In the "death zone" on the front in Ukraine, life depends on drones. Any careless movement usually ends in death. Drones are chasing and killing soldiers like game. What is happening near Pokrovsk.
The "death zone" in Ukraine is ruled by drones. The area along the front is so dangerous that the Russian spring offensive has practically been stopped because Russia has already suffered too many casualties here.
"They are aware that they can be killed or injured here very quickly, and en masse", military expert Nico Lange told DW. Could a similar zone with drones also be successfully defended by other countries? against Russia's aggressive behavior? "The countries on NATO's eastern flank should think about how to increase their combat power," says expert Lange in response.
Extremely dangerous for both people and equipment
The "death zone" extends on both sides of the front - a perimeter of between 20 and 30 km, which is completely devastated. Cheap drones are mainly used, but they cause enormous damage.
Satellite photos of the occupied city of Pokrovsk do not show many soldiers - because they can only move under cover. There are almost no tanks or other vehicles either - drones can detect and destroy them all too easily. As DW correspondent Nick Connolly explains, soldiers can only reach about 15 km from the front by transport – then they have to continue on foot to their positions.
A Ukrainian soldier said that on the way back from the front, two drones exploded just a meter apart. "The situation was completely unpredictable. The Russian scouts were already close to us. We were trying to walk under the protection of the trees the whole time. We left at dawn and arrived only in the evening," he said.
"The "Death Zone" on both sides of the front covers a strip 50-60 km wide and 1,200 km long. In this area, conducting large-scale conventional operations is very difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, it is debatable whether an offensive can be carried out or a breakthrough can be achieved. “There are no longer massive tank attacks like at the beginning of the war. They were not particularly effective then, and they are not at all now. Russian soldiers move mainly in small groups on foot, with ATVs or motorcycles, even on horseback - are trying to cross the zone. The war in Ukraine is practically already made up of many such mini-battles", says Nick Connolly from his personal impressions.
The footage from Pokrovsk is now devoid of triumph
Russia claims that after years of fighting it has finally taken Pokrovsk - however, the city is still in the "death zone". The DW reporter also says something else: "At the beginning of the war, there were many shots of the Russian flag over Ukrainian cities, which were broadcast on television and staged with great pomp. However, now there are various clips of Russian units with high-ranking guests from Moscow running through the ruins of Pokrovsk and holding a flag, but they are not able to raise it without constantly looking around".
In the meantime, it is significant It is more difficult to hold territory. And a city is only truly under control when the enemy is 30, 40 km away.
The so-called death zones have at least one advantage for Ukraine - they allow it to more easily recruit soldiers. It is much easier to convince people to become drone pilots than to fight as infantry on the front line.
"The balance of power is shifting in favor of Ukraine"
But is the war in Ukraine becoming unpredictable for Russia because of such zones and can it lead to peace talks? Military expert Nico Lange says: “Vladimir Putin intends to continue the war, but is changing the way it is waged. Russia now has to reckon with attacks on its territory, and it also has financial problems. It may also have to resort to more aggressive methods of recruiting soldiers. It needs more soldiers, but it cannot afford them. Therefore, in my opinion, the balance of power is slowly shifting in favor of Ukraine and on the Russian side it leads to a dilemma as to how the war should be continued. As I said - Putin categorically intends to continue it, even if it becomes more deadly and leads to the loss of more and more soldiers. We should not have any illusions in this regard“.
A lot also depends on the behavior of US President Donald Trump, who has already stopped providing intelligence information to Ukraine once. The possible shutdown of the “Starlink“ satellite network could also become a problem. That is why Ukraine is developing its own network for the “death zone”.
As Nick Connolly explains, the Ukrainians have collected most of the information through their reconnaissance drones that patrol the front lines. They are collected in a platform called “Delta“, which processes it to show commanders on the ground what is happening, where they have what resources and what the Russian side has. Then, artificial intelligence is used to make predictions about what Russia might do based on past experience.
Ukraine is becoming less and less dependent on Trump's decisions
Ukraine also has another advantage: it can buy the technologies it needs on the world market and assemble them locally, i.e. it does not depend on Trump's permits or on the slow acceleration of defense industry production in Europe. Ukraine can provide itself with what it needs in a timely manner and try to be more innovative than the Russian side – it can rely on technology and know-how from all over the world.
However, can Ukraine "export" the "death zone" model to other countries that feel threatened by Russia? "This is a legitimate method of intimidation. To do this, it needs certain military capabilities, including affordable ammunition, guided missiles and drones. Equally important is the presence of highly developed electronic warfare. Something like this is needed especially in the Baltic countries and everywhere on the eastern flank," says Nico Lange.
The military expert believes that countries with dangerous neighbors should be prepared for acts of brutality. And if necessary, to build "death zones" along their borders.