How Drones Are Changing Ukraine’s Trench Assault Tactics

Business Insider reports that Ukrainian special operators are changing how they assault Russian-held trenches because drones are now a constant battlefield threat. An operator in Ukraine’s 4th Ranger Regiment, identified by the call sign Gur, said training now places more emphasis on using uncrewed aerial vehicles and countering drones. The key takeaway: movement, concealment, and airspace awareness are no longer separate tasks; they are part of every assault plan.

The report describes the southern and eastern Ukraine front as a drone-heavy “kill zone” where people and vehicles can be targeted. The zone typically extends roughly 10 to 20 kilometers from the line of contact, and Ukrainian officials have said it is expanding. For commanders and small units, that means tactics must account for overhead threats before, during, and after movement.

Ukrainian drone pilots are taking part in training exercises, while operators practice spotting overhead threats, engaging “enemy” drones, covering teammates, finding shelter, and moving under concealment. Operators also use pump-action shotguns in live-fire training. Ukrainian soldiers have described shotguns as a last-resort defense against FPV drones, especially fiber-optic drones that cannot be jammed with electronic warfare.

Gur described trench-clearing by a four-person group moving in pairs: one soldier focuses on the trench while another scans the sky. If a Russian drone is spotted, the team opens fire with a standard rifle or pump-action shotgun, according to the account. The enduring lesson from the report is simple and stark: at least one operator must keep watching the airspace at all times.