"Operators of the Spalakh drone unit of the 28th Brigade are increasingly striking Russian logistics routes in the rear. Trucks, passenger vehicles and ATVs — anything that enters the temporarily occupied city of Horlivka ends up burning there. The city is located about 35-40 kilometers (22-25 miles) from our positions. While the enemy previously moved around there relatively freely, its vehicles are now coming under regular attack," Ukrainian servicemen said.
The 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade said control over the area was achieved through the skills of the unit's drone pilots.
"And no, it was not thanks to new medium-range drones or fiber-optic technology. It was solely the skill of the pilots, your donations and coordination between our units," the soldiers said.
Horlivka has been under Russian occupation since 2014. Before the war, the city had a population of more than 250,000.
In August 2023, Ukraine's military said its forces were pushing Russian troops from key high-ground positions in the Horlivka sector.
In October 2023, Time magazine, citing anonymous sources, reported that Ukraine's leadership had sought to retake Horlivka in early October, but military commanders said they lacked sufficient resources. Kyiv did not officially comment on the report.
In December 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said an assault group from the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo had recaptured one of the spoil heaps near Horlivka and seized Russian positions.
Earlier, representatives of the 3rd Army Corps said that, as part of an operation targeting Russian rear logistics, drone operators from the corps' 3rd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion struck enemy trucks, GAZelle vans and armored vehicles in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
According to Ukrainian servicemen, the drones flew over the highway leading to Luhansk and over a railway line in the city. The drones also reached central Donetsk, including the Donbas Arena stadium.
"Units of Triika are expanding their strike zone, hitting the enemy in places where it felt safe only yesterday and reaching cities that the occupiers considered deep rear areas," the 3rd Army Corps said.