Despite Fog, Ukrainian Drones Destroy Russian Tank Column North of Pokrovsk

The Russians have been. using the fog now frequently enveloping the area around Pokrovsk to disguise the columns they are attempting to advance on the city.

But as they have repeatedly demonstrated in the almost four years of their Ukraine invasion, they have a tendency to become overconfident and sloppy once something actually works to their benefit. And so has been the case in the Pokrovsk sector, where the fog has to be really thick for drones not to be able to operate so as to identify and then attack their troops. In this case, the jinxed Russian 155th Naval Infantry (annihilated so many times that it's a wonder anyone will go near them) tried the same tactic - and got decimated for their miscalculation. Although the unit has miscalculated so often in Ukraine over the past three plus years, one has to wonder if that is now doctrine rather than mistake. JL

David Axe reports in Medium:

The Russian 155th Naval Infantry Brigade miscalculated when it tried, for at least the fourth time in a month, to capture the village of Volodymyrivka, just north of Pokrovsk. Previous attacks failed on Oct. 10, Oct. 16 and Oct. 27. Fog recently covered a Russian effort to reinforce infiltrators battling the Ukrainian garrison in Pokrovsk. The same fog failed to protect the marine column attacking Volodymyrivka. The 155th Naval Infantry lost three tanks, three BTR-82s and a BMP. “Using bad weather conditions (fog as usual), they tried to break through but were destroyed.” Fog can protect you mechanized column. But God help you if it isn't thick enough to blind drones. 

Fog can protect your mechanized column as you attack across the drone-patrolled no-man’s-land in Ukraine. But God help you if the fog isn’t quite thick enough to blind the drones. The Russian 155th Naval Infantry Brigade miscalculated on Nov. 9 when it tried, for at least the fourth time in a month, to capture the village of Volodymyrivka, just north of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. Previous attacks failed on Oct. 10, Oct. 16 and Oct. 27. For the Nov. 9 push, the Russian marines mustered some of their best armored vehicles, all apparently fresh from their respective factories. The assault included up-armored T-80BVM tanks for mine-clearing and fire support plus BMP-3 and BTR-82AT infantry fighting vehicles to haul troops. Rolling toward Volodymyrivka under cover of the fog that has blanketed much of eastern Ukraine in recent days, the marine column quickly ran into trouble,  Fog recently covered a substantial Russian effort to reinforce the hundreds of infiltrators battling the dwindling Ukrainian garrison in Pokrovsk. The same fog failed to protect the marine column attacking Volodymyrivka, however. “Using bad weather conditions (fog as usual), they tried to break through but were destroyed,” Ukrainian drone operator Kriegsforscher reported. The 155th Naval Infantry Brigade lost three tanks, three BTR-82s and a BMP. All three types are still in production, although the T-80s almost certainly built on old hulls leftover from Cold War production.