In The News

Samuel Bendett says, “The Russian defense industry has not manufactured a large number of combat unmanned aerial vehicles to go after Ukrainian key positions.”

Samuel Bendett says, “Both sides are now reworking their drone software to make quadcopters more EW-resistant and sharing battlefield lessons with other operators, especially on avoiding the other sides’ defenses.”

Samuel Bendett, said that, Russia quickly turned to Iran for help with drones after realizing that Ukraine’s “integrated air defense is powerful enough to negate any significant Russian advantage in both manned and unmanned aircraft systems.”

Michael Kofman says, “Russia's strategy is to entrench, try to defend over the next several months, and focus on rebuilding its forces to see if they can restore offensive potential in the spring."

Samuel Bendett says, “The delivery and employment of these weapons has not affected Ukrainian resolve. But we are facing a very hard, cold Eastern European winter, and it remains to be seen how effective the Russian campaign might be.”

Samuel Bendett says, “Russians are basically portraying this as an organized retreat that was necessary to consolidate their resources, and the new commander Surovikin is hailing it as a logistical feat that will enable Russia to continue its operations into the winter.”

Michael Kofman says, “Liberating Kherson eliminated the prospect of a Russian campaign along Ukraine’s southern coast.”

Samuel Bendett says that the LPD-802 “is a close-range weapon that has limited power,” for use “against quadcopters, and small and light [drones].”

Michael Kofman says, “Russian forces seemed to withdraw from some parts, evacuated and drew down, but also reinforced with mobilized personnel.”

Samuel Bendett says, “Lancets may not have been employed in large numbers earlier because Russia's initial invasion plans and the opening weeks and months of the war did not anticipate massive Ukrainian resistance and therefore the MOD may not have placed enough orders for these to be manufactured in large numbers.”

Samuel Bendett says, “I think the biggest benefit of this design is that once key materials are available – a battery, a receiver, several small motors, propellers and wiring – such a drone can be essentially assembled ‘on the fly,’ pun intended.”

Samuel Bendett says, “Many Russian volunteers as well as some private-sector companies publicly voiced concern that their achievements and products aren’t directly used in the war and that the MOD [Ministry of Defense] bureaucracy is interfering with quick and fast acquisition of necessary services. So maybe this center is going to attract such talent.”

Samuel Bendett says, “There are significant obstacles to the ‘full separation’ that the Russian government wants to test.”

Michael Kofman says, “It could be significant development because one of the challenges for Russia has been sustaining artillery fire.”

Samuel Bendett says that recent sea drone and unmanned aerial system swarm attacks have the potential to seize “the show going forward.”

Samuel Bendett says that it is "plausible" that Ukraine carried out the attack. "Such unmanned boats are difficult to identify, especially at night."