Trouble with Cheap Ukrainian Drones for Russia's Luxury Defense

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Secret bases in remote Ukrainian villages are starting their work at night. In the silence of the night and under the red light of the Ukrainian troops’ headlamps, the drones are assembled in complete silence to penetrate deep into Russian territory. The targets of these drones are oil refineries, fuel depots, and logistics centers of the Russian army.

Kyiv’s drone campaign has been going on with unprecedented speed since the summer, targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure and pushing Moscow’s air defenses to the brink of collapse. The drones are being built piecemeal in small workshops and are now playing a more effective role in the war in the skies than ever before.

Ukrainian officers are hastily starting engines that sound like old motorcycles. Smoke spreads across the starless night, and the drones fly eastward one by one from makeshift runways. The result of these operations in Russia has been gasoline shortages, fuel rationing, and the exposure of infrastructure vulnerabilities.

On the other hand, General Vasyl Malyuk, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, announced that this year alone, there have been more than 160 successful attacks on Russian oil facilities. According to a report by the Carnegie Endowment, Western analysts have confirmed that 16 major Russian refineries, which provided 38 percent of the country's nominal refining capacity, have been targeted by Ukrainian drones. However, there has been little destructive impact, as most plants have returned to production within a few weeks, using unused capacity and excess reserves.

However, Zelensky believes that 20 percent of Russia's gasoline supplies have been destroyed as a result of the Ukrainian attacks, forcing the Kremlin to import and reducing Russian exports.

The commander of Ukrainian drone operations, codenamed “Fidel,” watches the drones fly through night-vision goggles, saying, “The drones have evolved, their range has increased from 500 kilometers to 1,000 kilometers.” He added that the three pillars of their success are the drone, the human, and planning.

With its elongated body, a propeller at the back, and a triangular tail, the Liutyi drone is a symbol of this simple but deadly war. It is neither beautiful nor sophisticated; it resembles a handcraft, but nevertheless, it is stealthy and is constantly being optimized. Its name means “fierce,” and its image is now on a Ukrainian postage stamp.

The important thing is that the range of some models has doubled in a year, and drone attacks have expanded to within a radius of 1,000 kilometers of the border. Thus, the geography of war has changed. These long-range drones, costing just $55,000, have challenged Russia’s multi-million dollar defense systems.

“Ukraine has dragged the war into Russia’s territory, and Moscow no longer feels safe,” says Adriano Bosoni, director of analysis at RANE. Kyiv is now seeking to use logistical erosion to force Russia to change supply routes, expand its defenses, and weaken its ability to conduct major operations.

According to the Paris-based International Energy Agency, drone attacks have reduced Russia’s refining capacity by 500,000 barrels per day, creating domestic shortages and limiting exports of diesel and jet fuel. However, global oil production has remained stable.

By relying on domestically produced drones, Kiev has gained operational independence and no longer needs permission from Western countries to use them. Although these domestic drones have not achieved brilliant results, they have hit their targets less than 30 percent of the time.

Today, we are witnessing the drone war becoming a turning point in the battle between Ukraine and Russia. With cheap, indigenous, and smart weapons, Kiev has stolen the initiative from Moscow and opened an invisible front deep in enemy territory. More than 160 successful attacks have shaken the pillars of Russia’s energy economy, damaging 38 percent of the country’s refining capacity, leading to a daily reduction of 500,000 barrels, gasoline shortages, rationing, and a drop in exports.