The Security Service of Ukraine has developed and is implementing a unique methodology for using unmanned systems to effectively destroy the enemy and its equipment on the battlefield, military installations in russia’s deep rear and to counter reconnaissance drones.

The SSU Head Vasyl Maliuk spoke about this at the Ukraine. Year 2025 forum.

‘The SSU is successfully using unmanned technologies – at sea, on the front line and beyond it, behind enemy lines. At one time, the President of Ukraine set us a task, and we developed a methodology and tactics to use unmanned aerial systems. Now we have professional operators and means for every distance,’ said Vasyl Maliuk.

On the frontline, the distances for drone operations are: up to 20 km, 20 to 40 km, 40 to 80 km, 80 and 120 km. To hit military targets at a distance over 120 km, the SSU launches long-range drones.

In the depths of russian territory, the SSU, together with other units of the Defence Forces, has hit 48 ammunition depots, weapons arsenals, airfields with military aircraft, etc. A separate area is the disruption of oil production and oil refining industries, which directly fund russia’s ministry of defence to continue the war in Ukraine. It is this fact that makes Ukrainian attacks on enemy refineries working for the russian military-industrial complex different from russia’s missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy sector, which are acts of genocide against civilian population.

According to the SSU Chief, russian oil refineries and production companies suffered multibillion-dollar losses, including lost profits, as a result of the drone strikes.

Vasyl Maliuk also said that the Security Service has found an effective countermeasure to russian reconnaissance drones – Zala, Supercam, Orlan, Lancet. Now these UAVs worth USD 100,000 each can be destroyed by Ukrainian FPV drones costing USD 700.

‘There were days when we shot down over 20 reconnaissance drones a day in Kursk sector. That is, where the enemy has ‘great know-how’, we simply find a key to solving these problems,’ Vasyl Maliuk commented.

The SSU Head also reminded that last year the Defence Forces prevented russia from restoring its dominance in the Black Sea. In particular, the Security Service improved and transformed its maritime drones into multi-purpose platforms that can carry machine guns, FPV drones and other equipment, as well as carry out remote mining.

‘I’ll give you an example: one of the recent missions, when we hit a russian barge transporting military equipment in the Kerch Bay. For two-thirds of the 700-kilometre journey, we were in constant fire contact with enemy aircraft. But they could not get close and destroy us because our systems were working, including AI,’ said Vasyl Maliuk.

In addition to the frontline work, the SSU is fighting against the internal enemy and preventing russia’s intelligence and sabotage activities.

Over the past three years, the SSU has dismantled 102 agent networks and opened more than 3,000 criminal proceedings for high treason.

‘The operational situation is generally under control, but everything depends on our unity. We have to understand that now is a very crucial time: we have to accumulate all the experience, persevere in the coming weeks and months, and show the appropriate results,’ the SSU Head summed up.