Operation Decapitation: Ukraine Strikes All Russian Pokrovsk HQs At Once

Not that the results of almost four years of war against Ukraine suggest that leadership is one of the Russian military's strengths, but wiping out most of the Russian headquarters managing the Pokrovsk front is bound to cause confusion and delay for a top-down organization like the Kremlin's army. JL

RFU News reports:

As Russia had begun a massive regrouping, pulling in reinforcements from across its stagnating offensives to feed the fight for Pokrovsk, Ukraine struck a decisive blow. By launching a massive wave of coordinated strikes, the Ukrainian forces crippled three major command posts and eliminated dozens of high-ranking officers, completely beheading and halting the Russian offensive. These three strikes, occurring within minutes of each other, stunned Russian defenses, as eyewitnesses described anti-aircraft fire tracing the sky only after the missiles had already hit. The strikes were carried out by the jet-propelled cruise missile-style drones, with a range of 700 kilometers at speeds up to 700 kilometers an hour.

Today, there are interesting updates from Donetsk.

Here, as Russia had begun a massive regrouping, pulling in reinforcements from across its stagnating offensives to feed the fight for Pokrovsk, Ukraine struck a decisive blow. By launching a massive wave of coordinated strikes, the Ukrainian forces crippled three major command posts and eliminated dozens of high-ranking officers, completely beheading and halting the Russian offensive.

Currently Russian forces are undergoing a massive redeployment to reinforce and intensify the offensive towards Pokrovsk, while sacrificing several of their other offensives in the process. Ukrainian intelligence, however, left no movement unnoticed and tracked almost every Russian convoy.

From hacked traffic cameras in the Russian rear, partisans reporting on troop trains, to deep reconnaissance by drones, Ukraine followed enemy columns across roads and tree lines. As you remember, loitering munitions already struck Russian troop movements en route, ensuring that even before reaching the front, Russia’s reinforcements were being bled dry.

Ukrainians stepped up their efforts by using one of the newest missiles in its arsenal, to strike Russian command headquarters and behead all enemy efforts. The centerpiece of Ukraine’s counter was a massive precision strike operation, with the first salvo slamming into the Topaz plant, once a Soviet electronics hub and now a command post for the Russian army. At least five Peklo jet-powered drone missiles were caught on multiple geolocated videos, before detonating in near-simultaneous strikes. Flames engulfed several buildings, with further images showing smoke clouds rising above the site.

A second strike, smaller but just as targeted, destroyed the command hub of the 41st Russian Combined Arms Army within the Research Institute of Complex Automation, where Russia had been directing operations in central Donetsk.

Finally, another wave of Ukrainian long-range drones hit the command post of the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division inside an industrial zone, demolishing the nerve center of one of Russia’s key forces attacking west of Donetsk.

These three strikes, occurring within minutes of each other, stunned Russian defenses, as eyewitnesses described anti-aircraft fire tracing the sky only after the missiles had already hit. The Russian Ministry of Defensе claimed that dozens of Ukrainian drones had been intercepted across western Russia but made no mention of Donetsk itself. Yet the reality was clear: Ukrainian precision firepower had ripped through multiple headquarters complexes, with Osint analysts confirming the hits were all crucial to Russia’s ongoing attempt to push toward Pokrovsk.

The weapons Ukraine used underscored its growing independence in long-range warfare, analysis of flight profiles and impact videos revealed the distinct silhouette and attack pattern of Ukraine’s Peklo drone missiles. Propeller-driven drones may have scouted the targets, but the strikes themselves were carried out by the jet-propelled cruise missile-style drones, with a range of 700 kilometers at speeds up to 700 kilometers an hour.

Developed domestically with 70 percent Ukrainian components, Peklo entered serial production with a target output of 100 pieces per month. With a warhead of 50 kilograms, it is designed to destroy hardened targets while overwhelming Russian air defenses, proving itself once again in the latest strike on Donetsk city.

The result on the Russian offensive is immediate, with key headquarters destroyed, the Russian chain of command has become fractured, and communications from army leaders to units on the ground has been disrupted. Many officers familiar with the battle plans have been killed, as similar cases in the past show that such strikes cause paralysis within Russian military organization: replacement officers need time to familiarize themselves with the battlefield and plan of attack, slowing decision-making and halting planned assaults. The timing also matters: meteorologists state that autumn rains are expected to commence the mud season by the end of September, threatening to bog down movements and choke supply lines. With their headquarters in flames and their commanders gone, Russia’s chances of reigniting momentum at Pokrovsk appear grim.

Overall, Ukraine’s wave of strikes has effectively cut off the head of the Russian offensive at Pokrovsk by demolishing enemy headquarters. Reportedly, senior Russian generals were killed whose identities are being clarified, but even the disruption alone forces Russia into crisis mode.

For Ukraine, the operation showcased the strength of its domestically built Peklo system, as footage from multiple angles confirmed the missiles penetrated Donetsk unimpeded, proving that Russia’s vaunted air defenses remain full of gaps.