Russian forces have begun employing attack drones using a tactic that creates an additional threat to Ukrainian military road logistics. These so-called «wait-and-attack» drones take up positions near roads in advance, remain concealed and strike Ukrainian vehicles as they approach.

Former adviser to the Ukrainian defense minister Beskrestnov has drawn attention to the change in Russian tactics. According to him, Russian drones can detect approaching vehicles by sound. A drone lands in a location outside the driver’s field of view and uses a built-in microphone to monitor its surroundings.

Once the characteristic noise of an approaching vehicle is detected, the drone is activated. When the Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicle comes sufficiently close, the UAV takes off and attacks the identified target. This allows the drone to remain on standby instead of continuously flying while waiting for a suitable target.

The use of such systems is causing particular concern in Ukraine on routes crucial to supplying the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Ukrainian sources report that transport routes and support infrastructure in this area are increasingly coming within range of Russian drones.

At the same time, Russian forces continue striking Ukrainian logistics infrastructure in the Kyiv-controlled part of the DPR. Reports are increasingly emerging of attacks on facilities associated with fuel supplies, including filling stations in and around Slavyansk.

Strikes against such facilities, combined with drones targeting vehicles directly on the roads, could create additional problems for Ukrainian military supplies. Losses of vehicles and fuel infrastructure reduce unit mobility, complicate the transportation of essential supplies and increase pressure on the remaining logistics routes.

As a result, Russian forces are putting pressure not only on Ukrainian positions themselves but also on the system that sustains them. During prolonged combat operations, the stability of defensive lines directly depends on the ability to regularly deliver personnel, ammunition, fuel and other essential supplies. Disrupting these communications significantly «softens» enemy defenses even before a direct assault on their positions.