r/CredibleDefense • u/AutoModerator • 17d ago
Active Conflicts & News Megathread August 22, 2025
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u/Well-Sourced 16d ago
There have been a few examples of drones taking down helicopters in the Russia-Ukraine War and now have one in Colombia. As troop transports they have always been vulnerable when loading/unloading and with the introduction of drones to non-nation state actors all over the globe they are even more so.
In the department of Antioquia, 🇨🇴Colombia, local militants used an FPV drone to shoot down a police helicopter carrying government personnel in an anti-drug operation. 12 police officers were killed.
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u/Electrical-Lab-9593 16d ago
the heavy lift drones carrying things like stinger / marlets and ATGM seem interesting to me, UK has one testing, making a small cheap automated attack helicopter seems like something good for a drone role, if you can get around the electronic warfare hurdles
helicopters need to have jamming helicopters with them, the turbines can power the radios, I think russia has one that does this.
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u/Thoth_the_5th_of_Tho 16d ago
I suspect the range with payload on these is poor. The best way to deal with EW might be to have these work on a fiber optic connection, like newer FPVs. You would need to check if the back blast of the missile launch yanked out the fiber.
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u/Electrical-Lab-9593 16d ago edited 16d ago
hydra 400 fully loaded carrying 400kg is 25km, it has NATO 14" rail can carry the brimstone which is about 50KG i think, so will go way further than 25km with just missiles on it, and shoulder launch style missile would be lighter even than that, but i don't know how hardened it is vs EW/Jamming, or it is even in production, but that was the concept.
here is a picture of it
https://www.mbda-systems.com/mbda-invests-uk-sme-maker-innovative-hydra-drone
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u/obsessed_doomer 16d ago
Iirc every drone to chopper kill in Ukraine has been against landed choppers. But I could be misremembering?
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u/Well-Sourced 16d ago edited 16d ago
Ukraine has a couple claims
but no video proof./u/Old-Let6252 was right there was one in Kursk. Although you are specifying kills and the helicopter in the video evidence was claimed to be just hit and was able to be repaired.Ukrainian FPV drone hit Russian Mi-28 helicopter in 'historic' feat, source says | Kyiv Independent
A Ukrainian first-person-view (FPV) drone hit a Russian Mi-28 attack helicopter over Russia's Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent on Aug. 7. The drone, operated by the Special Operations Center "A" of the SBU, managed to hit the helicopter's tail rotor, the source said, calling it "a unique special operation in military history."
Footage of the FPV drone ramming into the helicopter began circulating social media on Aug. 6. A day later, the full video was published by Ukrainian activist Serhii Sternenko.
Russian military blogger Alexei Zemtsov, who runs the channel Voevoda Veshchaet, wrote on the evening of Aug. 6 that a Russian helicopter was hit and was forced to land. Zemtsov claimed that the crew survived and the aircraft was sent to repairs, but he did not specify its model.
According to Sternenko and several other observers, this is the first case of a successful hit by an FPV drone against a helicopter mid-air. "The SBU once again demonstrated a high level of professionalism, creativity, and innovation in destroying the enemy. We still have many unexpected surprises for Russia," the source said.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify all the claims.
At least one similar but unconfirmed claim appeared on July 31. Forbes wrote at the time that, according to Russian military bloggers, a Ukrainian drone successfully destroyed Russia's Mi-8 transport helicopter in the sky near occupied Donetsk. The outlet linked to a photo of what it presented as the burning Mi-8 wreckage but provided no visual evidence of the aircraft being hit by the drone.
On Wednesday, Forbes reported a small Ukrainian FPV quadcopter shot down a Russian helicopter seemingly for the first time. As of the time of writing (August 1), there are no videos of the shootdown circulating online, but there are images of the Russian Mil Mi-8 transport helicopter burning in Donetsk in occupied Ukraine. The videos apparently came from Russian sources.
However, according to the Voevoda vesicant Russian military Telegram channel, the drone caught the helicopter at its critical moment of weakness—at the moment of takeoff (a Ukrainian Telegram channel later reinforced this). Russian Mi-8s are used for attack, transport, and medevac missions.
Ukraine Destroys $16M Russian 'Alligator' Helicopter in Drone Strike | NewsWeek | May 2025
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said it had successfully targeted the Russian Ka-52 "Alligator" helicopter, worth an estimated $16 million, over Ukrainian territory, posting video of what it said showed the strike. A video posted on social media appears to show the drone targeting the helicopter as it is on combat patrol over Ukrainian territory. No date or specific location was given for the operation.
They do have video evidence of taking down a helicopter with a missile from a sea drone.
Ukraine says it shot down Russian helicopter using a naval drone | AP News | December 2024
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u/Old-Let6252 16d ago edited 16d ago
I recall there being a video or two in the initial stages of the Kursk offensive of Russian helos getting hit in flight by drones
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u/Well-Sourced 16d ago
Excellent interview with different members of the International Legion. Multiple examples of how drones have changed warfare but a detailed understanding of the terrain you are operating in and now above still being extremely important knowledge.
Amid hundreds of hectares of forests and fields in frontline Kharkiv region, under constant strikes from glide bombs, drones, and heavy artillery, the enemy continues its daily attempts to push forward. Between the russian occupiers and peaceful cities stand the soldiers of our Armed Forces. Here, alongside brothers-in-arms of the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade named after the famous Cossack leader Ivan Sirko, Ukrainian and foreign volunteers from the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine hold the line.
In the gray zone, which at times stretches up to 40 kilometers wide, it is not enough simply to watch your sector, because the occupiers can appear from anywhere. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle unit operates within the reach of countless Russian weapons systems, fully aware that once the launch site is detected, the enemy will spare no bombs or shells, let alone a symmetrical response. Many have endured brutal infantry battles; most returned to duty after being wounded. They know well what "eyes" mean for the infantry — how vital it is to deliver information in time, and how precious it is to strike and eliminate a threat on their own. Clear, precise, systematic — without unnecessary emotions, seeing the task through despite the ever-present risk of death.
Due to his specialty, the legionnaire with the call sign Frodo leads a rather isolated lifestyle. He does not often meet his brothers-in-arms from other units. But he understands the responsibility of his work well, so he gives his all: "Today you understand the importance of seeing from above. The infantry feels a bit more secure knowing someone is watching over them. There are risks with logistics, difficulties during flights. Sometimes the brain is exhausted, and you spend energy just to focus your gaze. Being on different positions, the terrain always differs from the drone’s perspective. This affects the radio horizon. Sometimes you have to improvise: fly blind, try ways to cross or turn until you find stability in flight."
Dom is an officer of the 3rd International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine. He commands the UAV unit and has led the team for nearly a year. Together with Sergeant Andrii, callsign Borsuk (Badger), the legionnaires show us the position of the drone pilots. With the start of the full-scale invasion, he returned to his 93rd Mechanized Brigade, with which he fought across almost all of Kharkiv region: defending Kharkiv, Izium, Soledar, Bakhmut. After his second wounding, Dom once again came back to service — this time in the Legion.
"Foreigners are a special case," the commander shares. "They perceive words, thoughts, and events through their own experience and worldview. You have to understand that. When you can have 10–15 different countries and continents represented in one unit, bringing it all into a single system so people work as one organism is a challenging task. Many of them have served in their home countries, in other armies. We can learn from them. Their combat organization experience is valuable. Is it absolutely relevant? No. Because most of the world lags behind us in understanding modern warfare."
Sergeant Borsuk has not been wearing a pixel uniform for long, but his extreme driving on dangerous frontline roads clearly shows that this is not a new activity for the legionnaire. "Andrii, before joining the army, helped us as a volunteer for years," Dom explains. "Sometimes he delivered cargo to places many military units couldn't always reach."
The men’s pickup truck looks like a monster built for off-road rallies. The first kilometers already show the expensive modifications were made not for show. The soldiers don't hide it: even this suspension struggles under frontline realities, demanding constant care and costly repairs. But here, such things are a matter of life and death.
"The specifics of driving in today's frontline zone rely a lot on hearing and on knowing the terrain," Andrii explains. "As one Israeli general once said, the gray zone today can stretch almost 40 kilometers — 20 on our side, 20 on theirs. Weapons are so cheap and precise that this grayness is much deeper than before. And you must account for that while moving on frontline roads. You need to understand the terrain, the enemy's methods, and know where to speed up, where to hide behind folds of land, and where you can move relatively calmly."
Although the work of UAV operators is considered less dangerous than that of infantry, this is all very relative. Every departure from position, and return to it, is a complex logistical operation. Rounds chambered, movement by the rules, everyone alert. At times you must brace yourself not to get injured even inside the vehicle, when Borsuk makes a sharp but necessary maneuver in places that must be passed "as if you’d never been there." Explosions at different distances remind you that this forest is full of predators whose strikes are lethal. Against the general backdrop, kilograms of explosives in the truck bed do not add to the tension of the situation.
Bugs from Ireland has been in the Legion since July last year. He completed his master's degree and planned to start doctoral studies, but eventually decided to join Ukraine's Armed Forces: "I served in the French Foreign Legion as infantry. I figured I could use these skills in battle."
His callsign, taken from the famous cartoon rabbit, conceals a deep mind and formidable character. In Ukraine, Bugs has carried out six missions as infantry, was twice wounded by enemy drones, but doesn’t consider what he’s done extraordinary: "We were just sitting on positions. But, you know, people take it as normal because the front line is so stretched. Look at the gray zone: because of drones, in some places it's up to 40 kilometers wide. You try to hold this line, and without infantry up front you can't maintain all this — with generators, Starlink, everything. It was good. I liked it. But it was hard too."
He notes that the nature of the war has changed both infantry and drone work. It's no longer enough to just watch one sector. UAV operators must now scan much wider areas. When they detect the enemy, they engage. If they can't, they pass the information to infantry for destruction.
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u/Well-Sourced 16d ago
Ukraine has been finding a lot of success striking behind the front in Russia. They hit the Druzhba pipeline again. They hit another fuel train. They hit drone operations in Dontesk & Sevastopol. The might have closed the port of Olya according to the most recent reports. It was suggested to me by another user that the cargo ship might have been one of the first targets of the new Flamingo missile.
Kamikaze drones from the 14th UAV Regiment attacked the Druzhba oil pumping station in the town of Unecha in Russia's Bryansk Oblast on the night of 21-22 August. The Unecha oil terminal, the largest hub of the Druzhba oil pipeline system and owned by the Transnefteproduct holding company, is involved in supplying the Russian defence industrial base. The main function of the station is to transport oil through a pipeline system with a total length of about 9,000 km.
On the night of 12-13 August, kamikaze drones operated by Defence Intelligence of Ukraine attacked another target of the Russian oil and gas infrastructure – the Transneft Druzhba oil pipeline pumping station in Unecha in Russia's Bryansk Oblast.
On the night of 17-18 August, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces and other defence forces units hit the Nikolskoye oil pumping station in Russia's Tambov Oblast. The strike caused a fire to break out at the facility and the pumping of oil via the Druzhba pipeline came to a complete stop.
Ukrainian Forces Sabotage russian Fuel Transport in Crimea | Defense Express
The Special Operations Forces have struck another blow against Russia's military logistics in temporarily occupied Crimea. On the night of August 21, operators of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out a mission near the railway station in Dzhankoi. During the operation, Ukrainian fighters successfully targeted Russian rolling stock carrying fuel. These supplies are critical for maintaining Russian forces in the southern theater of operations, making the strike a significant disruption to enemy logistics.
Dzhankoi is a key logistics hub in northern Crimea, linking supply lines from Russia to occupied parts of southern Ukraine. By striking trains in this area, Ukrainian forces directly challenge Russia's ability to sustain its grouping of troops in the south.
Ukraine hits Russia’s most dangerous high-tech formation in Donetsk Oblast | EuroMaidanPress
Ukrainian forces destroy the “brains” of Russia’s elite drone unit Rubicon in Donetsk Oblast. Kyiv troops delivered a precise strike on the unmanned aerial command post of the unit, destroying a large ammunition depot, the General Staff of the Armed Forces reports. Russia has been deploying Rubicon with several hundred to several thousand fighters, aiming to expand its operations across the entire frontline, according to Army Inform.
The commander of the Azov Brigade’s unmanned systems battalion, call sign Bud, told Radio NV: “They caused us obvious problems, primarily with logistics. I think when they entered this direction, their clear mission was to hit our supply lines as much as possible.”
Ukrainian naval forces struck the “Khersones” airfield in occupied Sevastopol, destroying up to three Mohajer-6 and two Forpost drones used by Russia to monitor activity in the Black Sea.
British intelligence released images of the flooded vessel Port Olya 4, hit by a Ukrainian drone on August 14. Satellite images from August 19 show Russian efforts to salvage remaining cargo.
Ukrainian drone attack paralyses large Russian port | Ukrainian Pravda
Operations at the Russian port of Olya in Astrakhan have been paralysed for a week following a Ukrainian drone attack on the night of 14-15 August.
Sources cited by the Telegram channel VChK-OGPU say the strike damaged both port infrastructure and the customs facility, forcing a complete halt to operations at the Caspian Sea hub. "In addition to hitting a cargo ship – photos of which showing it in a half-sunken state have been circulated on social media – the UAVs destroyed the maritime customs office and port infrastructure. No logistics operations with Iran and Türkiye have been carried out at the facility for several days," the report said.
A traffic jam of vessels awaiting loading and unloading has formed near the port, the sources added.
It serves as a key hub in the transport corridor between Russia and Iran, used to ship food products as well as weapons supplies, according to Bloomberg reports in late 2024.
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u/Electrical-Lab-9593 16d ago
interesting that flamingo missile might have them moving around GBAD assets like whack'o mole as Russia is so big, I know they have a lot of air defence but they also lost lots of it, and Ukraine just needs to hit anything not well covered, does not look very advanced or low RCS but it's range and payload is impressive.
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u/Infamous-Salad-2223 16d ago
I think they should test the flamingoes alone/pairs and mixed with drones just to see what gives the best results plus gradually increase the range.
I will really love to hear they raze to the ground a big portion of the giant drone factory in Tatarstan, but AFU knows way better than me which targets to aim for...
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u/Electrical-Lab-9593 16d ago
my guess is that factory has layered air defence it so important for saturation attacks to RU.
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u/johnbrooder3006 16d ago
A major disadvantage Ukraine has faced since 2022 is trying to restore/maintain military hardware production under constant threats of Russian aerial attacks. Expectedly they’ve relied on western exports which arrive out of the box and ready to use from NATO protected countries. They also domestically produce FPV’s in pop up workshops across the country, fortunately these are relatively mobile and can be shifted quickly. However anything larger than that becomes an enormous liability, and it got me thinking since the announcement of their Flamingo missile. Several accurate strikes on the manufacturing plant could be absolutely catastrophic (I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what they were looking for in western Ukraine two nights ago). My question is, can Ukraine lease warehouses in adjacent NATO countries to rebuild their own heavy weapon systems? Sure there’s logistical issues but the benefits would definitely outweigh the cost. No doubt Russia could say escalation but how’s it different to a storm shadow being manufactured on NATO soil then sent across the border ready to fire?
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u/Electrical-Lab-9593 16d ago
yeah, i think building them should be fine as long as the warheads/rdx etc are added in Ukraine, not sure you would want them being armed in your country, its too much room for sabotage
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u/Moifaso 16d ago
That Ukraine and one of the western partners still haven't figured out a way to set up proper factories of cheap Ukrainian-designed drones outside Ukrainian territory just baffles me. A few real factories are always going to be much more efficient than the hundreds of small workshops and decentralized production Ukraine relies on.
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u/roionsteroids 16d ago
10000 drones spelling the location of proper factories in the air
When it comes to the super cheap lowest end of drones though (like a $200 FPV one) - even 10 million of these are a rather small expense in the grand scheme of things. Rapid design changes and near real time constant improvements make it difficult to settle on one design for mass production. The modularity (plethora of different batteries, cameras, antennae, rotors and what not suppliers) is a feature rather than a bug.
It's the same for Russia, they haven't really standardized one lowest low end drone design for mass production and throw some money at these workshops instead. Some of the bigger ones may receive a "branded product" name like VT-40, but they're probably iterating as much as everyone else too.
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u/BigFly42069 16d ago
The Flamingo missile uses the AI-25TL turbofan engine, which is produced by Motor Sich. The company has factories in Zaphorizhzhia, Snizhne, and Volochysk. Of the three sites, Snizhne is in Donetsk, and the only biggest operator of the AI-25TL is the L-39 Albatros, where the only western operator is the Czech Republic.
For now, what Ukraine is doing is ripping these old AI-25TLs out from their domestic supplies to put into the Flamingo, but eventually they'll run up against a dwindling supply.
So it makes sense for them to concentrate as much of the production as they can in a single place. Because if they were to disperse production, they won't achieve the scale necessary to actually put out the numbers they need right now.
If Ukraine shifts production to NATO countries, there is still a need to transport munitions from said NATO countries to Ukraine and to the frontlines. The increase in logistical burden decreases availability of munitions due to physics (longer supply line takes more time to move things), and they need the fires now so they can accept this trade off in risk.
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u/ChornWork2 16d ago
I don't understand why nato hasn't explicitly made x miles from border part of its own air defense zone. easy to justify and then ukraine can use that buffer for defense manufacturing, training, etc.
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u/Culinaromancer 16d ago
Because it boils down to lack of political will. Everything else is a function of political will. The nonsense about lack of stock of missiles and other assets is just smoke cover.
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u/Tealgum 16d ago
Deconflicton is the biggest reason. It’s why they aren’t stopping shaheds either.
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u/ChornWork2 16d ago
I'd understand that if either ukraine or russia was operating combat aircraft, but not going to see that in the corner where have border area with Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.
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u/TestingHydra 16d ago
Because NATO missile stocks are already under strain providing to Ukraine. Doing what you suggest would put further strain on it and could lead to Ukraine receiving less missiles because NATO would need to preserve their stockpiles.
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u/ChornWork2 16d ago edited 16d ago
I didn't think that Air-to-air missiles capable of addressing at least the drones and cruise missiles are particularly in short supply.
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u/BigFly42069 16d ago
This is the real answer. People aren't aware just how low the procurement rates are for anti-air missiles. For example, the US expended 100 THAAD interceptors against Iran's missile attacks on Israel, and only buys something like 16 a year. Meanwhile, SM-2 production is closer to 60 per year and Congress keeps trying to shut down that line in favor of the one that does... 24 a year.
PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles are more or less in the same boat, and AAMs productions across the entirety of the western military supply chain is also far lower than people imagine.
Budget isn't a magical thing that you can just change on the fly but has to be planned out years in advance, changes don't just magically come out of nowhere.
And for all the chest-thumping that we're doing about how we'll scale up production of 155mm shells and other munitions in the future, the current present stock and present procurement rates were set in stone years ago.
There's a real possibility that the western military industrial supply chain of the 21st century isn't as adaptive and scalable as the MIC supply chain of the early 20th century, but people continue to believe that it is. Maybe by 2027 to 2030, western MIC will have started to turn it around and scale up sufficiently to meet the needs that were demanded in 2022-2023, but this will come at the expense of reduced budgetary availability for non-military needs because once again: budget isn't a magical thing.
And that's before we even start considering the possibility that the security landscape might change enough by then to the point that the scaleup is either no longer needed or inadequately scaled up yet again.
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u/colin-catlin 16d ago
This answer seems deliberately biased in having solid facts that are clearly cherry picked, even if the discussion is valid. The main counterpoint is the US does much better on ship based SAMs and air to air weapons, as those are the primary systems the US plans to use. And here are counterpoints for those directly mentioned, land based: 500 pac-3 missiles were produced in 2024 and growing https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/2025/lockheed-martins-pac-3mse-achieves-record-production-year.html 155 mm shells are up three fold already, not in the future as specified there https://www.defenseone.com/defense-systems/2025/06/army-expects-make-more-million-artillery-shells-next-year/406132/
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u/BigFly42069 16d ago
We can try and spin all of these as victories, and they are incremental progress (gotta make progress somehow), but the numbers themselves betray the reality between what the headlines say and what the situation demands.
From the source citing 155mm shells:
It’s going to miss its goal of making 100,000 per month by October, but likely by just a few months.
The service’s current monthly output stands at 40,000, up from 14,500 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than three years ago, according to data provided by the Army. The original plan called for making about twice as many by now.
In other words, it is at 40% of the intended goal of 100,000 shells per month at the time of writing, and although it's tripled production, the base rate from which it was producing shells was what Russia and Ukraine were firing at each other in a single day last year.
As for Lockheed, it's ramped up production of 500, which represents a 30% increase YOY from what the 350 it produced in 2023 (a 150 round increase), with an expected increase of 20% YOY for 2025 to 600 (a 100 round increase) and then 650 (a 50 round increase) by 2027.
In the meantime, there are 480+ MIM-104 launchers in the US inventory alone, with 250 launchers operated by foreign buyers.
Taken as a number in a vacuum, the PAC-3 numbers look great. But that's before you apply that number to the operational needs of Ukraine alone: 7 batteries and 9 additional launchers from last available open data source, which means they're operating anywhere between 51 to 65 launchers.
With 12 PAC-3 MSE to 16 PAC-3 CRI per launcher, Ukraine alone needs anywhere between 816 to 1040 PAC-3 rounds to achieve a full reload for their existing systems. Obviously, they're not firing off everything because they use Patriots to primarily defend against RU ballistic missiles, but the point still stands that production is lagging demand.
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u/Tristancp95 16d ago
What if Russia warns that any GBAD shooting down their drones will be considered valid military targets? And then proceeds to strike just one launcher in Polish territory, with 0 civilian casualties?
Now Poland/NATO are in a difficult decision. Do they strike back, effectively starting a hot war with Russia at a time when the European economy is teetering and the US is unreliable at best? A war that the majority of Europeans do not want to be actively fighting in?
Or does Poland give Russia a pass for blowing up their hardware and killing servicemen on their territory, and thus look weak to their population while also encouraging Russia to continue escalating? What happens when Russia continues to strike more and more GBAD in Polish territory? At what point does it become impossible to avoid responding?
I know this reads as a slippery slope, but that’s how it goes when you’re playing chutes and escalation ladders.
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u/ChornWork2 16d ago
what if russia launches a nuke because we gave ukraine a leopard tank?
if we think russia losing is an unacceptable risk, then what are doing?
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u/Tristancp95 15d ago
what if russia launches a nuke because we gave ukraine a leopard tank?
The nuclear scenario feels the same as hitler comparisons with how they are used in arguments nowadays
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u/ChornWork2 15d ago edited 15d ago
this isn't vietnam war with soviet/china escalation risk. ukraine is core to fundamental european security interests and should be treated as such. all the hemming and hawing about escalation has not only led to tragically more death/damage but also actually higher escalation risk. Decisively halting the russian advance on the ground and defending ukrainian airspace is not going to lead to putin to do something crazy.
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u/Tristancp95 14d ago
I mean yeah, I mostly agree with you. But that’s not the way European leaders are approaching it, and you and I aren’t going to convince them otherwise
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u/ChornWork2 14d ago
Totally understand the political dithering you get when have large group of politicians trying to balance their own set of political risks. Not suggesting the situation is anything but political reality, but my point is objectively speaking the talk of escalation risk doesn't have a lot of objective weight to it. But them embracing it is politically easier for them, as opposed to actually trying to lead.
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u/Electrical-Lab-9593 16d ago
would a lot of the borders be at the extreme ranges of GBAD ? or would they have batteries close to the border
also maybe the hustle of a metropolis means you can hide things in the chaos, but sat intel is going to show that one factory on the border, and sabotage will happen?
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u/ChornWork2 16d ago edited 16d ago
presumably need GBAD close to border at portion of nato borders close to odesa or near belarus b/c don't want nato planes flying around there. but for much of border with poland, slovakia, hungary and romania you could probably accomplish largely with aircraft. lots of advance notice at that range and presumably able to use missiles that are more abundant in supply.
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u/Well-Sourced 16d ago edited 16d ago
First part on the Pokrovsk front. Starting with a video that showing the movement of units during the breakthrough.
luisenriqueo.bsky.social | BlueSky
Azov Corps wiped out a Russian brigade in 16 days. Moscow sends another one | EuroMaidanPress
After three weeks of hard fighting, the Ukrainian 1st Azov Corps and adjacent units have squeezed and cut up the 15-km salient that Russian infiltrators carved out of Ukrainian territory near the the village of Dobropillya, northeast of the fortress town of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
But Russian reinforcements are rolling in, opening a new—and unpredictable—phase in the battle for the Dobropillya salient. “The enemy’s penetration near Dobropillya remains a dynamic section on the front line where neither side can seize the initiative,” the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies noted. It’s more apparent than ever that the Russian penetration toward Dobropillya, which sits astride one of two main supply roads into besieged Pokrovsk, was bigger and more dangerous than some analysts initially concluded.
In fact, it was a breakthrough, albeit one that mostly moved at a walking pace. Over a period of several months, the Russian 51st Combined Arms Army redeployed almost all of its brigades northeast of Pokrovsk, including the 1st, 5th, 9th, 110th and 132nd Motor Rifle Brigades. While the 132nd Motor Rifle Brigade slipped past empty Ukrainian trenches and marched on Dobropillya, the other four brigades attacked toward Rodynsky, at the bottom of the eventual salient.
The scale of the Ukrainian response, and the resulting spike in Russian losses, underscored the seriousness of the situation for Kyiv. If it had captured Dobropillya, the 132nd Motor Rifle Brigade would’ve cut the T0515 road, leaving the Ukrainian garrison in Pokrovsk dependent on just one other road threading into the town from the northwest—a road that itself is in danger of being overrun.
In addition to the 1st Azov Corps, Ukraine redeployed elements from the 79th and 82nd Air Assault Brigades, 1st and 425th Assault Regiments, 25th Assault Battalion, 2nd Battalion of the 92nd Assault Brigade, 32nd and 93rd Mechanized Brigades, 38th Marine Brigade, 14th National Guard Brigade and the Birds of Magyar drone brigade.
It’s a powerful Ukrainian force. And in the first few weeks of its counterattack, it enjoyed a decisive advantage in troops, tanks, armed ground robots and drones. The 132nd Motor Rifle Brigade’s troopers had marched toward Dobropillya “only with weapons in their hands,” Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Between Aug. 4 and 20, the Ukrainian corps killed, wounded or captured nearly 1,600 Russians, according to the the Ukrainian general staff in Kyiv. That’s nearly the entire front-line strength of the 132nd Motor Rifle Brigade.
But a few Russian survivors are still clinging to positions in Zolotyi Kolodyaz, at the top of the salient, and now the Russian 51st Combined Arms Army is deploying additional forces at the bottom of the salient. Despite heavy losses and the near-destruction of its initial penetration toward Dobropillya, the 51st Combined Arms Army isn’t defeated—and probably won’t give up. The army “will try to advance as deeply as possible to Dobropillya,” CDS predicted. And if it manages to finally capture the village, CDS predicted the 51st Combined Arms Army could “sharply worsen the prospects for the defense of not only Dobropillya and Pokrovsk, but also Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka” on the other side of the salient.
Pokrovsk direction: On the southern approaches to Pokrovsk, the enemy continues to apply pressure! The main focus is on FPV drones, which are constantly operating in whole swarms. Overall, they are targeting strongpoints, bases, and trying to track infantry movements. This is accompanied by intense artillery and mortar fire.
It is especially hot in the area of Pershyi Travnia near ponds No. 4 and No. 5 — this section remains a "gray zone." The enemy tries to enter with assault groups, occasionally entering groves and outer streets, but they fail to firmly establish themselves. The fighting there hardly subsides: sometimes our forces push the enemy back, then they try to creep forward again under drone cover.
Also, the enemy tries to advance from the southwest in small groups, first bombarding our positions with "kamikaze" drones, then sending infantry, but they are repelled at the exit. On our side, FPV drones are also actively working — this allows us to quickly cut off enemy groups while they are still approaching.
Pokrovsko-Dobropilskyi direction: I'll start right away with Rodynske, the enemy is trying to launch attacks from the east and partially from the northeast, trying to reach the mine and spoil tip to control the heights, the fighting is very fierce. Also, in some places, the enemy is entering the industrial zone of the Mirnograd Central Coal Preparation Plant, our forces there are holding the defense and pushing the invaders back – the pressure is enormous.
Similarly, the enemy tried to infiltrate through Kucheriv Yar–Vesele and to Zolotyi Kolodiaz. Now it seems calm, part of the Russians were destroyed – another part was pushed back with severe injuries. Regarding the settlement of Volodymyrivka: the enemy claimed that the village is completely under their control. Yes, there were attacks but the enemy has not fully secured it yet! They also did not reach Shakhove, there are too many enemy attempts, probably things are tough for them!
Overall, our fighters are holding the defense, enduring heavy strikes from aviation, drones, and heavy artillery. In some areas, we are trying to attack to regain lost positions, the situation is unstable but we maintain control over key lines!
Decisive reserve forces clash on eastern front may seal fate of Dobropillia, Pokrovsk [Dobropillia Map] [Pokrovsk Map]
![[Dobropillia Map]](https://static.espreso.tv/uploads/photobank/414000_415000/414713_Map_Dobropilla_serpenx_2108_new_1920x1080_0.webp){kind=link}
![[Pokrovsk Map]](https://static.espreso.tv/uploads/photobank/414000_415000/414712_Map_Pokrovsxk_serpenx_2108_new_1920x1080_0.webp){kind=link}
Within a few days, Ukrainian troops cut through the salient in the area of Vilne, recaptured Dorozhne and Nykanoryvka, and continued the offensive from there toward Maiak. From the other flank, from Volodymyrivka, the Defense Forces entered Maiak and established positions in its northern part, thus maximally narrowing the supply road. Without proper support, the Russian Armed Forces' offensive faltered, and the Ukrainian army regained Rubizhne, Zolotyi Kolodiaz, Vesele, and Hruzke. In Kucherevyi Yar, the Russians found themselves encircled and began retreating south from the village. Within a few days, the Russians lost over 1,100 killed and over 400 wounded.
However, the invaders also understood the necessity of supporting their field commanders' adventure and threw additional reserves to help, which hurried from the east to remove the threat of encirclement. In recent days of fierce counterbattles, the Russian Armed Forces again expanded their wedge between Nykanoryvka and Shakhove, and also prevented the encirclement of troops in Kucherevyi Yar. In addition, the Russian army is advancing on Volodymyrivka and trying to occupy Rusyn Yar to maximally expand the wedge zone. Time has come down to days that will decide not only the situation on this battlefield, but also the further fate of Dobropillia, Pokrovsk, and even Kostiantynivka. If the Russians can establish themselves here, these cities will be in great danger of capture.
While the enemy was distracted by the offensive to the north, the Defense Forces were able to recapture part of the road north of Rodynske and partially removed the threat of taking the village in pincers. Meanwhile, the Russian troops are conducting battles on the northern outskirts of Rodynske, and also attacking Chervonyi Lyman. So far without success.
However, taking advantage of the fact that the Defense Forces transferred part of their reserves to Dobropillia, the Russians stormed the outskirts of Myrnohrad from the direction of Hrodivka. Here they managed to break through 2 kilometers to the village of Promin. From the southwestern flank, the invaders are still attacking Zvirove, while the Defense Forces, who previously expelled enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups from Leontovychi and Pokrovsk itself, are conducting counter-attacks. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are also successfully repelling the offensive by invaders attempting to drive a wedge between Udachne and Molodetske in order to resume the western encirclement of Pokrovsk, an effort they abandoned half a year ago.
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u/Well-Sourced 16d ago edited 16d ago
Second part on the rest of the front north to south.
The Russian forces have shifted focus and are moving troops from north to south. Fighting has dropped sharply in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions but ramped up around Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Dobropillia, and the Novopavlivka area. The Orikhiv and Huliaipole fronts may see major escalation soon.
While in the Kharkiv region on the northern outskirts of Kupiansk, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are pushing back the invading Russian forces from the outer streets, the enemy has directed its efforts toward breaking through to Borova, which also holds defense along the Oskil River. This week, the Russians managed to expand their zone of control on a 7-kilometer-wide section of the front between Lozova and Zelenyi Hai. At the same time, this capture cannot be called a breakthrough – the Russians occupied part of the gray zone where the Defense Forces had not been present for a long time. And the front here moves like wet wood burns – once every few months there is local advancement that doesn't even solve anything tactically. For example, in the village of Zahryzlove, the Russians have been stuck for over a year. [Map]
We have begun losing the legendary forest massif where the Ukrainian Armed Forces held defense since 2022. The capture of the Serebrianskyi Reserve will unambiguously have a negative impact on both the Siversk and Lyman fronts, as through it Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups will be able to reach almost close to Lyman through the forest, and also cross the Siverskyi Donets and emerge in the rear of Siversk. Already now, isolated attempts at advancing on the previously completely rear village of Yampil are being recorded.
Due to the Defense Forces' retreat from a significant part of the forest, the enemy managed to advance in Hryhorivka in the direction of Serebrynka, which the Russians regularly raid. On the northern edge of the forest, the invaders have not only almost completely occupied Torske, but have also crossed the Chornyi Zherebets River in two places and begun fighting for Zarichne, which is the key to Lyman. Both fronts are in a significant crisis, which so far has no good options for resolution. If the situation develops similarly, then in autumn fighting will begin for Siversk and Lyman, which was planned by the Russians. [Map]
Near Novopavlivka itself, the front has held almost unshakably for nearly a month. The invading Russian forces are not rushing to storm the Ukrainian powerful fortified area head-on. They, as always, want to use the strategy of flanking maneuvers. To bypass the settlement from the north, they need to cross the Solona River, but it now serves well as a defensive line for both Novopavlivka and Pokrovsk. The only thing the enemy has managed to do here in several weeks is occupy two fields near Muravka.
From the south, the Russians are restrained by the Vovcha River. Here they finally occupied Oleksiivka after half a year of fighting, but couldnot overcome Ukrainian defense near Dachne. Therefore, they take positions along the river and look for weak points to cross it. In recent days, they approached the shore in the area of the village of Filiia. [Map]
However, the further south, the more fragile Ukrainian defense becomes. Overall, the Novopavlivka direction has the worst dynamics of Russian advancement from 5 to 9 square kilometers per day. And what's worse – the Russian troops are advancing along a fairly wide front of 40 kilometers – from Zeleny Hai south of Novopavlivka, to Malynivka, which is near Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia. Having advanced near Zeleny Hai, the enemy managed to surprise Andriivka Klevtsova, but the Defense Forces pushed the invaders out of the village, destroying a significant number of them. In the area of Voskresenska and Piddubnoe, the Defense Forces continue to hold part of their positions, but the Russian army, bypassing them, is trying to break through further into Dnipropetrovsk region. They have advanced between Voskresenska and Maliivka, and are also preparing to attack Sichnevе. Both villages are already located outside the Donetsk region. Even further south, the Russians completely captured Vilne Pole and broke through 4 kilometers to the west and began storming Komyshuvakha.
It is here between Komyshuvakha and Temyrivka that there is a junction of three regions: Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia, and the Russians have already captured this conditional three-way border. [Map]
After the occupation of Temyrivka, the Russians expanded their activity even further south, where they wanted to create a threat of encircling Huliaipole from the north. Particularly in the area of Poltavka, the Russian Armed Forces are advancing from two flanks: conducting battles for Malynivka, and also advancing on a 5-kilometer front near Olhivske. Currently, the Defense Forces cannot find countermeasures and stabilize the front, which supposedly should have been ready for defense long ago, but as it turned out, has weak defense lines in certain sections and troops unprepared for defense. Probably in the coming weeks, this direction may become even more threatening than Pokrovsk.
90 Russians killed, 5 captured in battles near Dnipropetrovsk Oblast border | New Voice of Ukraine
Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense released footage on Aug. 22 of combat operations near the administrative border of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, resulting in the elimination of over 90 Russian soldiers.
Special forces from the Bratstvo unit, part of the HUR’s Tymur special unit, together with the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), successfully completed a combat mission and halted the advance of Russian forces in Donetsk Oblast. During the assaults, over 90 Russian soldiers were killed, and 5 were taken prisoner. Drone operators conducted over 400 combat sorties. HUR special forces identified and eliminated several Russian groups attempting to plant Russian flags on territory not controlled by Russia to falsely claim control of settlements.
![[Map]](https://static.espreso.tv/uploads/photobank/414000_415000/414718_Map_Borova_serpenx_2108_new_1920x1080_0.webp){kind=link}
![[Map]](https://static.espreso.tv/uploads/photobank/414000_415000/414714_Map_Siversxk-Liman_serpenx_2108_new_1920x1080_0.webp){kind=link}
![[Map]](https://static.espreso.tv/uploads/photobank/414000_415000/414711_Map_Novopavlivka_serpenx_2108_new_1920x1080_0.webp){kind=link}
![[Map]](https://static.espreso.tv/uploads/photobank/414000_415000/414719_Map_Gulajpole_serpenx_2108_new_1920x1080_0.webp){kind=link}
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u/SerpentineLogic 17d ago
In pointy-bits-down-under news, Australia orders $97M worth of Javelin CLUs from the US.
The new notification covers the 161 launch units as well as non-Major Defense Equipment items such as Javelin LwCLU Basic Skills Trainers, missile simulation rounds, battery coolant units, electronic technical manuals, operator manuals, spare parts, tool kits, training, and associated logistics and program support. The package also includes system integration, check-out, and engineering and contractor support services.
Also, the Australian Government mentions that air to air combat is on the cards for its fighter drone collaboration with Boeing Australia.
The aircraft have previously completed testing earlier this year, in which a single human operator onboard a RAAF E-7A Wedgetail was able to successfully control two Ghost Bat aircraft in a mission against airborne targets.
"We plan to conduct an MQ-28A air-to-air weapon firing test (with missiles) later this year. The government has approved the development of three next-generation Ghost Bats with an enhanced design and improved capabilities,” Minister Conroy said.
"If we take it to the next stage, which is full production, it will be built right here in Queensland.”
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