Ukraine Details New Russian Tactics: Tankless Assaults, Small Groups of Soldiers in the ‘Kill Zone’

Ukrainian Armed Forces Joint Forces Command spokesperson Viktor Trehubov has detailed how Russian assault tactics have changed over the past year: troops now attack in very small groups, even alone, to cross the “kill zone” where drones strike them mercilessly.

According to Trehubov, soldiers in small groups, or those acting alone, who manage to cross the “kill zone” hide and wait for others to join them, before planning further attacks in more organized groups.

He explained that the march between the rear line and the front line has become more deadly than ever because of the advancement of drones on both sides. Both sides are now reducing the size of assault groups so that drones can spot them as difficult as possible.

The dominance of drones has made heavy equipment, such as tanks, a rare sight on the battlefield. With the “kill zone” now reaching 20 kilometers (12.4 miles), Russia has mostly stopped using tanks or other heavy equipment for assaults.

Drones have replaced many of the roles of tanks, since a tank approaching the front is easily spotted and destroyed by much cheaper drones. Ukrainian mechanized brigades told the “Kyiv Independent” earlier that their tank crews are rarely deployed in the current phase of the war, which is dominated by drones.

Trehubov said on television that tanks have moved “not only to second place, but to the third row.” The only exceptions are cases when Russia can secure “massive drone support” to send tanks into the kill zone, or when weather — rain or fog — prevents Ukrainian drones from flying.

The statements were given to the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform and were reported by the “Kyiv Independent” on September 20, 2026.

Source: The Kyiv Independent