Drone sightings also over NATO territory: What are the finds all about?

Created: 03/17/2022, 15:07

By: Linus Prien

Recently, Russian drones have apparently also appeared over NATO countries.

Experts believe espionage is possible - or even tests.

Bistrita/Zagreb - Experts believe it is possible that Russia is experimenting with drones in order to use them in the war against Ukraine.

Der

asked two experts about the use of drones in the Ukraine conflict.

War in Ukraine: More and more Russian drones appear

In the past week there have been three incidents involving Russian drones in NATO areas.

A reconnaissance drone has landed in a field in Bistritz, Romania.

It was probably an Orlan-10 drone.

The drone did not have any national insignia, but it was made in Russia.

It has a span of about three meters.

A much larger drone crashed a few kilometers outside of Zagreb.

It was a Tupolev TU-141.

The drone still came from the Soviet Union.

It is not known whether the plane actually flew from Russia to the Croatian capital. Croatia contacted Ukraine with a request for clarification.

No one was injured when the six-ton ​​drone crashed.

Remains of the Soviet drone © IMAGO/Slavko Midzor/PIXSELL

Last Monday, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that a Russian reconnaissance drone crossed Polish airspace before returning to Ukraine and being shot down there.

According to the information, it was a "Forpost".

A drone model originally from Israel that was further developed in Russia.

Ukraine war: what does the sudden presence of Russian drones mean?

The Ukrainian army made a clear statement about the events: “As we can see, the invaders continue to carry out their provocative actions without shame.” The situation was described more soberly from the countries where the finds were made and from the NATO side.

The drones could be tracked and the events are being investigated.

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Federico Borsari is an Unmanned Aircraft Expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

According to Bosari, he could imagine that incorrectly entered coordinates led to the accidents.

In war situations something like that could happen.

However, the expert also considered it possible that these were Russian espionage operations.

In contrast to the use of manned fighter jets, no human lives are lost with drones.

This could be advantageous for the Kremlin in view of the rumored low morale of the Russian army.

In addition, drones are cheaper than fighter jets.

Russia has long failed to gain sovereignty over Ukrainian airspace.

In addition, Ukraine has so far made more successful use of drone technology than Vladimir Putin's army.

The army uses the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2.

There have been repeated reports of Ukrainian drone attacks in recent weeks.

According to Federico Borsari, it is possible that Russia is only using its outdated drones for reconnaissance.

You can find out from where the enemy shoots down his drones.

This information could be valuable.

The shooting down of drones that come from the Soviet Union is not a great loss.

Ukraine war: will weapons be tested during the war?

"It's brutal: wars are always test runs to try out new weapon systems, and that also applies to this war," said Elisabeth Hoffberger-Pippan, an expert in military technology at the Science and Politics Foundation.

The drone type of reconnaissance drone, which was briefly in Poland, had previously only been exhibited at trade fairs.

For the first time, Russian troops were sighted using this drone.

The Kalashnikov company has also developed a small drone called "KUB-E".

An export license for this drone was only granted at the end of January this year.

The small drone is said to have already been used in Kyiv.

Although it has to be operated from a comparatively short distance, it can still be extremely dangerous.

Equipped with a camera and an explosive device, the drone is used for targeted killings.

When the explosive device detonates, the drone is also destroyed.

Expert Hoffberger-Pippan said: "Often government contracts are only awarded to armaments companies after the respective weapon systems have not only been tested under laboratory conditions, but in an actual, bloody war."