Ukraine uses big guns and drone technology in devastating combo

The importance of artillery is underscored by international efforts to ship more guns and ammunition to Ukraine, with many NATO members contributing some of the newest and most advanced versions of these weapons.But experts say Ukrainian forces are going one better by harnessing widely available drone technology to provide real-time surveillance data on Russian targets and fire their heavy weapons with unprecedented accuracy. “They are providing real-time information: ‘OK, guys, 100 meters to the left, 50 meters to the right,’ that kind of thing,” Iakovenko said.Ulrike Franke, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and an expert on UAV use in conflict, said the Ukrainian military had shown greater innovation than its Russian adversary in integrating the tech into its armed response. “But the Russian tanks have been moving in columns so close to each other, sometimes you can’t miss them,” he said.Although the antitank and antiaircraft weapons systems provided by allies made headlines during the conflict’s opening stage, Wasielewski said that artillery — coupled with the GPS and associated targeting data provided by drones — was likely to be decisive in the war’s outcome.