(POKROVSK, DONETSK OBLAST, UKRAINE) – Ukrainian drone operators from the elite ‘Dovbush’s Hornets’ unit have released combat footage showing the precise destruction of two newly arrived Russian military vehicles and the subsequent neutralisation of their infantry. The video, verified by Jakony.com, depicts a swift and lethal engagement where Russian forces were targeted before they could deploy.
The footage begins with the two vehicles, described as still loaded with personnel, being identified. A First-Person View (FPV) drone then strikes the first vehicle, immobilising it in an explosion. A second drone immediately hits the following vehicle, destroying both before any troops could disembark.
The attack continued as surviving Russian soldiers attempted to flee the wreckage. The drone operators pursued the scattered infantry with what the footage shows was methodical precision, conducting follow up strikes until, according to the released video, no movement remained in the area.
In a separate but related incident the same day, Ukrainian forces employed a HIMARS long range artillery system to strike a concentration of Russian infantry and light vehicles along a strategic highway near Pokrovsk. The target was approximately seven kilometres from the front line, an area previously used by Russian forces for regrouping and logistics.
The HIMARS strike resulted in a large explosion, destroying several vehicles and causing significant casualties to the assembled infantry formation. Aftermath footage shows a scene of widespread destruction on the roadway, with burning wreckage and debris.
Military analysts indicate these coordinated attacks demonstrate the increasing effectiveness of Ukrainian intelligence and precision-strike capabilities. The integration of drone units like ‘Dovbush’s Hornets’ with long-range artillery platforms such as HIMARS allows Ukrainian forces to target Russian personnel and equipment far behind the active front.
Further combat footage from the Zaporizhzhia sector, released by Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, shows similar tactical patterns. Videos document Ukrainian units using FPV and bomber drones to systematically destroy Russian positions, shelters, and firing points before ground assaults.
The footage also includes scenes of close-quarters infantry combat and the capture of Russian soldiers, suggesting drone pressure can force surrenders and reduce risks to advancing Ukrainian troops.
In a development highlighting the adaptation of military equipment to the conflict, Ukrainian soldiers have fitted Latvian transferred Patria 6×6 armoured personnel carriers with improvised anti-drone netting. The modification, observed on vehicles with the 3rd Assault Brigade, is a direct response to the pervasive threat of unmanned aerial vehicles on the battlefield.
The netting, mounted on a specialised frame, is designed to deflect or prematurely detonate incoming drones. While the basic Patria vehicle offers protection against small arms and mines, this field modification addresses a critical vulnerability for troop transports.
The security of Russian rear areas also appears under pressure. Reports from December 2025 indicated an explosion near a military facility in Korenovsk, Krasnodar Krai, in southern Russia, though the Russian dictatorship has not commented on the incident.
