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ROLLOUT REPORT ARCHIVES

report date represents the month the events occurred

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CURRENT MONTH REPORT

In April, drone operations continued to have a significant impact on operations in Ukraine where the war against the Russian invaders entered its fourteenth month. While Kyiv’s UAV fleet is comprised primarily of tactical drones weighing less than 100 lbs., the Ukraine Armed Forces continue to find innovative ways to use UAVs to attack the Russians and achieve battlefield effects. During the month, Ukraine continued to use relatively large fixed-wing UAS to conduct offensive operations inside Russia and Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine. This month also marked the first observed appearance of the AeroVironment Switchblade 600 in Ukraine. Ukraine’s highest profile operation was its drone strike on the Russian oil depot in Sevastopol, home port of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The Sevastopol attack ignited bulk fuel stored at the depot and caused a huge fire.For its part, Russia is also heavily reliant on drones for its combat operations that lately have featured Moscow’s Lancet-3 loitering munition which is achieving notable successes against Ukraine armor. Russia also seems intent on introducing a smaller form-factor, domestically produced quadcopter capable of carrying the MOD 50, Russia’s version of the claymore mine. Although difficult to document, Russia appears to be having some success at using its EW systems to defeat Ukraine’s drones.