Grenades: Key Weapon in Ukraine's Trench Warfare

In Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia, grenades serve as a crucial, often overlooked weapon in trench warfare. Soldiers employ them in intense close-quarters battles within muddy trenches and bunkers, where fighting can occur at arm's length. The war combines advanced technologies like drones with grinding, World War I-era tactics, making grenades indispensable for both Ukrainian and Russian troops.

Veterans describe grenades as vital tools for assaults and reconnaissance, with US and UK-made versions prized among fighters. Their use has evolved, including drops from drones to target bunkers, vehicles, and even tank hatches, as seen in recent footage from the Novopavlivka front. Supplies come from Soviet-era stocks, partner nations like the US—which provided over 500 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades—and domestic production. Shortages have led to careful rationing, with troops scavenging leftovers from rotating units.

A range of grenade types, from fragmentation to smoke, supports various battlefield needs, including evacuations under cover. This conflict highlights lessons for Western militaries unaccustomed to large-scale trench fighting, emphasizing the demand for basic infantry munitions amid ammunition constraints and tactical innovations like 3D-printed components.

Grenades form a standard yet unglamorous element of modern infantry combat, proving essential in Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion.

The battlefield features extensive trench networks, requiring soldiers to seek cover from attack and surveillance drones overhead. Brutal engagements involve defending and capturing these earthworks, often in confined spaces where troops battle at close range.

Ukrainian and Russian forces alike depend on grenades in these muddy trenches and bunkers. Their deployment blends with advanced electronic warfare, reviving World War I-style tactics in a high-tech environment.

Close-Quarters Engagements

A US veteran who fought in Ukraine described hand grenades as essential during trench advances, noting encounters so near that rifles could touch opponents.

Trenches present messy, uneven terrain, complicating captures as defenders know every detail after prolonged occupation. Assaults feel like invading an enemy's entrenched home, filled with hidden turns and nooks.

Veteran Insights and Training Adaptations

A British fighter carried grenades for assault and reconnaissance, viewing US and UK models as highly valued. In the UK-led Operation Interflex training, Lt. Col. Davidson incorporated heavy grenade usage to match Ukrainian practices.

Various grenade types see action, including fragmentation, explosive, flashbang, and chemical variants. Smoke grenades aid evacuations by obscuring visibility, though they risk attracting enemy fire.

Combat footage from Ukrainian units frequently captures grenades in use, such as US volunteers assaulting Russian positions.

Sources of Supply

Ukraine sources grenades from old Soviet-era stocks, partner nations, and domestic manufacturing. The US provided more than 50,000 grenade launchers and small arms, along with over 500,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades, as per a January 2025 Department of Defense update.

Other suppliers contribute similarly, reflecting grenades' centrality to front-line operations. Russia employs them extensively, including in booby traps within trenches and urban areas.

Challenges and Innovations

Shortages impact Ukraine, especially during stalled aid periods. A US veteran recounted instructions to conserve grenades during practice and troops requesting leftovers from departing units to sustain fighting.

Adaptations include drone drops targeting soldiers, bunkers, hideouts, and vehicles. Recent Novopavlivka footage shows a grenade entering a Russian tank hatch, destroying it internally.

Ukrainian engineers 3D-print parts to enhance grenade compatibility with drones and create custom casings filled with explosives. A US Army Colonel noted these methods as dramatically effective.

Grenades have historically supported infantry in conflicts like those in Iraq and Afghanistan, but Ukraine's war elevates their role to levels seen in large-scale attritional battles with mile-long trench systems.

Western forces, unprepared for such extensive trench warfare, now study its demands. Maj. Maguire from Operation Interflex emphasized the massive need for grenades in these messy, dangerous fights.

The conflict demonstrates that even amid high-tech elements, sustained close combat relies on basic weapons like grenades, particularly with shortages and tactical evolutions. Ukraine's experiences offer critical insights as Europe monitors risks of wider escalation, prompting reevaluations of infantry munitions and trench combat strategies.

In conclusion, grenades remain a proven lifeline, bridging traditional and innovative warfare to sustain Ukraine's defense against invasion.