(KYIV) — The Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have conducted a series of high precision strikes against Russian military infrastructure in temporarily occupied territories. Between 9 and 14 February, Ukrainian units successfully neutralised more than ten strategic targets, including a tactical missile storage site in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and a specialised pilot control station in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Utilising FP-2 drones, Ukrainian troops targeted the village of Pasichne in occupied Crimea, where they struck a storage facility for the Iskander tactical missile system. Official reports from the Special Operations Forces Telegram channel confirmed that powerful explosions occurred at the site following the impact. Simultaneously, a remote pilot control station belonging to the Russian Rubicon unit was destroyed in the village of Vysoke, located in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region. Several drones reportedly bypassed Russian defences to reach the installation.
The broader operational window from 9 to 14 February saw Ukrainian forces strike a variety of rear and operational targets. These included areas of personnel concentration, ammunition and fuel depots, and parking facilities for military vehicles. Further maritime operations by the Ghosts special unit of Defence Intelligence were also recorded. On 12 February, a precision overnight strike targeted a Russian BK-16 landing craft near the Crimean Peninsula. The high speed vessel, developed by the Kalashnikov concern to deploy naval infantry, was confirmed hit by the General Staff.
Additional aerial assets, including a Pantsir-S1 air defence system and a Nebo-U radar station, have also come under attack as part of a strategy to degrade Moscow’s air denial capabilities. This follows reports of suicide drones striking the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai on 17 February, which resulted in a significant fire. Ukrainian authorities have emphasised that these strikes on maritime and logistical infrastructure are intended to exert economic pressure and weaken the invading forces.
The human element of the conflict was highlighted by the defection of Myroslav Symonov, a former technician from the elite Rubicon drone unit. Symonov, who claims he was forcibly recruited under threat of prosecution, surrendered to Ukrainian forces through the “I Want to Live” project. He described a culture of physical abuse and psychological pressure within the Russian ranks. Symonov cited a specific incident near Kupiansk, where a Russian drone mistakenly killed a civilian girl, as the primary motivation for his flight, noting that his commanders responded to the error with a positive attitude.
