Border guards reveal Russia’s new cynical tactics using FPV drones — video
Russian invader (Photo: REUTERS/Sergey Pivovarov)
Russian invaders are targeting civilian vehicles and setting up ambushes with FPV drones, particularly in Donetsk Oblast, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) reported on June 13.
“New enemy tactic: the occupiers are setting up FPV ambushes on civilian cars. The enemy drone ‘parks’ on the side of the road, waits for the target to approach, and then attacks,” the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) said in a message on its Telegram channel.
However, the occupiers' tactics were quickly detected by the pilots of Phoenix, a border unit of unmanned aircraft systems.
According to the SBGS, Phoenix units in Donetsk Oblast destroyed seven FPV ambushes, an enemy vehicle, a UAV control point, and a field warehouse containing ammunition. Additionally, around a dozen occupiers were eliminated.
Situation in Donetsk Oblast
On April 29, Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces, reported that Russian invaders were advancing toward the borders of the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Donetsk oblasts. The situation in the Novopavlivsk direction had worsened.
On April 30, DeepState analysts noted that Russian forces had taken control of Sukha Balka and advanced near three settlements in Donetsk Oblast.
By May 1, analysts reported that Russian forces had gained control over 175 square kilometers in April, with the most significant advances near Sukha Balka and Kalynove in Donetsk Oblast, amounting to about 50 square kilometers, or nearly a third of the territory lost over the past month.
On May 22, BBC Ukraine, citing a source within the Ukrainian Armed Forces, reported that the situation in the Kostiantynivka direction had become increasingly tense. The Russian invaders' objective in the near future is to semi-encircle the city of Kostiantynivka and cut off logistics for Ukrainian Defense Forces.
On May 27, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces had pushed back Russian troops by 4 kilometers in the Kostiantynivka area, located in the Pokrovsk direction. However, Zelenskyy added that while the occupiers are determined to cross the administrative border of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, they have not succeeded so far.
On May 28, DeepState reported that Russian forces had advanced near Troitsk and Malynivka in the Pokrovsk direction, as well as near Yablunivka and Stara Mykolaivka in the Toretsk direction.
On June 7, Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for the operational-strategic grouping of troops in Khortytsia, reported an increase in Russian activity in the Pokrovsk direction. Trehubov stated that the hottest areas currently include the Lymansk, Novopavlivsk, and Pokrovsk directions.
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