Ukrainian border guard pilots from the Phoenix unit have set a new operational record in October, destroying more than 200 enemy drones. According to the unit's official report, this figure represents a 50% increase compared to September, marking a significant escalation in Ukraine's counter-drone activity along the front.
The Phoenix unit, operating within Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, has become one of the most effective air interception units since the beginning of russia's full-scale invasion.
The October results highlight not only growing pilot skill and tactical coordination but also the effectiveness of Ukraine's layered air defense network, which integrates small interceptor teams into a broader national system.
Among the downed aerial targets were russian Molniya strike drones, as well as reconnaissance UAVs of the Orlan and ZALA series – key assets in Moscow's intelligence-gathering and target-acquisition operations.
The Phoenix pilots' results are particularly significant considering that these interceptor teams often operate autonomously and under intense electronic jamming. Their ability to maintain a growing success rate under such conditions underscores both improved technical support and accumulated battlefield experience.
As Defense Express previously reported, the Ukrainian Navy have successfully carried out a precision strike using the Neptune cruise missiles against two critical energy facilities in russia's Oryol region – the Oryol Thermal Power Plant and the Novobryansk electrical substation.
Read more: Ukrainian Navy Strikes russian Energy Infrastructure with the Neptune Missiles Deep Inside Enemy Territory
