The town of Rodynske in the Donetsk region bears the scars of war, with a 250kg glide bomb having ripped through its main administrative building and three residential blocks just a day ago. The acrid smell of smoke still lingers, and parts of the wreckage are still smoldering. The sound of artillery fire and gunshots from Ukrainian soldiers shooting down terrifying new weapons like drones can be heard from the edges of the town. Rodynske, located about 15km north of the embattled city of Pokrovsk, has been a target of Russia‘s intensified push, with the country making significant advances since January.
The Rise of Fibre Optic Drones
The conflict has taken a new turn with the deployment of fibre optic drones, which have become a terrifying new danger on Ukraine’s front lines. These drones have a spool of tens of kilometers of cable fitted to the bottom, allowing for real-time video transmission through physical fibre optic cords. According to Moderator, a drone engineer with the 68th Jaeger Brigade, “The video and control signal is transmitted to and from the drone through the cable, not through radio frequencies. This means it can’t be jammed by electronic interceptors.” This technology has given Russia an edge, with Ukraine scrambling to ramp up production.
The Impact on Soldiers and Civilians
The widespread use of fibre optic drones has made transporting soldiers to and from positions deadlier than the battlefield itself. Oles, Chief Sergeant of the reconnaissance unit of the 5th Assault Brigade, warns that “When you enter a position, you don’t know whether you’ve been spotted or not. And if you have been spotted, then you may already be living the last hours of your life.” Civilians are also bearing the brunt, with towns like Rodynske reduced to ruined shells. Svitlana, a 61-year-old resident of Bilytske, laments, “It’s getting worse and worse. Earlier, we could hear distant explosions, they were far away. But now our town is getting targeted – we’re experiencing it ourselves.”
The Changing Nature of Warfare
The war has forced soldiers to adapt rapidly to new threats. Russia’s infantry has changed tactics, with Oles noting that “Earlier they attacked in groups. Now they only send one or two people at times. They also use motorcycles and in a few instances, quad bikes. Sometimes they slip through.” This has blurred the lines between conventional front lines, making advances harder to track. Despite Russia’s recent gains, it will not be quick or easy for it to take the whole of the Donetsk region, where Pokrovsk lies. Ukraine’s manpower issues against a bigger Russian army are evident, with most soldiers having joined the military after the war began and learning on the job.
The Human Cost
The human cost of the war is palpable. Maksym, a soldier with the 5th Assault Brigade, describes war as “blood, death, wet mud and a chill that spreads from head to toe.” He shares the pain of missing his two-year-old son, saying, “It’s hard, it’s really hard. My family really supports me. But I have a two-year-old son, and I don’t get to see him much. I do video call him though, so everything is as fine as it could be under the circumstances.”