Protection of Trains from Drones: Why Electronic Warfare is Not a Panacea for Railways.

According to ТСН: Russian troops continue to deliberately attack railway infrastructure in Ukraine, trying to destroy logistics chains. However, the idea of equipping each train with electronic warfare (EW) systems has proven to be technically complex and ineffective.

Why EW is Not a Panacea

Sergeant of the drone battalion "Inquisition" of the 59th OMBR Oleksandr Karpyuk explained that EW is not a "magic button" but consists of complex systems. To effectively jam a modern drone, one needs to know the frequencies it operates on and have the right equipment.

"To jam modern drone communication modules... a few vehicles are needed. A radio electronic intelligence (REI) post is required that understands the frequencies the modem is hopping to, how it operates, and what kind of interference to apply," Karpyuk explained.

Only after analyzing the frequencies can the operator effectively "suppress" the enemy drone. Simply installing a jamming generator on the roof of a carriage is not sufficient.

"You cannot deploy EW units on every train. Unfortunately, we simply do not have enough of them," the military noted.

What is the Way Out of the Situation

Oleksandr Karpyuk emphasizes that instead of defending trains individually, the overall air defense system needs to be improved, taking into account the existing "gaps" within it.

"We need to better protect the line, we need to close those gaps through which they fly. They need to be shot down better. We are working on this," explained Oleksandr Karpyuk.

The Enemy's Goal - Terror and Destruction of the Economy

The military also stressed that attacks on railway transport and other civilian infrastructure pursue not only military goals.

"They attack warehouses of farms with medicines... they attack hospitals. Their goal is, firstly, the terror of the civilian population. Secondly, it is the destruction of our economy, not just the military," Oleksandr Karpyuk summed up.

Russian forces are actively trying to disrupt the logistics route "Kyiv–Kovel", focusing on attacks on trains, depots, and bridges. The control of drones is likely being carried out from the territory of Belarus.

These attacks on infrastructure threaten not only the military but also the civilian component of Ukrainian society. It is crucial to understand the scale of the threat, which necessitates enhanced efforts to strengthen the defense system and improve the effectiveness of responses to the consequences of enemy actions.