Alongside the increase in the number of UAVs in the combat zone, Ukrainian forces appear to be increasing the production of new munitions used by the drones. Kyiv's Mayak plant, which is part of the Ukroboronprom company, is said to have started producing new cluster munitions intended for use by unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
This announcement was made on Saturday, April 2, in a factory press release.
Both types of ammunition are relatively compact and light.
One is called OBP-23.1 and weighs 1 kg. It is capable of hitting targets within a radius of 11 meters. The other is called OBP-23.05 and weighs 500 grams, and its destruction zone has a radius of 4.5 meters.
"Along with the appearance of shock drones in the brigades of the armed forces of Ukraine, the unveiling of special fragmentation munitions for drones with a reported destruction zone of 11 meters significantly increases the capabilities of infantry during assaults on fortresses. The only negative is the weather conditions, which do not always allow launching drones.
It would be ideal if such units appeared in the armed forces of Russia as well, since this would reduce the consumption of ammunition and make it easier to perform tasks at the tactical level," Russian channel South Wind commented on Telegram.
“I would like to show you our similar ammunition, the analogues of which do not exist in the world. But I won't show them to you because they are classified," wrote Russian military commander Yevgeny Poddubny.
A day earlier, the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation reported the transfer of 300 DJI Mavic 3T Thermal unmanned aerial vehicles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of the Army of Drones program. Of these, 160 drones will be transported in the eastern direction, 85 in the direction of Zaporizhia, etc.
300 Drones for the Ukrainians
The news about the transfer of these drones was made by the official channel of the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on Telegram.
It was noted that each of these UAVs is equipped with a thermal imaging device and a zoom camera, which allows reconnaissance missions to be carried out even at night.
"The drones were purchased due to joint fundraising by Monobank, Oleg Gorokhovsky and Igor Lachenkov for the drone army as part of the UNITED24 initiative," the report reads.
According to the agency, during the 9 months of the Army of Drones program, 3,201 drones were purchased for 4 billion hryvnias.
