Ukrainian airborne troops say they destroyed a Russian armored column outside Pokrovsk, killing at least 50 Russian soldiers and knocking out all of the vehicles.
The strike targeted a Russian armored column moving toward Pokrovsk, according to the 79th Separate Air Assault Brigade, which released video of the operation.
On the evening of August 28, Ukrainian reconnaissance detected a Russian mechanized column about 10 kilometers from the front line. The convoy was moving from the village of Progress toward Malynivka and included seven armored vehicles, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, and around a hundred infantry, some riding motorcycles.
After aerial reconnaissance adjusted the targeting, HIMARS struck the column while it was on the move. FPV drones then hit the disorganized group, and rocket artillery followed up on the remaining vehicles.
Ukrainian forces say all of the armored vehicles were destroyed and at least 50 Russian servicemembers were killed. Video published by the Ivan Franko Group UAV operators of the 79th Brigade shows the precision and force of the strike.
Ukrainian paratroopers assessed the group may have belonged to Russiaβs 155th Naval Infantry Brigade, recently redeployed from the Kursk region to Donbas. The appearance of a large column near Pokrovsk could indicate fresh Russian forces arriving - a push that Ukrainian units say they disrupted on the approach.
