Ukrainian drone operators have demonstrated effective tactics against Russian assault troops near Ulakly in eastern Ukraine south of Pokrovsk, tracking motorcycle units to their hideout before coordinating devastating artillery strikes and drone attacks, Forbes reports.
According to Forbes, operators from the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces’ 413th Separate Battalion spotted movement in a treeline outside Ulakly. The movement turned out to be Russian troops and motorcyclists speeding along a dirt road, the combat footage showed.
“The enemy is leading us to one of their shelters,” the battalion stated in a video montage shared by the military.
<blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:3ilzhrzkar3icae4mfyupmqp/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljnrtrvqek2w" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiavzqctjhey26gfpq76ecciqqzljpeurymt7qtziiumk44cqpsice"><p lang="en">Aerial reconnaissance of the 413th Separate Battalion "Raid" detected and destroyed a concentration of Russian Armed Forces personnel and ground-based robotic systems.
Following this, the position was struck using FPV drones and artillery, including 155mm cluster munitions.
t.me/c/1377735387...<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:3ilzhrzkar3icae4mfyupmqp/post/3ljnrtrvqek2w?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p>— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:3ilzhrzkar3icae4mfyupmqp?ref_src=embed">@wartranslated.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:3ilzhrzkar3icae4mfyupmqp/post/3ljnrtrvqek2w?ref_src=embed">March 5, 2025 at 10:08 PM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>After losing over 15,000 armored vehicles in Ukraine, Russian forces are increasingly deploying troops on motorcycles. These motorcycle units often spearhead assaults, securing positions for advancing forces, including tanks and other armored vehicles.
Recognizing the vulnerability of these advance units, the 413th Separate Battalion moved quickly to eliminate the growing Russian position outside Ulakly. After pinpointing the Russians’ dugout, the battalion deployed explosive first-person-view (FPV) drones that blasted uncamouflaged motorcycles while artillery units bombarded exposed troops.
A second wave of FPV drones then maneuvered into the dugout itself.
“The bunker, along with its personnel, has been destroyed,” the 413th Separate Battalion reported.
Forbes notes that the successful operation reflects broader patterns in the conflict. While Russians continue advancing west of Ulakly after their 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade captured the town in mid-February, elsewhere their gains are slowing significantly.
Around the fortress city of Pokrovsk – the focal point of Russia’s mongs-long assaults, Russian attacks have decreased by 80% compared to their peak in mid-January, according to Ukrainian analysis group DeepState. Recently, Ukrainian brigades in the city have begun pushing back against Russian forces.
Related:
- Frontline report: Ukrainian forces exploit shock tactics to reclaim vital supply route near Pokrovsk
- Forbes: Ukraine retakes Toretsk weeks after Russia’s “victory”
- Ukrainians destroy Russian thermobaric ammunition depot in Donetsk Oblast, military says (video)
- Russians shelled Kostyantynivka with tornadoes and artillery: one dead and four injured
- Frontline report: Ukraine shatters Russia’s show of force at Velyka Novosilka as Pokrovsk offensive stalled
- Russian forces push south of Pokrovsk, approaching previously untouched Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
- Frontline report: Ukrainian elite forces crush Russian pincer in industrial raid near Pokrovsk
