The Economist explains

How will mines dropped by drones change warfare?

They make attacks on tanks more precise and troops easier to trap

A destroyed Russian tank sits on a roadside near the town of Sudzha, Ukraine
Photograph: AP

LAST YEAR Ukraine’s elite “Birds of Magyar” drone unit tried a new tactic. Instead of dropping bombs, they placed mines on roads behind enemy lines at night. Russian military social media lit up with warnings and reports of casualties. A Russian map showed that every part of the 72km of roads around Krynky, near Kherson in southern Ukraine, had been mined. How effective could minelaying by drones become?

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