Ukrainian Drones Deplete Russian Artillery, Armor Around Pokrovks

The focus of Ukrainian drone units on Russian artillery and armor around Pokrovsk is one of the primary reasons the Kremlin's military has failed to take the remains of the town after 18 months of trying. JL

Sofia Syngaivska reports in Defense Expres

A focused week-long operation by the combined forces of the 3rd Brigade delivered a significant blow to enemy artillery: five well-camouflaged towed field guns and one 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzer were put out of action, Ukrainian quadcopters stopped a Russian column consisting of three armored vehicles. The group included a tank, MT-LB, and armored fighting vehicle. Accurate FPV strikes destroyed the equipment. The constant threat of FPV drones forces the enemy to alter movement patterns, use smoke screens, and invest heavily in counter-drone systems. Yet, as practice shows, even advanced electronic warfare tools cannot guarantee full protection from such attacks.

Ukrainian unmanned systems units continue to demonstrate high efficiency on the battlefield, with FPV drones proving to be one of the key tools against russian armored vehicles. This time, it was the Asgard FPV unit of the Nemesis 412th Regiment that successfully repelled enemy assault operations in the southern sector.

According to reports, Ukrainian quadcopters managed to stop a russian column consisting of three armored vehicles. The group included russian tank, MT-LB, and armored fighting vehicle. Accurate FPV strikes destroyed the equipment and disrupted the enemy's offensive plans.

 

The success of the operation relied heavily on the element of surprise. FPV drones, with their high maneuverability and ability to carry shaped-charge or fragmentation warheads, allowed Ukrainian forces to deliver precision strikes even against heavily protected targets. This confirms that such drones have effectively become a form of pocket artillery for infantry units.

 

Beyond the tactical results, these operations also exert strong psychological pressure on russian troops. The constant threat of FPV drones forces the enemy to alter movement patterns, use smoke screens, and invest heavily in counter-drone systems. Yet, as practice shows, even advanced electronic warfare tools cannot guarantee full protection from such attacks.

Ukrainian soldiers captured the operation on onboard drone cameras. The footage shows how the "birds" hit their targets with precision, halting the enemy's advance. Such recordings not only document the results but also serve as valuable training material for new drone operators and for improving future tactics.

 

As Defense Express previously reported, a focused week-long operation by the combined forces of the 3rd Brigade delivered a significant blow to enemy artillery: five well-camouflaged towed field guns and one 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzer were put out of action, the Brigade reported. The results, captured on video, show a textbook sequence of modern small-unit combined arms work.

The footage published by the 3rd Brigade documents the flow of the operation. Reconnaissance teams first identify concealed enemy positions; then strike groups, including FPV drone pilots, conduct precision attacks that culminate in the complete destruction of the targeted hardware. The visual record provides clear before-and-after evidence of the hits.