Day 1237
On 14 Jule, there is a lot of news from the Borova direction.
Here, the Ukrainian Third Assault Brigade conducted a groundbreaking operation by employing FPV drones alongside ground-based kamikaze drones to attack fortified Russian infantry positions. This forced the Russians into panic and allowed the Ukrainians to recapture territory without even setting their foot on the ground.
The Ukrainian Third Assault Brigade, now the leading formation within Ukraine’s Third Army Corps after recent restructuring, operates in the Borova direction and is frequently deployed in offensive operations across the entire sector. Renowned for its battle-hardened capabilities, the brigade works closely with local units, demonstrating exceptional planning, tactical precision, and advanced assault methods that set the standard for modern warfare.
This status was recently confirmed through an unprecedented achievement: they executed the world’s first successful assault entirely using air and ground drones, capturing Russian-held positions without deploying infantry.
During the assault, FPV drones first struck enemy fortifications, causing severe damage and panic among the defending troops. Following this, unmanned ground vehicles loaded with powerful explosives moved toward the already battered Russian dugouts. As the first drone, loaded with anti-tank mines detonated, the Russian soldiers became aware of the imminent death threat and quickly created a makeshift cardboard sign to signal their surrender. With no Ukrainian soldiers physically present to engage, the enemy troops found themselves defenseless against this innovative, drone-only offensive.
After their surrender, the surviving Russian soldiers were guided by an aerial drone directly to Ukrainian lines, where they were taken prisoner without resistance.
Shortly afterward, Ukrainian infantry calmly entered and secured the captured positions, including nearby forested terrain, without firing a single shot or spilling a drop of Ukrainian blood. Officers from the Third Assault Brigade emphasized the significant tactical value of this operation, highlighting that the positions had previously resisted conventional assaults by neighboring Ukrainian units. The success achieved solely through drone warfare marked a crucial turning point.
The tactical logic behind the combined use of aerial and ground drones is straightforward but effective. While aerial drones excel in reconnaissance, target identification, and precision strikes, ground-based UGVs offer complementary capabilities due to their higher payload capacity, improved concealment, and ground-level approach.
Ukrainian ground drones, many of them affordable and domestically produced, can carry significantly heavier explosives compared to airborne drones, making them ideal for breaching reinforced enemy positions or performing destructive assaults from a new unexpected perspective. Additionally, ground drones provide versatile battlefield support; beyond offensive roles, they serve as evacuation vehicles, resupply carriers, or even remote-controlled mining platforms.
Ukraine’s latest advancement, the ground drone Termit, illustrates these capabilities effectively, being a highly mobile, tracked robotic system capable of carrying up to 300 kilograms. Its low-profile, tracked chassis ensures smooth operation across various terrains, and its powerful battery enables several hours of continuous, remote operation over substantial distances. This versatility allows it to function as a kamikaze system, a medical evacuation device, a combat module carrier, or a resupply unit. Such technologies increase Ukraine’s tactical flexibility and significantly reduce the exposure of infantry to lethal threats on the frontline.
The Third Assault Brigade continues to lead innovation in warfare, marking a distinct evolution in combat operations. Although drones had been extensively utilized before for softening enemy positions, reconnaissance, and support tasks, successfully capturing enemy-held territory exclusively through drone technology represents a new era in ground combat operations. Given Ukraine’s ongoing manpower constraints and the critical need to minimize human casualties, drone-driven assaults offer invaluable advantages.
Overall, the revolutionary Ukrainian drone-only assault likely marks a cornerstone moment in modern warfare history that will continue shaping its future. It underscores Ukraine’s commitment to continuous technological innovation under extraordinary wartime pressures. Ukrainian military developers and engineers are tirelessly working to enhance drone and robotic capabilities, seeking innovative solutions to counteract Russia’s numerical superiority and evolving battlefield threats.
In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.