Ukraine's Drone-Coordinated Mortar Units Increasingly Effective At Targeting Russians

Ukraine's mobile mortar units, their effectiveness enhanced by drones and coordinated with targeting software, are an increasingly powerful threat to Russian forces exposed either in the open or in trenches without sufficient cover or artillery support. JL

Jason Bellini reports in Scripps and Davit Kachkachishvili reports in Andalou Ajani:

Their boom may be smaller than artillery, but their impact is large. Portability is especially important in a war in which Ukraine’s infantry is forced to move by foot. "We can move very fast with mortars and change our position." (And) with drones, we can estimate the success of our combat operations. "If 30% in the unit which we attacked is dead or injured, that means this unit cannot go forward and our work was successful." Ukrainian mortar units using Mod. 63 120mm mortars produced in Italy can hit a target up to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) away. A team of at least three or four people is needed to operate the mortar.

The commander of a Ukrainian mortar platoon, whose call sign is "Witch," barks orders to her drone operator, whose call sign is "User," on the southern edge of Bakhmut.

"User, don't zoom in so much," Witch states.

 She needs User to give her eyes on the target so she can tell Pidsumky, one of her mortar operators, that it’s time.

"Pidsumky Fire!" Witch orders. 

In rare footage from inside her command bunker, where she uses drone footage to direct her mortar teams, we see her eyes focused on the monitor, watching and waiting for impact.

"It's coming down on the edge of the forest," Witch says.

She recalibrates for the next volley from her battlefield bunker, in a rare view of how Ukrainians on the ground and below it fight the counteroffensive.

"Our main occupation is to defend our infantry, to make the fire in front of our front line of infantry," said Witch.

Scripps News met up with Witch, a Ukrainian lawyer-turned-warrior, in Chasiv Yar, a battle-scarred village six miles from Bakhmut, jolted 24-7 by the sound of outgoing Ukrainian artillery.

Jason Bellini: We were just hearing a howitzer right there.

Witch: That's a big howitzer.

Witch directs fire at the Russians from much closer; that’s the marvel of mortars.

Their boom may be smaller than artillery, but their impact is especially large.

That portability is especially important in a war in which Ukraine’s infantry is forced to move by foot.

Since tanks and other heavy armor would be caught in Russian minefields and artillery traps.

 

"We can move very fast with mortar, and we can change our position and we can give a fire from different places," said Witch.

Sometimes she plays defense.

"With our drones, we can see the corpses of our enemies, and we can count them, and we can estimate the success of our combat operations," said Witch.

But how successful has she been?

"If 30% of our enemy in the unit which was attacked us is dead or injured, that means this unit cannot go forward. That means our work was successful," she explains.

Now in Ukraine’s counteroffensive, infantry units count on Witch to provide them with their only cover since there is no air support.

Witch: The work on attack is harder.

Bellini: Harder? Why?

Witch: It's more complicated because we are moving forward and we have to be closer to our infantry units. And there is not a lot of firing positions.

Bellini: Not a lot of firing positions?

Witch: This is not so easy because our ammo is very heavy.

Bellini: And of course, the Russians are targeting you.

Witch: Of course, we are the main target for Russians. It's my job. I like it.

Bellini: What do you like about it?

Witch: Now for me, it's a time of revenge.

Bellini: Time for revenge?

Witch: Exactly.

Bellini: Have you been getting revenge?

Witch: Yes. Step by step, but we're moving forward.

Bellini: I have to ask, your call sign, "Witch"?

Witch: I promise I will tell about the story of all of this after the war because it is dangerous to talk about it now.

Bellini: You've got me really intrigued.

Witch: All will be uncovered when the war will stop. I promise. 

Ukrainian mortar units in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region fired at Russian positions from short range on the frontlines as intense fighting between Moscow and Kyiv continued. 

"We are repelling the all-out attacks launched by Russia against us. We protect our positions and support the advances made by our infantry," Ukrainian soldier, codenamed Riki, told Anadolu.

Riki, who serves in the 65th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said they protect the infantry while the infantry protects them, indicating that everyone on the frontline was working in a coordinated manner.

Expressing that his team used Mod. 63 120mm mortars produced in Italy, Riki said it was possible to hit a target up to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) away and a team of at least three or four people is needed to operate the mortar.

A Ukrainian captain, codenamed Jupiter, said mortar ammunition has decreased due to their heavy use and that they are waiting for help with mortar ammunition.

He said they generally fire at Russian infantry, but also recently fired on a tank that was trying to attack them.

"The Mod. 63 mortar is a very suitable weapon to carry. Today, we fired at a target approximately 1,900 meters (1.1 miles) away," said Jupiter.

He also said the mobility of the Russian army in the Zaporizhzhia front has increased recently, adding it is struggling to advance and that the number of Russian infantry and armored vehicles has increased.