammunition and heavy weapons have been completely disrupted by incessant drone attacks.
With almost all the oil refineries damaged, Ukraine is targeting its drone arsenal to Russian logistics. The successful operation started in the spring. Last week, traffic on a vital highway through Mariupol to Crimea had to be shut down. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), key routes, including the one between Rostov-on-Don and Crimea, are still barely usable.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov dubbed the operation the "logistical lockdown." The most efficient drone units will receive extra budget. Multiple units will be equipped with reconnaissance drones, kamikaze drones and armed attack drones. At the same time, extra budget is being allocated to encourage manufacturers to supply more aircraft. The goal: Entirely shut down Russian posts close to the front line.
Russian milbloggers report that front line posts can no longer be maintained because supplies have become extremely difficult. Ukraine now has air superiority to more than 100 kilometers in occupied territory. While Russia struggles with lack of troops due to high casualties and sputtering recruitment.
Unless the Kremlin finds a solution to drone supremacy, new troops and reservists will not get to the front. This already places a heavy burden on Russia's planned offensives. Rotations of troops will soon be impossible, and infiltration attempts - Russia's favorite tactic for gaining ground - will no longer succeed. With reinforcements no longer coming, those operations have literally become suicide missions.
©picture alliance / ROPI | POU