Reflecting on History: Ukraine now Utilizes an Ancient Method to Disrupt Russian Logistics
The Russians are facing a new threat behind the front line: tire-popping metal obstacles called caltrops dropped by drones.
It is an ingenious new use of a very old weapon, which is causing problems for Russia’s already overstretched last-mile supply chain by halting vehicles so they can be hit by bomber drones.
Ukrainian drones are strewing the roads with four-pointed metal weapons designed so that whichever way they fall, one point is always upwards.
The name caltrop comes from the Latin for ‘heel trapper;’ the Romans also called them murex ferreus or ‘jagged iron,’ but they go back even further. Caltrops can be dated at least to 313 BC when Alexander the Great’s army used them against Persian cavalry.
In the 20th century the caltrop made a comeback for attacking rubber tires. During WWII American O.S.S. mass produced caltrops and distributed them to European resistance fighters.
Simpler and more reliable than explosives, they could be scattered on roads to stop German vehicles, either as harassment or as a prelude to an ambush.
Drones which can deliver payloads with precision are an obvious match for caltrops. A Chinese company showing off a new caltrop-dropping drone at a military expo in 2019.
While the Ukrainians went through a flurry of caltrop-making in 2022, these were larger versions which were mainly emplaced by hand. They have not been seen much until recently pictures emerged on social media.
One Russian blogger complained: “The enemy keeps coming up with new nasty things. Not only do they drop mines from the drones, but they literally cover dangerous sections of frontline roads with spikes. "
“For safety reasons we have to literally ‘fly through’ these areas and our vehicles.… drive at the maximum possible speed. And imagine what happens to a car when two (or more) wheels are immediately punctured by its spikes.”
