Source: social media of the 47th Motorized Ri
For over two years, heavy armored vehicles on the front line remained almost helpless against the massive use of FPV drones. However, a large-scale tactical reorganization and the depletion of enemy forces allowed the Ukrainian Defense Forces to once again use tanks.
British Challenger 2 and American Abrams were used to carry out successful offensive operations, The Telegraph reports.
How they paved the way for armored vehicles
The main condition for the return of the tanks was a comprehensive strategy to destroy Russian unmanned units and logistics. Ukrainian forces abandoned frontal attacks, focusing on deep exhaustion of the enemy.
The destruction of convoys and warehouses at a distance of up to 160 kilometers deprived Russian drone crews and artillerymen of supplies of ammunition, food and new batteries. Intercepting messages and hacking into the phones of Russian soldiers made it possible to accurately determine their positions and adjust artillery fire.
The large-scale shutdown of unauthorized access to the Starlink network caught Russian units by surprise, rendering them ineffective. The systematic destruction of radars, electronic warfare systems, and UAV operator positions forced the enemy forces to retreat deep into the territory.
Only after the affected area was cleared did Ukrainian infantry advance, clearing the way for heavy armored vehicles to advance.
Success in Donbas and Kharkiv region
The well-thought-out approach yielded tangible results during the counteroffensive near Oleksandrivka, which began as a preemptive strike that thwarted Russian plans to advance on Zaporizhia. Thanks to the effect of surprise and the enemy’s lack of coordination, Ukrainian forces managed to liberate 288 square miles of territory.
Similar tactics are being used on other front lines. In the Kharkiv region, soldiers from the 475th Assault Regiment conducted a successful raid with the participation of two tanks equipped with enhanced anti-drone protection. Accompanied by Vampire and FPV bomber drones, the tanks delivered a direct hit on Russian infantry positions in buildings and successfully returned unscathed.
The new role of heavy armored vehicles in modern warfare
Military analysts emphasize that tanks have not disappeared from the battlefield, but the principles of their use have changed dramatically. Today, tanks are practically not used in classic large-scale tank breakthroughs. For the most part, they fire from cover and support infantry during the clearing of fortifications.
Ukrainian workshops equip Western and Soviet equipment with additional protective screens and armor panels, which allows them to withstand hits from light FPV drones. Heavy armor is effective only when it operates in a single system with reconnaissance, artillery, heavy drones, and infantry.
Recall that military units of the National Guard Lasar’s Group destroyed three enemy tanks in one operation , which the Russians tried to camouflage 65 kilometers from the line of combat contact.
As OBOZ.UA reported, the Israeli company Arbe Robotics has officially announced its entry into the market of counter-unmanned aerial vehicle systems. The debut product in the field of defense and national security was the Alerion C-UAS radar – a compact 4D system designed to detect complex air threats that classic radars cannot see.
Demolishing the enemy’s logistics has been and still is crucial if any offensive is to be successful.