Between January 17 and 19, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces conducted a series of coordinated strikes against high-value military and infrastructure targets in temporarily occupied territories. The operations were confirmed by Robert Brovdi, also known by his call sign Madyar, and reflect a growing emphasis on deep and middle-range precision strikes.
According to Madyar, Ukrainian units disrupted the power supply of key railway infrastructure, destroyed a launcher of the S-300V air defense system, eliminated North Korean-made multiple launch rocket system, and struck two enemy UAV storage facilities. The scope of the operation highlights a deliberate focus on degrading both frontline capabilities and rear-area logistics.
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Among the air defense assets destroyed was the 9A84 self-propelled launcher-loader vehicle from the S-300V unit in Luhansk region. S-300V system is designed to counter aircraft and ballistic threats, and the loss of such a component weakens russian layered air defense coverage in the region.
Ukrainian forces also destroyed North Korean M-1991 240 mm multiple launch rocket system, an analogue of Soviet-era Uragan MLRS. The presence of this system further underscores russia's reliance on foreign-supplied weaponry, including arms originating from North Korea, to sustain its artillery and rocket forces.
A major focus of the strikes was railway energy infrastructure critical for military logistics. Targets included the Sartana traction substation near Mariupol, which powered electric locomotives on the Mariupol-Sartana-Volnovakha-Donetsk line, and the Karan traction substation near Andriivka, supporting rail traffic along the Mariupol-Volnovakha-Komysh-Zoria corridor. Both sites housed high-capacity power transformers essential for sustained rail operations.
In addition, the Azovska 220 kV power substation in Staryi Krym, Donetsk region, was hit. This facility is described as a critical element of the region's industrial and energy supply, making its disruption significant beyond purely military logistics.
The units also destroyed two UAV depots, including one belonging to the 144th Division of russia's 51st Army near Novokrasnianka and another facility in Donetsk. These strikes are likely to reduce the enemy's capacity to conduct reconnaissance and drone-based attacks in the near term.
As Defense Express previously reported, operators of Ukraine's Nemesis 412th Separate Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces reported a significant degradation of russian air defense capabilities over the past week, striking a total of ten air defense assets across several frontline regions.
The attacks targeted both missile launchers and radar systems, underscoring a systematic campaign against one of the enemy's most critical force-protection components.
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