Ukrainians are eavesdropping on the invaders and broadcasting on their frequencies, inflicting heavy losses on the occupiers. Ukrainians are also jamming enemy radio broadcasts with heavy metal, writes The Economist.
According to military analyst Thomas Withington, problems with Russian radio communications could also cause significant losses among Russiaʼs top command.
Modern military-class radios encrypt signals and change the frequency at which the military operates many times per second, making interception almost impossible. However, Russian troops do not have modern technology and communicate on unencrypted high-frequency (HF) channels. It allows this communication to be overheard even from amateur radio stations. Therefore, Ukrainians have the opportunity to exchange data about Russian military radio frequencies among themselves, eavesdrop on Russian, analyze their broadcasts and even jam them.
In addition, old radio stations can be tracked with a direction finder. There are reports about Ukrainians "bombarding" frequencies used by Russian troops with heavy metal music even during combat. NATO aircraft flying near Ukraineʼs western border also have access to Russian troopsʼ radio signals. In addition, the West plans to provide Ukraine with more equipment to locate, intercept and block Russian communications.
Russiaʼs walkie-talkies are too simple to conduct coordinated operations. Therefore, it is poor radio communication, according to Withington, that forces Russian generals to personally coordinate the army and put themselves at risk on the battlefield.