Communications of the ACM
Drone Operators Who Halted Russian Convoy Headed for Kyiv
The drone operators were drawn from the Aerorozvidka air reconnaissance unit, which began eight years ago as a group of volunteer IT specialists and hobbyists designing their own machines and has evolved into an essential element in Ukraine’s succes
Credit: Aerorozvidka
A Russian armored convey headed toward Kyiv was halted by night ambushes by a team of 30 Ukrainian special forces and drone operators who are part of an air reconnaissance unit known as Aerorozvidka.
These fighters used quad bikes and were equipped with night vision goggles, sniper rifles, remotely detonated mines, and drones featuring thermal imaging cameras or capable of dropping small bombs.
The Aerorozvidka unit also reportedly used drones to defeat a Russian airborne attack on Hostomel airport north-west of Kyiv.
The unit's team of engineers, software designers, and drone enthusiasts built various surveillance drones, 1.5-meter eight-rotor machines able to drop bombs and deploy other weapons, and a sensor network dubbed Delta that allows commanders to monitor enemy movements on a digital map.
The unit has depended on crowdfunding and a global network of friends and supporters to add and replace lost equipment.
From The Guardian (U.K.)
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