Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Russian Federation.
Gaps in the Russian air defense network are growing larger as Ukrainian forces systematically dismantle key systems across the battlefield. With every new blind spot, Ukrainian drones and missiles strike deeper into Russian territory, hitting high-value targets that were once thought untouchable.
Firstly, Ukrainians targeted critical Russian air defense assets in Crimea through a new and innovative tactic. Ukrainians published the first-ever video of a Ukrainian naval drone launching multiple FPV kamikaze drones against Russian targets from off the coastline. These drones successfully tracked and destroyed a Russian Strela-10 and a short-range air defense system while they were in transit and unable to counter the strikes.
Further footage shows Ukrainian FPV drones destroying two Tor-M2 air defense systems—one in Donetsk and one in Luhansk—designed to intercept long-range strike drones and cruise missiles. Additionally, three BUK-M2 systems were destroyed in Zaporizhzhia as the radars failed to detect the Ukrainian kamikaze drones.
Additional combat footage reveals how the Ukrainians targeted another Osa air defense system with a Switchblade drone in Donetsk Oblast. Ukrainians also destroyed a Russian Borisoglebsk electronic warfare system near Kherson with a missile strike. Lastly, Ukrainians destroyed a Russian S-300 system in Zaporizhzhia with a drone-dropped grenade and sat down to watch the fire as two Russian soldiers tried to salvage the burning system.
Sabotage strikes at Russia’s defenses from within
Ukrainians also targeted the Russian air defense network through a series of covert sabotage operations, coordinating partisan activity onto critical components and assets. Ukrainian partisans shared a video of a burning Russian 96L6E radar station of an S-300 and S-400 installation in Yevpatoriya, effectively blinding the Russian missile launchers in Crimea.
a burning Russian S-300 command post in Tver Oblast. Photo: Screenshot from the video
The Ukrainian Intelligence Directorate also organized several sabotage operations within Russian territory, infiltrating Tver Oblast, setting fire to an S-300 command post and radar station, disabling the long-range system, and creating a significant gap for Ukrainian drones and missiles. Additionally, Ukrainian agents sabotaged two Zhitel electronic warfare systems in Voronezh, further crippling Russia’s ability to counter drone swarms.
Despite the halt in direct US intelligence sharing, Ukraine continues to receive valuable intelligence from European allies while also utilizing private satellite sources to gather information on Russian targets. This enabled Ukrainian HIMARS operators to strike a Russian training ground in Zaliznyi Port, Kherson, with cluster munitions, eliminating over 30 soldiers. Additionally, precision-guided GMLRS rockets targeted a training site in Zaporizhzhia, destroying dozens of Russian troops and armored vehicles.
Ukrainian long-range strikes set Russian infrastructure on fire
The gaps in the Russian air defense network also allowed Ukrainians to continue their strike campaign on Russian oil refining facilities. The first target was the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, where large fires erupted after a Ukrainian drone strike penetrated Russian air defenses, forcing workers to evacuate.
The next target was the Russian oil refinery in Novokuibyshevsk, Samara, one of the largest in Russia, processing over 8 million tons of oil annually. Lastly, Ukrainian drones struck their most distant target yet—the Ufa oil refinery—over 1,400 km from Ukraine. A key fuel supplier for the Russian army, the refinery, producing over 168,000 barrels of oil daily, caught fire after the attack. Its destruction highlights Ukraine’s extended drone capabilities, signaling that no target west of the Ural is safe.
Overall, Ukrainians ramped up their strikes on Crimea, using naval drones to deploy FPV kamikaze drones against Russian air defense systems while also targeting systems with conventional FPV drones and even organizing massive sabotage operations within Russian territory. Meanwhile, Ukrainian long-range drone strikes demonstrated the ability to hit any Russian target west of the Urals, as Russia’s air defense network is already stretched thin and losing many systems to Ukrainian attacks and sabotage.
The Ukrainian Navy also announced plans for a third strike on the Kerch Bridge. This has forced Russia to redeploy more of its already overextended air defense to Crimea, creating further gaps for Ukraine to exploit—whether Ukrainians actually launch this strike or not.
In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
