As Netflix just aired it’s fresh look at “All Quiet on the Western Front”, we are airing two new videos from the eastern front. Both videos are made by Ukrainians operating quadcopters and show footage of Ukrainian infantrymen advancing on Russian entrenched positions.
The whole setup looks surreal and very much gives the same vibe as WW1 photos and videos. There were hundreds of carts on the fields, fox holes, dead bodies, and destroyed trees. This is the landscape of war in Ukraine right now. Yet again, as militarists, we should be analyzing what’s going on in the video rather than just watching it.
So, behind the scenes, there is a drone operator, who is most probably somewhere at a relative safety distance from the actual fight. However, his role on the battlefield cannot be overstated. Having real time communication with the foot soldiers on the ground gives an incredible advantage over the enemy, who is essentially blind in comparison.
The drone operator can tell his partner everything, from the current disposition of an enemy infantryman to the direction he is looking. The reconnaissance advantage of such a level was never seen in the wars before, so the usage of these civilian drones is a really big deal.
The second video is not as engaging as the first one, however it does show the realities of semi-trench warfare. The only difference is that the trenches are not as developed, at least yet. So far they are presented by either foxholes or separate platoon sized trench systems. As I know from the soldiers on both sides, quite often this happens for the reason of… everyone being lazy to dig. Sounds ridiculous, as this leads to increased casualties, yet here we are – these are the realities of war in Ukraine.
