For about nine months now, the German government has been obeying the communication guidelines demanded by Chancellor Friedrich Merz and only provides information about its own military support for Ukraine in exceptional cases.
Among other things, this practice makes it considerably more difficult to evaluate the scale and quality of the assistance provided professionally, with the result that new deliveries often only become visible when the equipment is used on the front lines and images and videos are shared by the units on social media and then documented by journalistic projects such as GAU.
This is also the case here. Images recently published on Facebook now suggest that Vector drones from the German manufacturer Quantum Systems are now being used by the 24th Mechanized Brigade, which is currently operating in the Chasiv Yar area.
The Vector UAV is a state-of-the-art eVTOL reconnaissance drone originally manufactured in Germany, which is already being used effectively by the Ukrainian Armed Forces since the first months of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has since become an integral part of various Ukrainian units.
For some time now, Quantum Systems’ reconnaissance drones have also been manufactured directly on site in Ukraine.
The Vector is known for example for its use in the Battle of the Siverskyi Donets. In May 2022, Russian units attempted to cross the Siverskyi Donets using several pontoon bridges in order to intervene decisively in the battle for the city of Lyman, which was already heavily contested at the time.
Thanks also to the use of the comparatively very modern Vector reconnaissance drones, it was possible to detect not only the bridges, but also Russian supply movements and troop concentrations, even in the midst of intensive use of Russian smoke grenades.
The information was passed on to Ukrainian artillery units, which in turn heavily shelled the area.
Depending on the source, a total of between 500 and 1,500 Russian soldiers died over several days, while at least 50 armoured vehicles were completely destroyed or had to be abandoned.
The Vector in the 24th Mechanized Brigade
In the 24th Mechanized Brigade, the Vector UAV is used for artillery reconnaissance, as in the example mentioned above.
Very simply put, Ukrainian drone pilots use the Vector to search their area of operation for enemy positions, logistical vehicles, weapon systems such as artillery pieces and other targets, and usually pass on the respective coordinates to their own artillery regiment.
In this case, these would include artillery systems such as the M109L or 2S22 Bohdana, which can typically engage targets effectively at a range of around 40 kilometres.
During the shelling, the Vector remains in the operational area, allowing Ukrainian drone pilots not only to assess the damage to the target, but also to correct the shelling if necessary.
It is not known how many of Quantum Systems’ drones the 24th Mechanized Brigade is currently using. Nor is it known who is responsible for the delivery.
Although it is quite possible that the drone was supplied to the Ukrainian brigade as part of Germany’s military assistance – after all, more than 700 Vector drone systems financed by Germany were delivered to Ukraine by June 2025 alone – the brigade could also have procured the drone via the BRAVE1 marketplace or other channels.
Ukrainian units can use the marketplace to purchase military equipment with “e-points”, which they can earn through military operations and achievements.
A complete Vector drone system, consisting of three reconnaissance drones and all the equipment required for operation and easy maintenance on site, currently costs the equivalent of around €262,000 there.
Quantum Systems recently announced that the Vector was awarded third place for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) systems at the “Army of Drones 2025” event due to its outstanding performance in the BRAVE1 marketplace.
It is therefore not unlikely that the brigade itself made independent direct purchases.
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