I’m a Russian who fled Putin’s dictatorship – now I’m arming Ukraine with killer drones | World | News

Ukraine’s defense industry gives soldiers an unprecedented firepower and reveals the weakness of Russia’s traditional war area tactics. Among the manufacturers using this fluctuation, United Manned Systems, a Western Ukrainian -based company, already receives direct orders of 20,000 drones from the front brigades.

Founder Sergej Sumlenny says that the first person appearance (FPV) drones shifted the firepower from senior commanders to the detachment leaders and that “any target you have – tanks, radio stations, radars, manpower – is now made by drones. Vladimir Putin’s task of pushing the invading forces of Vladimir Putin for the Russian -born Sergej, who fled his homeland 20 years ago, is personal.

“I had no mistake that Russia would attack Ukraine.

United unmanned systems employ only one dozen personnel, but work through a wider contractor network.

Drones are vital for the success of attacks on Russian territory.

“We have capacities in manpower, equipment and production lines to produce up to 15,000 per month,” Sergej said.

The demand is fixed, each with the last orders of the two facade brigade for 20,000 drones. USS drones are vital for the success of attacks on Russian territory

Brigades may burn between 4,000 and 5,000 per month.

Unlike many Western -made systems, drones are adapted, proven to war and written by German engineering.

The cost of the 10-inch Kamikaze is about 430 £ 430, heavier return bombardment aircraft can carry a-152 mm artillery shell-8,600 £.

“That’s why we just mount the shell and leave with a sensitivity of plus minus 50 centimeters,” he said.

And that changed the logic of war.

“If you allow your drone to fly 15 kilometers with RPG-7 grenades and hit a tank, artillery, Bunker or Jammer, as a platoon leader, you have the firepower in the hands of a battalion commander.”

“You had to wait for artillery approval before. Now you can shoot at any time.”

Inferences for Russian armor destructive.

“There is no tank in any army that can withstand the hit from Kamikaze drones.

“A main war tank like Challenger 2 or Leopard can be destroyed with five drones. The usual tactic is to remove the tracks first that disables the tank.”

Russia responded with measures against cages caused by the stuck towers.

However, it is almost impossible to deteriorate UUS’s new “black widow” radio system.

“With this model, almost none of our drones are stuck. We can even fly to a shelter with four or five floors of bricks, and the signal is still perfect.”

This reliability explains why the top brigades, including 47. Mechanized, 225. Attack Regiment and Elite Rubizh and Azov brigades, are customers.

“Our drones have an extremely high quality control, practically insufficient and make them a little more expensive. However, the hit rate is 60 percent – and that’s important.”

Born near Moscow, Sumlenny moved to Germany in the early 2000s and worked as a political analyst in Kiev.

He warned Berlin that Moscow would start a full -scale war one day. “I told my supervisors that there would be war and we should have Ukraine armed on the teeth. I treated as a paranoid militarist fool. And then Russia attacked five months later.”

The invasion has become a turning point.

“Most of my personal friends in my six years in Ukraine were killed by the Russians,” he said.

“I feel that my duty is to provide Ukraine to provide all the equipment they need to kill each Russian soldier on the territory of Ukraine.”

This task extends to delivering unmanned drones to the front.

Orum I spend a day with the units, sometimes two. I see what they are doing with them, I ask what should be improved. Sometimes even suggestions – like a key or antenna. ”

At the age of 44, Sergej confesses that both the Russian strikes in Kiev and his name known by Moscow.

Nevertheless, it shakes the shoulder.

Orum I live on the top floor of an apartment block. I never went down to the basement during an air strike.

“Only an armed Ukraine can prevent Russia from the idea of ​​attack.

“This was true before invading, and even now more accurate.”