Between January 2 and 7, units of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces struck 21 Russian targets deep in enemy territory and in occupied areas, their commander Major Robert “Magyar” Brovdi reported. This was not a single strike, but a series of coordinated attacks that complement the daily operations of drone units at the front.
Overall, thanks to Madyar’s team’s successful operations, the enemy lost over 33,000 servicemen in December alone, according to confirmed cases, while actual losses are believed to be even higher, the General Staff reported.
Targets Hit
The strikes targeted oil refineries, oil hubs, chemical plants, and military logistics. According to Brovdi, the affected facilities included:
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the Energia defence plant (Lipetsk region), which produces power sources for missiles and aerial munitions;
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Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery (Samara region);
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Almetyevsk oil hub (Republic of Tatarstan);
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Afipsky oil refinery (Krasnodar region);
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Ryazan oil refinery (Ryazan region);
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Yaroslavl oil refinery (Yaroslavl);
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Kirovo-Chepetsk chemical plant (Kirov region);
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Dorogobuzh chemical plant (Smolensk region);
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Vypolzovo oil depot (Belgorod region);
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logistics hubs and ammunition and fuel depots in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions;
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as well as elements of the enemy’s aviation infrastructure, including airfields and air bases.
Strikes Deep in the Rear
Deep strikes are carried out alongside active operations by Ukraine’s Defence Forces on the frontline. According to the Unmanned Systems Forces, their units hit 648 enemy targets in a single day, and nearly 5,000 targets during the first six days of January alone. December marked a record month in terms of effectiveness for these units.
Ukraine’s General Staff also confirmed a strike on the Oskolneftesnab oil depot in Russia’s Belgorod region, which supplied fuel to Russian forces, triggering a large-scale fire. In addition, a logistics warehouse belonging to Russia’s 20th Motor Rifle Division was damaged in the temporarily occupied part of Donetsk region. Earlier, storage tanks at the strategic Temp oil depot in Yaroslavl region were also reported damaged.
Conclusions
Drones and modern technology have long reshaped the course of the war, becoming key instruments of combat. The Unmanned Systems Forces play a central role in this effort. Strikes on Russian factories, fuel facilities, and logistics hubs do not produce immediate changes on the battlefield, but over time they limit the enemy’s ability to sustain a prolonged and stable war.
Overall, since their creation, personnel of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces have carried out over 832,000 combat sorties and struck Russian targets worth $20 billion, their press service reported.
