Russia may be counting on a quick and relatively bloodless (on their side) victory as the only acceptable outcome of a conflict with Ukraine. Putting drones rather than crewed aircraft on the front line eliminates the risk of losing pilots, but Russia has lacked the weaponry to make its drone fleet into an effective strike force – until now.
In recent conflicts — notably in Nagorno-Karabakh, Libya and Syria — Russia-backed forces have taken a beating from Turkish-made TB2 Bayraktar drones firing MAM-L laser-guided missiles. Now Russia is seeking similar capabilities with a new arsenal of drone weapons, ranging from substantial Hellfire-sized weapons to submunitions small enough for a quadcopter.
Source : New Russian Drone Weapons Threaten Ukraine’s Air Defenses And Tanks