Ukrainian forces are installing malware into their drones as a new tactic in their ongoing war with Russia. This development adds a cyber warfare layer to a battlefield that has already been impacted by drone technology, Forbes reported.
Russian forces identified Ukrainian drones carrying malware, as evidenced by a video uploaded on social media. According to a Reddit thread that includes the video, this malware performs a variety of disruptive functions, including "burning out the USB port, preventing reflashing, or hijacking the repurposed FPV and revealing the operator location.”
“This tactic highlights how Ukraine is leveraging its strong pre-war information technology sector to counter Russia’s advanced military technologies and strong defense industrial base,” states defense expert Vikram Mittal in his analysis.
The malware serves several strategic objectives. It hinders Russian troops from analyzing seized Ukrainian drones to create countermeasures, prohibits them from repurposing captured technology, and may allow Ukrainian forces to track the whereabouts of Russian drone operators attempting to use captured devices.
“By embedding malware into their drones, Ukrainian developers have found a way to disrupt Russian counter-drone efforts without requiring additional physical resources, a critical advantage given Ukraine’s logistical constraints. This innovation could have broader implications for the war. If successful, Ukraine may begin integrating malware into other electronic systems to limit Russia’s ability to study or reuse them,” Mittal explains.
As drone warfare tactics continue to evolve, the report suggests that this trend would likely lead to a new technological competition between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine's use of malware is expected to spark a new technological competition, similar to what is already happening with Ukrainian and Russian drone technology.
In response, Russia is likely to deploy similar spyware on its drones and equipment, while both sides respond by establishing safety protocols and developing anti-virus software to combat the malware. In response, scientists on both sides will create increasingly powerful malware to circumvent these protections. This continuous cycle of assault and defence will add a new dimension to the fight for drone supremacy.
