Drones Have Made Assault Rifles Obsolete: A Tactical Medicine Expert Discusses the Frontline Situation
Special Military Operation News
Author: Vladlen Chertnov
06:00
Yuri Yevich is a recognized authority in tactical medicine in our country. This surgeon from Gorlovka has been involved in the battlefield since 2014, serving as the head of the medical unit of the Third Brigade of the Donetsk People's Republic and the commander of the First Volunteer Medical Unit, participating in military operations in Syria and Libya. He has written several books on tactical medicine and established 30 branches in various cities across the country, teaching survival techniques. In 2022, Yevich served for half a year in the special military operation zone and was awarded the "Medal of Bravery." He has now returned to the front again. In an interview with "Tsargrad," Yuri Yevich summarized the medical situation in the fourth year of the special military operation and honestly described the current state of the battlefield.
Approaching the enemy has become a major challenge
"Tsargrad": Yuri Yuryevich, how would you describe the frontline situation, especially the treatment of wounded soldiers?
Yuri Yevich: Unfortunately, the rear does not have this information, and even many soldiers are unaware that the situation has fundamentally changed. The enemy is using drones on a large scale, making them not only a weapon but also surpassing the scope of a single military branch.
Drones are the core of modern warfare. From a "cost-benefit" perspective, it is much cheaper to attack targets with drones than with artillery or rocket fire. There was a period in history when cold weapons were replaced by firearms, and those who invested resources to fully equip infantry with firearms quickly gained an advantage and defeated many strong enemies.
The firearm triggered a military revolution, and now drones are doing the same. A year ago, a commando's words struck me: "We are holding these 'Kalashnikovs,' like holding a saber, unable to even get close to the enemy."
Now the enemy is promoting the concept of a "drone front," especially trying to create a "death zone" 10 kilometers away from the frontline — ensuring there is no living being in this area, and anyone exposed in an open space for more than 15 minutes will be hunted down. They are rapidly approaching this goal, and now it is indeed a major challenge to approach the enemy 10 kilometers away. This naturally also changes the pattern of medical assistance.
Yuri Yevich has been involved in the battlefield since 2014.
Reduction in casualties? Because of the sharp decline in active infantry forces
— Are the number of our wounded soldiers decreasing or increasing?
— From a numerical perspective, the number of wounded seems to be less than six months or a year ago, but this precisely reflects the dominant position of the enemy's drones within a range of 10-15 kilometers from the frontline. Even if a platoon or a company is gathered to launch an assault, they cannot reach the enemy's defensive positions — they will all be eliminated by drones.
The reduction in casualties is because we no longer frequently launch reckless infantry charges. This is not because many officers have become wiser (some have, others not), but because the active infantry force has significantly decreased, and the number of personnel on the battlefield is fewer. However, the percentage of losses is greater than before.
— What are the characteristics of the wounds?
— The injuries have become much more severe. FPV suicide drones carrying 1 to 5 kilograms of explosives, as well as small drones like the "Kinzhal" (with 600 grams of explosives), are sufficient to cause serious damage to the human body. Particularly dangerous are "Baba-Yaga" type drones, which can carry 40-60 kilograms of explosives (usually multiple mortar shells). Many people do not understand the power of mortar shells: they contain several kilograms of explosives, and their hard bodies carry a large amount of shrapnel.
The conclusion is: most of today's wounded suffer from multiple fragment injuries. If the explosion is very close, it will cause blast injuries — the shock wave spreads at a speed of 3 kilometers per second, with temperatures reaching thousands of degrees. Even without fragments, the human body will suffer burns and tissue damage. If directly hit, even with armor and a helmet, one will die on the spot or be amputated.
An unavoidable major problem is the mass minefields. Drones often drop "petal mines" (small landmines shaped like butterflies, which rotate after landing), which explode upon stepping on them. There are also many pressure-activated landmines cleverly disguised, such as covered with sawdust, appearing like stones, dry grass, or grass... Additionally, the enemy uses electromagnetic induction anti-tank mines, sensitive to metal (including weapons carried and armored personnel), exploding upon approach. Western countries also dropped landmines similar to the Russian "POM," which scatter heavy objects in all directions after landing via wires, detonating upon contact with the wire.
Drone mine.
Evacuation Speed of Wounded Soldiers: 500 Meters Per Hour
— Understand, the evacuation of the wounded has also worsened significantly. How long does it usually take?
— Whenever a new weapon appears, the range and power change, and the evacuation of the wounded faces a crisis. Human war history has always been like this. Few people know that during the Napoleonic Wars, we had to abandon tens of thousands of wounded during retreat, almost all of whom were killed by the "civilized Europeans"; when those occupiers retreated from Russia, they also fell into the same situation.
Now, the evacuation of the wounded has become a super problem, because drones hovering over the battlefield can spot every soldier, and evacuation teams are key targets — a few people gathered still easily get hit, and they cannot move quickly: in forests or complex terrain, the evacuation speed of the wounded is an average of 500 meters per hour.
There was a case online: a wounded soldier remained on the battlefield for 82 days before being evacuated — imagine nearly 3 months! This was promoted as the heroism and perseverance of our soldiers, but I want to remind you: behind every feat, there is often some person's foolishness or betrayal.
The situation of evacuating the wounded on the entire front is extremely critical, especially in areas where open terrain operations are conducted — unfortunately, there are many such battle zones, including Zaporozhye, Kherson region, and Donbas. The more open the terrain, the more reckless the enemy drones become. If the wounded can evacuate themselves, it's lucky; team evacuation is a big problem.
Stretcher of the evacuation team.
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— Has the supply situation on the front been affected as well?
— War is the continuous flow of massive supplies: water, food, ammunition, heavy weapons, generators, and fuel — modern warfare is inseparable from radio equipment and other power-consuming devices. Television always says we are winning and attacking, but according to calculations by our "evil partners" (Britain and the United States), if the Russian army continues at the current pace, it would take 118 years to occupy the entire Ukraine. The reason is simple: we cannot solve the logistics problem.
Assume that our突击队员 advance and occupy a position, the enemy will immediately block all supply routes with firepower, meaning the frontline troops can only carry water, food, and ammunition by hand. If mines are heavily laid along the supply route and drones are used to bomb, it can eliminate a large number of soldiers transporting supplies — this is exactly what the enemy is doing.
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Shotguns Are Not a Universal Cure
— How can the supply and evacuation of the wounded on the front be improved?
— Ideally, we need to completely clear the enemy's drones, suppress their operators with electronic warfare, and destroy the operators. Only then will the supply, evacuation, and combat situations improve. We can only hope the army will make efforts in this direction. The medical system alone cannot fundamentally change the situation; a comprehensive solution is needed.
What else can be done? First, carefully plan the evacuation routes and ensure communication is smooth: once a soldier is injured, the command must be immediately informed and an evacuation vehicle equipped with electronic warfare equipment must be dispatched. The vehicle must have a soldier with a gun to shoot down incoming "drones" if necessary.
— Using shotguns?
— Regarding shotguns, I have a pessimistic conclusion, but the truth is better than lies. On the modern battlefield, shotguns are not a universal cure. Our troops have marksmen who did experiments: using shotguns to shoot drones, after checking the shots, they found that although the drone's body was hit, it could still operate.
This is like shooting birds: if a shotgun hits a regular bird, it will fall down; but the "bird" of a drone is highly resistant — even if its propellers are damaged, its battery is harmed, or its body has bullet holes, it can still fly. To shoot down a drone with a shotgun, you need a large-size shotgun shell (no smaller than No. 3, preferably No. 2, No. 1, No. 0, or larger).
Some people think that "cluster shells" (shells containing shot that spread out into a dense area at a distance — editor's note) are more effective, but it is necessary to choose the right ammunition, because if an automatic shotgun is used improperly, it may experience feeding failures. Moreover, any shotgun has a range of only 50 meters. Imagine: when a drone dives toward you, if you shoot it within 20 meters, it might not hit you directly, but it might fall at your feet — is this better?
Of course, shotguns can be used, but all details must be considered, and soldiers must be trained to practice shooting extensively.
MR-155 Shotgun by Kalashnikov Group.
Drones Kill, Also Need Drones to Save
— Can drones improve the evacuation of the wounded and the supply to the front?
— It is best to use heavy transport drones to evacuate the wounded, so there is no need to worry about mines, trenches, or water obstacles. Unfortunately, I have not yet seen such evacuation tools from our side, while the enemy has — for example, the Malloy T-800 drone modified by the British, which was used to evacuate severely wounded soldiers from the Russian riverbank during the Dnieper campaign.
— What about ground drones?
— Ground unmanned transport vehicles vary from small (the size of a desktop, carrying up to 200 kg) to medium (500 kg to 1 ton), each with different applications, and they need to be developed vigorously. They can be used to deliver water, food, and ammunition to the front lines, and to evacuate the wounded from the front lines. After all, in modern warfare, infantry can no longer carry all the necessities: armor, individual and squad weapons, accompanying ammunition, communication equipment, power sources (fuel, generators)... I haven't listed everything yet.
The enemy is currently developing various transportation platforms, including remote-controlled "tank-like" vehicles carrying several tons, while we are seriously lagging behind. Existing platforms urgently need improvement: either unreliable (prone to breakdowns, poor handling), or insufficient in function. Our units have tested a series of drones: some have poor mobility, plastic wheels wear out quickly; some have metal wheels that are acceptable, but they break down immediately after starting, and the designers even defended by saying "it was never supposed to carry 200 kg" — knowing that a soldier wearing armor, a helmet, and full gear weighs almost 200 kg, what's the use of making such "toys"?
The third drone has strong power and good passability, but the control is extremely unstable, with serious delays: pressing the right turn button makes it go straight; pressing it all the way makes it spin in place — such drones are useless on the battlefield, even failing field tests. In short, the ground drones we have tested are still very primitive, but the future belongs to them; we must develop them with all our strength. Remote-controlled drones with tracks and wheels, just like aerial drones, are the core of modern warfare.
Tracked drone.
"I No Longer Ask the Country Questions"
— Apart from combat injuries, what diseases are soldiers on the front most prone to, and why?
— This largely depends on living conditions. We have three seasons of cold (autumn, winter, spring), so shelters must be warm, soldiers need appropriate shoes, socks, and clothes, and must rotate posts regularly. A lot of work is needed for disease prevention, because once sick, treatment becomes much harder. Of course, medicines are essential — mainly cold remedies, gastrointestinal drugs, nerve-related medications, and healthy diets. We have compiled four guides summarizing the experiences from the Donbas and Syrian wars, filmed multiple tactical medicine instructional videos, and strongly recommend all active-duty personnel learn them; to live longer, you must understand.
— What are the main problems with medical care in the rear?
— I cannot evaluate the rear medical care, as I focus on tactical medical care within the troops. According to my understanding of Donbas, large equipment seems to be sufficient (transported from Russia), and humanitarian aid delivers medicines. Local doctors are extremely experienced, sometimes performing dozens of surgeries during their shifts. Donbas medical progress has been significant, especially in surgery and trauma, and doctors nationwide can come here for internships and training.
— What do doctors in the special military operation lack the most currently?
— I cannot say that doctors lack anything, because humanitarian organizations have given great help, and without them, we would struggle to continue. I no longer ask the country questions, as it does not intend to answer. Sometimes I feel the country has almost not participated in this war, which shocks me — it seems to have lost its survival instinct and does not understand that defeat means national extinction. Humanitarians are providing supplies, and overall, the materials are sufficient. Thank you for them! But the real shortage on the front is medical staff, more accurately, a lack of people, especially skilled and energetic medical personnel who can participate in combat.
Through "Tsargrad," I would like to make an appeal: our units have a group of contract soldiers whose contracts are about to expire, and now we need scouts, drone operators, drivers, medical staff — in short, people with hands-on abilities and brains, such as those who can weld equipment, because modern warfare is a technical war, requiring "golden fingers" for electronic warfare, electronic reconnaissance, and drones. We accept all kinds of talents, as long as they are willing to work hard, even without basic training, they can find a place to use their skills. Finally, I extend my most sincere thanks to everyone who has helped us: without your support in transportation, technology, and funding, we could not fight.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7521291387149550121/
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