Emerging
Published Jun 18, 2026Updated Jun 191
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Ukraine's Elite Drone Units Wage Sustained Campaign Against Russian Military Logistics
Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces are conducting a sustained "middle strike" campaign using elite drone units to target Russian military logistics and supply chains across occupied southern Ukraine. Since mid-April, approximately 5,000-8,000 personnel operating roughly 10 veteran combat units have destroyed hundreds of fuel trucks and dismantled Russian supply routes supporting an estimated 250,000-300,000 Russian ground forces.
Quick Facts
- Air bombardment campaign targeting Russian military logistics
- Destruction of fuel trucks
- Shutdown of Russian supply chains
- Attacks on Russian air defenses, command posts, and rail infrastructure
- Strike on Morozovsk airfield damaging 3-5 Russian aircraft
Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) have launched a relentless air bombardment campaign targeting Russian military logistics and supply chains across occupied southern Ukraine. The operation, designated the "middle strike" campaign, began in mid-April with the dual objective of degrading Russian supplies to frontline forces and severing logistics links between Russian-occupied Crimea and occupied territories in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.
The campaign is conducted by approximately 10 of Ukraine's most experienced combat-seasoned drone units, with the entire mobilized force numbering between 5,000 and 8,000 personnel. These elite units, typically comprising 300-500 personnel each capable of deploying 30-40 kamikaze attack aircraft and reconnaissance drones per strike package, have achieved significant results. In June alone, these operations destroyed hundreds of fuel trucks and shut down Russian supply chains across territory roughly the size of Belgium, according to geolocated battle video analysis and unit statements.
The 1st Separate Center USF, founded in 2022 by Ukrainian special operations veterans and established as a premier medium and long-range strike unit by 2023, specializes in attacks on high-value targets including Russian air defenses, command posts, fuel depots, and rail infrastructure. The unit notably struck Russia's Morozovsk airfield on June 13, 2024, capturing and damaging 3-5 Russian aircraft. The 414th Brigade "Ptakhi Madyara" (Madyar's Birds), the world's first military drone battalion established in January 2024 under commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, participates in the broader campaign alongside other specialized units.
The coordinated drone offensive targets an estimated 250,000-300,000 Russian Federation ground forces, predominantly under Russia's 5th and 8th Combined Arms Armies, now under constant around-the-clock attack on their supply routes. The campaign represents a strategic effort to degrade Russian military capacity by systematically dismantling the logistics infrastructure supporting Russian operations across multiple occupied regions of Ukraine.
Why This Matters
Ukraine's systematic destruction of Russian military logistics through elite drone units represents a critical shift in asymmetric warfare—using lower-cost, distributed drone assets to degrade the supply chains sustaining a much larger conventional force. For readers, this demonstrates how technological innovation and tactical coordination can create strategic pressure on an adversary, with direct implications for the war's trajectory and potential negotiating positions. The campaign's documented success against critical infrastructure like fuel depots and airfields shows that sustained, coordinated drone operations can impose measurable costs on a technologically advanced military.
Timeline & Sources
Jan 1, 2022
Wire1st Separate Center USF founded by Ukrainian special operations veterans
Jan 1, 2023
Wire1st Separate Center established as premier medium and long-range strike unit, hitting Russian airfields, oil depots, and command posts