C-UAS in Mariupol: FPV Drones vs. Steel Factory

March 18 – May 20, 2022: The Battle of Mariupol stands as one of the most grueling urban sieges in modern history. At its epicenter: the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works, a sprawling 11-square-kilometer complex that became the final redoubt for approximately 2,000–2,500 Ukrainian defenders. This 'steel fortress' epitomized the challenges of Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT), where verticality, subterranean spaces, and civilian proximity amplify every tactical decision.

Force Packages

Ukrainian Defenders: Limited to man-portable Stinger MANPADS for high-altitude threats; improvised C-UAS via small arms (PKM, AK-74) and electronic warfare (EW) jammers scavenged from commercial gear. Russian Attackers: Early reliance on Orlan-10 ISR drones; Lancet loitering munitions. By April, FPV swarms (7–13 inch quadcopters, $400–$1,000 each) armed with RPG-7 warheads, piloted via VR goggles for real-time control.

Outcome

Azovstal held for 64 days, inflicting ~4,000 Russian casualties and destroying 100+ vehicles. Ukrainian surrender on May 20 after ammo depletion; ~2,400 POWs. Drone toll: FPVs claimed dozens of Ukrainian positions, but C-UAS adaptations (nets, decoys) mitigated ~40–60% of strikes. Broader impact: Mariupol's fall enabled Russia's Sea of Azov land bridge but at pyrrhic cost – 90% city destruction, 10,000+ civilian deaths.

Russian FPV Onslaught: The Sky as a Force Multiplier

FPV drones emerged as Russia's asymmetric equalizer. Unlike high-altitude jets vulnerable to MANPADS, FPVs loitered low (50–200m), weaving through rebar skeletons to deliver pinpoint strikes. Key TTPs: Swarm Saturation (5–10 FPVs per target), Vertical Exploitation (high-rise launches), EW-Resistant Piloting (fiber-optic prototypes), Night Ops Integration (IR-equipped FPVs). By mid-April, FPVs accounted for ~30% of confirmed Ukrainian losses in the plant.

Ukrainian C-UAS Improvisations: Layered Defenses

Outnumbered and outgunned, Ukrainian forces improvised a layered C-UAS posture. Kinetic (Hard Kill): Small arms fire (12.7mm DShK), nets over bunkers (20–30% intercept rate). Electronic (Soft Kill): Commercial jammers disrupted 2.4GHz FPV links (60% jam rate). Passive/Camouflage: Thermal blankets, sewer exfils (reduced detection 70%). ISR Counter: Modified Mavics for anti-drone patrols. Standout Adaptation: 'Drone traps' – bait vehicles with IR strobes drawing FPVs into shotgun kill zones, downing 15+ drones in one week.

Modern Echoes: From Azovstal to 2025 Battlefields

Azovstal 2022: FPV swarms vs. bunkers, basic nets/jammers, commercial EW vs. 2.4GHz. Bakhmut 2023: Lancet + FPV integration, EW pods on vehicles, swarming to defeat jammers. Pokrovsk 2025: Fiber-optic FPVs (60km range), AI cueing, mothership Orlans carry 2x FPVs. Core Lesson: In urban drone warfare, the sky is the new front – control it or bleed out block by block.