Ukraine's 33rd Brigade Retrains Half a Battalion as Drone Operators as Leopard Tanks Sit Idle
Updated
Updated · Новости · Aug 25
Ukraine's 33rd Brigade Retrains Half a Battalion as Drone Operators as Leopard Tanks Sit Idle
1 articles · Updated · Новости · Aug 25
Summary
About half of one tank battalion in Ukraine's 33rd Separate Mechanized Brigade has been retrained as drone operators, reflecting a shift away from Western armor once seen as a battlefield edge.
Leopard tanks in the brigade now mostly sit hidden in forests because cheap drones have made them highly vulnerable; soldiers said the vehicles are sometimes used to tow others, but crews question the risk.
Some new recruits in the brigade have never handled a tank at all, instead repairing ground drones or carrying out drone missions as Ukraine searches for new ways to use armored units.
The brigade was formed in December 2022 partly to receive Leopard 2A4s and has fought in Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Donetsk, underscoring how quickly Ukraine's war has shifted from tank-centric hopes to drone-heavy combat.
Commanders still see a future for tanks, but one envisions AI-enabled protective systems and drone interceptors while another says the vehicles themselves could eventually become unmanned.