Special operations deep inside enemy territory again showcased Ukraine's ability to strike where the occupier felt safe. A joint operation by fighters from the 73rd Maritime Special Operations Center together with operatives of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine carried out a special reconnaissance mission in a region of the russian federation, setting the conditions for a decisive ambush on moving enemy transport. The engagement ended with the destruction of the vehicle and the death of three russian servicemen.
The action began as an intelligence-driven reconnaissance task: the special group tracked and identified enemy movement, then established a concealed position to intercept. The report highlights the classic SOF approach, gather actionable intelligence, pick the right place and time, and apply overwhelming, surgical force, which in this case neutralized both personnel and materiel with minimal exposure to the assault team.
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Beyond the immediate tactical effect, the operation returned valuable material evidence. After completing a series of tasks on enemy soil, Ukrainian operators exfiltrated to friendly territory carrying documents and weapons taken from the destroyed enemy.
Those items have clear intelligence value: documents can reveal unit dispositions, supply chains, or plans, while weapons can be forensically examined to trace supply sources or usage patterns.
An especially noteworthy trophy was an autonomous motion sensor reportedly used by the Border Service of the Federal Security Service to monitor stretches of the state border. Capturing such a device has multiple benefits: it provides technical insight into the hardware and deployment practices used by russian border forces, offers opportunities to develop countermeasures, and has symbolic value by showing that even perimeter-security systems are vulnerable.
As Defense Express previously reported, operators of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces have once again demonstrated the effectiveness of drones on the battlefield. Near the settlement of Kotliarivka, the 59th Separate Assault Brigade's Stepovi khyzhaky drone unit destroyed russian Mi-8 transport and combat helicopter using an FPV drone. This strike highlights how relatively low-cost systems can neutralize enemy assets worth millions of dollars.
Read more: $6 Million russian Mi-8 Helicopter Was Destroyed by Ukrainian FPV Drone (Video)
