Let’s take a deeper look into drone warfare and the long-term changes it is bringing to the battlefield. How is Ukraine countering Russian drone attacks? How is it developing systems of drone interceptors? Are we moving toward a future where drones will fight other drones? And what skills must our societies cultivate to prepare for this new reality?

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The “Explaining Ukraine” podcast is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine.

Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine

Support: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld

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Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.

Guest: Taras Tymochko, a consultant at Come Back Alive (Povernys zhyvym), one of Ukraine’s most prominent charitable foundations supporting the military and veterans since 2014. Taras coordinates the foundation’s project “Dronopad”—“the fall of drones”—which aims to develop a system of interceptor drones for the Ukrainian army to take down as many Russian drones as possible.

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SUPPORT:

You can support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld.

We rely on your contributions to keep UkraineWorld going.

You can also help finance our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we assist both civilians and soldiers. Donations are welcome via PayPal: [email protected]

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CONTENTS:

00:00 Taras Tymochko, "Come Back Alive" Foundation Consultant, "Dronefall" Project Lead.

02:15 How did drones eliminate the traditional front line?

03:10 “Kill zone”: a wide space between the two armies in which soldiers on both sides are extremely vulnerable because of the drones.

04:35 Comparing Russian and Ukrainian drone capabilities

06:03 Dronefall Project: producing interceptor drones

12:47 Why do cheap interceptors defeat expensive missiles?

18:02 AI on Battlefield: How close are we to autonomous interceptor drones?

21:21 How new interceptor divisions are created in Ukraine's forces

26:49 How Ukraine counters fiber optic drones

29:39 The future war: the role of drones vs. infantry

33:13 Starlink: advantages, vulnerabilities, and alternatives in communication

37:54 Why is "battlefield experience" so important?

42:57 What "battlefield-tested" quality means