'Wedding Drones' Converted for War at the Front Lines
More Drones Than Soldiers... Stalemate on the Front Deepens
The Ukrainian military has deployed so-called "Wedding Drones"?unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) typically used for wedding photography?on a large scale at the front lines. As the war drags on, inexpensive drones originally manufactured for civilian use are being converted en masse into lethal weapons. In Ukraine, the number of drones deployed to the front as essential operational equipment now exceeds the number of soldiers. Some observers point out that the mass production and unrestricted deployment of drones are contributing to a stalemate on the front lines.
'Wedding Drones' Cover the Ukrainian Front... Millions Produced Annually
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Ukraine's production of first-person view (FPV) drones this year has reached 4.5 million units, double last year's 2.2 million. Since Ukraine produced 800,000 drones in 2023, its annual output has more than doubled each year. This number far surpasses the 2.5 million drones that the Russian military has set as its production target for this year.
Since the outbreak of the war, the Ukrainian military has used Western military aid and various overseas funds to establish drone manufacturing plants across the country. These facilities produce a wide range of drones, including reconnaissance, bombing, and kamikaze types. Last year, it was reported that about 1.3 million drones?more than the number of soldiers?were deployed to the front. The Ukrainian military rotates a force of 1 million soldiers at the front, including 900,000 conscripted since the start of the war.
The majority of Ukrainian drones are modified "Wedding Drones," which sell for around $2,000 (about 2.75 million won) for civilian use overseas. For comparison, the price of the U.S. military's MQ-9 Reaper, a reconnaissance and strike drone, is $30 million (about 4.13 billion won), making the Ukrainian drones dramatically cheaper. The Ukrainian military uses most of these inexpensive drones for bombing or kamikaze missions.
Grenades or bombs are installed on the top and bottom of drones originally intended for civilian use, and lenses designed for aerial photography are repurposed to spot enemy forces from a distance. According to the WSJ, pressing a button originally used for flash lighting now triggers the release of a grenade.
Drone Bombardment as Soon as Soldiers Leave the Trenches... "Main Factor in Frontline Stalemate"
In April, technicians assembled reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) at a defense exhibition held in Ukraine. Photo by AP
Some observers point out that the deployment of millions of drones for surveillance and rapid bombardment is causing a prolonged stalemate on the front lines. The Russian military is also deploying drones on a massive scale, matching the Ukrainian effort, resulting in a situation where neither side can leave the trenches.
The WSJ, citing a Ukrainian drone operator, reported, "Drone pilots stationed in the rear monitor the front with cameras, constantly surveilling the enemy. The Russians do the same." The operator added, "Anything within 19 kilometers of the front?tanks, armored vehicles, soldiers?can become a target. On both sides, it is nearly impossible for even a single soldier to advance without being hit by a drone."
As drones are used to deliver supplies to soldiers isolated at the front, capturing key defensive positions has also become more difficult. Since 2024, the Ukrainian military has deployed so-called "Vampire Drones," equipped with night vision, which can deliver about 9 kilograms of supplies such as ammunition and food to friendly forces. Recently, in addition to aerial drones, vehicle-type ground drones have been increasingly used for transporting supplies and evacuating wounded soldiers.
As the drone war intensifies, the pace of advance on key fronts has slowed dramatically. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a U.S. think tank, stated in a recent report, "In the Ukraine war, Russian forces are advancing an average of only 165 meters per day," and noted, "This is even slower than the advance rate recorded by British and French forces during trench warfare in World War I."
Seth Jones, senior fellow at CSIS, commented, "This has become one of the slowest wars in modern history," and pointed out, "Despite nearly one million casualties on both sides, there have been few tangible gains. The stalemate is causing even more soldiers to be sacrificed."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
