Western experts say Ukraine is updating its combat tactics to trap Russian forces on the battlefield.
Ukrainian forces are installing malware on their drones as a new tactic in their protracted war with Russia, according to Forbes.
The move adds a cyber warfare element to a battlefield that has been dramatically transformed by drone technology. Cyber warfare has been described as a “non-battery front,” meaning it does not cause direct casualties but has serious indirect consequences.
According to Forbes, the Russian military discovered that Ukrainian UAVs contained malware. According to the source, the malware can perform a variety of destructive functions, including “burning out USB ports, preventing software from being reloaded, or taking control of a captured FPV UAV and revealing the location of its operator.”
Ukraine Uses Malware in UAVs to Counter Russia’s Military Edge in the Ongoing Technology Race
As the war in Ukraine continues, the country is leveraging its pre-war IT industry to challenge Russia’s military dominance and advanced defense systems. According to Forbes contributor Vikram Mittal, Ukraine’s innovative use of malware in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is a strategic maneuver to neutralize Russia’s technological superiority.
The malware embedded in the UAVs serves multiple crucial objectives: hindering Russia’s ability to analyze and develop countermeasures against captured UAVs, preventing Moscow from reusing the equipment, and potentially even allowing Ukraine to track Russian soldiers attempting to operate the captured drones.
Mittal explains, “By integrating malware into UAVs, Ukrainian engineers have found a way to sabotage Russia’s anti-UAV efforts without requiring additional material resources. This provides a significant advantage, especially given Ukraine’s limited logistics.”
This tactic is of high strategic significance in the ongoing race for dominance in unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The threat of UAV malware could force Russia to implement stronger cybersecurity measures, thereby slowing down its ability to develop effective anti-UAV systems and hindering its technological research. This could impact Russia’s overall military effectiveness in the war.
Moreover, the malware could prevent Russia from reusing captured UAVs, for example, by making the hard drive inoperable. Even if Russia attempts to repair or reuse the drone, Ukraine could deploy other variants of the malware, potentially retaking control of the UAV and tracking the location of a new operator. Such risks could discourage Russia from reusing captured Ukrainian drones, a significant setback given the scarcity of resources on both sides and the value of reusing military equipment.
According to Forbes, this malware strategy could pave the way for broader cyber warfare tactics by Ukraine. Mittal notes, “If successful, Ukraine could begin installing malware into other electronic systems to prevent Russia from studying or reusing captured military equipment.”
This initiative could trigger a new technological arms race between Ukraine and Russia, similar to the ongoing escalation in UAV tactics. As both nations develop more sophisticated malware and enhanced defense systems, this cat-and-mouse game in cyber warfare could redefine the future of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tactics.
