Strikes by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces
Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces have launched a fresh wave of medium-range strikes targeting Russian air defense and supply networks in the occupied south. This campaign, which began in late 2025, aims to systematically degrade Russian anti-air capabilities and logistics routes using inexpensive, locally produced drones. The primary objectives are Russian air defense systems, command posts, and logistical infrastructure.
According to reports, the first targets in this campaign included Russian air defense launchers and radar systems. On May 21, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a strike on an FSB headquarters and the destruction of a Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile system in temporarily occupied territory. On the night of May 15, units from the Unmanned Systems Forces carried out 55 strikes against 23 Russian targets in Crimea, Taganrog, and Yeysk, among them a Be-200 aircraft, a Ka-27 helicopter, and a Tor-M2 air defense system. Notably, roads in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea have been partially closed to non-military traffic due to drone attacks, and the R-280 highway to Dzhankoy is now restricted to medical, food, fuel, and military convoys only.
Drone technology in modern warfare
The drones used in this campaign include the FP-2, produced by Fire Point, which carries a 200 kg warhead and can engage targets up to 370 km away. This enables strikes at ranges beyond 40–50 km but shorter than 200–300 km, where long-range artillery and cruise or ballistic missiles typically operate. In 2022, the United States supplied Ukraine with HIMARS launchers and GMLRS rockets with a range of about 85 km, which were used to destroy large Russian ammunition depots.
Crimea has essentially become a shooting range
Jakub Janovsky, OSINT analyst and administrator of the Oryx project
The benefits of neutralizing Russian air defense include:
- pushing protective cover away from the front line,
- creating gaps in the air defense network,
- forcing the enemy to expend expensive missiles on cheap drones.
Russian pro-war bloggers have compared burning columns of trucks to scenes from the Soviet-Afghan war, highlighting the severe impact of Ukrainian strikes on Russian supply routes.
The escalation of conflict in southern Ukraine through drone strikes underscores the growing role of technology in modern warfare. Destroying Russian air defense and logistics lines could significantly shift the regional balance of power by limiting the enemy’s ability to conduct operations. This campaign also reflects the increasing autonomy of Ukraine’s military in deploying unmanned systems, which may shape the future strategies of both sides in the conflict.
The recent drone strikes not only target military assets but also significantly disrupt supply routes in the occupied southern regions. This has led to a logistics lockdown on critical roads, hampering Russian operations and enhancing Ukraine's strategic position. For a detailed overview of how these drone tactics are reshaping the battlefield dynamics, read more about the logistics challenges imposed by Ukrainian drones.