Ukraine warns Russia has built metal-cutting drones to topple its power grid

Ukraine's military intelligence service has warned that Russia has developed drones with explosive charges in their wings, designed to cut through metal and bring down the country's power grid. This type of drone is intended to cause significant damage to existing power infrastructure, which would require days to repair. While it is unlikely to collapse the entire grid, it could result in blackouts in regions near the front line.

Russia is reportedly targeting Ukraine's power infrastructure with these drones as part of the ongoing asymmetrical conflict. The conflict has taken many twists and turns since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with both sides adapting their tactics to gain an advantage. The use of drones to target civilian infrastructure is becoming increasingly common, as both sides seek to maximize economic damage.

The explosive charges are placed on the wings of the drones, which could cause maximum damage if embedded in a high-voltage tower. This type of drone uses mature and unglamorous engineering, and it is unclear whether Ukraine will face a significant threat from this type of drone during the upcoming winter.