Over the past three years, technology drones have fundamentally changed the nature of hostilities in Ukraine. Both Ukraine and Russia are increasingly using more sophisticated small drones, which have led to the abandonment of the use of large armored vehicles.

Instead, both sides have shifted to smaller, more dispersed units to reduce vulnerability. However, as UAVs have become more widespread, both sides have begun to use them against such small groups that have little or no protection against aerial threats, writes Forbes.

In response, Ukraine has begun producing special rounds for shooting drones that can be used with standard automatic weapons. These munitions are expected to play a key role in deterring a new Russian offensive.

Ukraine's new cartridges against Russian drones

Ukrainian defense initiative Brave1 has released a video showing soldiers successfully destroying a small drone using a new type of ammunition. These are standard 5.56mm cartridges that are suitable for NATO small arms, including the CZ Bren and M4.

Although the technical specifications were not disclosed, it is reported that such cartridges are already in limited use in practice. According to the publication, after firing, the cartridge breaks up into about five elements that fly quickly. When fired in bursts, an effect resembling a shotgun salvo is created, which makes it possible to effectively hit drones at a distance of up to 50 meters.

According to Brave1, Ukraine is ramping up production so that every soldier will have at least one magazine with these rounds. This allows soldiers to defend themselves against drones without carrying the additional burden of a separate weapon. Instead of changing weapons, a soldier can simply replace the magazine - it takes much less time and requires less coordination.

The importance of these cartridges during the new Russian offensive

These special rounds come as small drones play a key role in Russia's summer offensive to break through fortified Ukrainian positions. Russia is using drones to scout and strike Ukrainian defenses ahead of a ground attack.

Previously, this role was usually performed by artillery, but drones are a cheaper and more accessible option, especially given current Russian resource constraints.

"The new ammunition, standardized according to NATO norms, is likely to be extremely useful for Ukrainian troops in the context of maintaining defense. It is expected that they will immediately go to the front lines, giving soldiers a quick and effective tool for combating drones," the material says.

The media writes that when neutralizing the UAVs, Russian troops will have to rely on artillery again or launch frontal attacks on fortified positions. But artillery strikes are less accurate, require more resources, and reveal the location of the batteries, which themselves become targets for Ukrainian drones. And direct assaults without UAV support threaten with high losses with minimal results.

In a broader context, the use of these rounds could change the current"cat and mouse game" between attack and counter-drone weapons. They offer a kinetic method of neutralizing drones, acting as an alternative to common electronic warfare systems.

Other news about innovations in war

UNIAN previously reported that"Drone War" Has Frozen the Front Line in Ukraine. Drones dominate the battlefield. They can do almost anything - lay mines, deliver cargo, and even evacuate the wounded or dead.

In addition, aviation expert Konstantin Kryvolap assessed the options being developed by Ukraine. to counter the"Shaheeds"."There were no such problems as there are now. Everything was fine then, we had a 95-100% hit rate," he said. But now there are about 6-8 different developments that should return this figure.