Ukrainian drones stop Russian assault in Donetsk, destroying tanks and armor
Photo: Ukraine’s drone forces halt Russian offensive in Donetsk region (Getty Images)
Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces have disrupted a Russian offensive in the Donetsk sector, destroying enemy tanks and armored vehicles, according to the Unmanned Systems Forces.
According to the statement, Russian troops are making significant efforts to preserve their armored vehicles. They have limited the use of armor along the front line, reinforced vehicles with additional metal structures, and relied on camouflage.
Despite these measures, coordinated operations by servicemen of the 414th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade Birds of Magyar resulted in Russian tanks and armored vehicles being hit in the Donetsk direction. This thwarted the enemy’s plans to launch assault operations toward the positions of Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
The Unmanned Systems Forces foiled an enemy offensive
— Unmanned Systems Forces (@usf_army) January 14, 2026
The enemy is making significant efforts to preserve its armored vehicles—limiting their use on the front line, reinforcing them with additional metal structures, and employing camouflage.
Despite this, thanks to the… pic.twitter.com/vcsxgbx0nz
Operations of the Unmanned Systems Forces
It should be recalled that on the night of January 13, the Unmanned Systems Forces attacked energy facilities in occupied Mariupol, Donetsk region, and destroyed an ammunition depot in Makiivka.
On January 1, the forces destroyed two high-value Russian air defense systems — a TOR tactical surface-to-air missile system and a 50N6E radar station of the S-350 Vityaz system.
Additionally, on the night of December 30–31, drones of the Unmanned Systems Forces struck a number of Russian military and infrastructure targets in the temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia regions, and Crimea.
More recently, the Unmanned Systems Forces hit several Russian military facilities in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.
On the night of December 30, the forces also struck enemy sites linked to the storage, maintenance, and preparation of attack drone launches at Donetsk airport.
It is also worth noting that in December, the Unmanned Systems Forces eliminated nearly 1.5 times more enemy personnel than in November. Last month, the average daily figure stood at 415 Russian troops.
