Ukrainian strike drones targeted a Russian dugout along the front lines of the war-torn country, new footage appears to show, as the grueling attritional war shows no signs of letting up ahead of its 2-year anniversary.
In a brief clip posted by Ukraine's State Border Guard Service on Sunday, filmed by airborne drones, it appears to show the bombing of Russian positions at an unspecified point along the front lines. The drones destroyed a Russian vehicle, the border guard said, without providing additional detail.
The video is attributed to the country's "Border of Steel" brigade, created as part of Kyiv's push to recruit new soldiers in the early months of 2023, according to Reuters. Border of Steel is one eighth of a host of new storm brigades, comprised of around 40,000 soldiers, that Ukraine was training early last year, the news agency reported in April 2023.
Newsweek could not independently verify the clip, and has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
Ukraine frequently publishes combat footage showing its fleet of drones in action against Russian troops in hotspots along the frontlines.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has amassed a "drone army," developing new airborne vehicles and fundraising for more. The drones cover nearly every aspect of the fighting, from reconnaissance to suicide drone strikes and guiding artillery fire.
Kyiv's fighters frequently deploy kamikaze drones to target Russian armored vehicles and even heavy main battle tanks. The explosive drones are inexpensive, often using commercially bought parts, and can pack a punch against an enemy's vehicles or its personnel.
По позиціях ворога влучно «відпрацювали» ударні дрони прикордонників бригади Гвардії наступу «Сталевий кордон»Втрати противника уточнюються🔥
Russia has also worked to bolster its stockpiles of drones, maintaining aerial assaults using Iranian-designed Shahed loitering munitions. The drones have been widely deployed in the almost 24 months of war, often against targets like Ukraine's energy networks.
On Saturday, Ukraine's air force said Russia had launched 14 Shahed attack drones at Ukraine, largely focusing on energy infrastructure in the country's southeast Dnipropetrovsk region.
Ukrainian air defenses destroyed nine of the incoming uncrewed aerial vehicles, Kyiv said.
Ukrenergo, Ukraine's national electricity grid operator, said in a statement that energy equipment had been damaged, including in the city of Kryvyi Rih. A substation and two high-voltage lines were effected due to shelling and falling debris from drones, Ukrenergo said.
Serhii Lysak, the head of the Ukrainian regional military administration for the Dnipropetrovsk region, said on Sunday that electricity had been restored in Kryvyi Rih and the surrounding areas.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ellie Cook is a Newsweek security and defense reporter based in London, U.K. Her work focuses largely on the Russia-Ukraine ... Read more
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