Drone swarms play key role in Ukrainian Kursk invasion, Times reports

Drone swarms were crucial for Ukraine to identify possible areas for ground attacks and isolate Russian forces during the Kursk invasion, the Times reported on August 26.

The tactical success of Kyiv's cross-border advance surprised many. Observers praised the effective use of combined arms such as tanks, artillery and drones.

Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including models provided by the UK, Ukraine was able to gather intelligence on Russian positions and help plan ground attacks.

Interceptor drones could be used to disrupt Russian electronic warfare systems, and dive bombers target heavy Russian weapons, wrote The Times.

According to the source, Ukrainian drone teams also passed on information about Russian crossings of the Seim River, which served as the basis for subsequent HIMARS attacks.

Ukraine managed to destroy three permanent bridges and at least one pontoon across the river, threatening to isolate about 3,000 Russian soldiers between Ukrainian-held positions.

As of August 20, the Ukrainian military says it controls 1,263 square kilometers and over 90 settlements, including the city of Sudzha. The figures do not take into account the additional advances on August 27, which the Ukrainian military has not yet fully disclosed.

Together with Latvia, the UK leads the drone coalition that supplies Kyiv with much-needed UAVs. As unmanned systems play an increasingly important role on the battlefield, Ukraine has set up its own military branch to oversee their operations.

Earlier this year, London pledged to provide £325 million ($416 million) to purchase over 10,000 state-of-the-art drones for Ukraine.

Bloomberg wrote in February that Britain and other partners are working to equip Kyiv with AI-powered drones that could attack Russian targets simultaneously.

Kursk Operation: What Ukraine has achieved so far and what it could achieve in the future

Ukraine's ongoing operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast, a daring incursion begun nearly three weeks ago that took Moscow and the world by surprise, has already produced some tangible military and political results while raising hopes for an earlier end to Russia's large-scale invasion. The Kursk invasion…