A striking drone image captured from the frontlines in Ukraine unveils the remarkable resilience of defenders in Donetsk, as they repelled one of Russia’s most substantial single attacks of the ongoing conflict.
On March 30, a formidable battalion consisting of 36 Russian tanks and 12 BMP infantry fighting vehicles initiated a full-scale assault towards the Ukrainian town of Tonenke, as part of Vladimir Putin’s forces’ efforts to solidify their gains west of Avdiivka.
Drone footage depicted the advancing line of tanks traversing Ukrainian fields en route to Tonenke, only to encounter a fierce defense mounted by Ukraine’s 25th Airborne Brigade ‘Sicheslav’. With the fields and dirt tracks laden with mines, the armored column from Russia’s 90th tank division found itself slowed, rendering them vulnerable targets for the airborne troopers and their skilled drone operators.
One after another, the Russian tanks fell prey to the onslaught, with drone-mounted cameras capturing the moment several erupted into flames upon being struck by Ukrainian munitions.
Approximately 20 tanks and armored vehicles succumbed to the relentless airborne assault before Russian commanders issued a retreat. These losses, initially reported by Ukrainian authorities, were subsequently verified by Russian milbloggers and corroborated by satellite imagery shared by the Institute for the Study of War.
While the Ukrainian victory in defending Tonenke was significant, similar successes seem scarce elsewhere, as Russian troops persist in a gradual, relentless offensive that has resulted in territorial gains in Donetsk and Kherson. Concurrently, Russian drones targeted energy infrastructure in overnight attacks on Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions, striking an energy facility in the latter.
According to Ukraine’s military, nine drones were intercepted over the Dnipropetrovsk region, causing debris that ignited two fires in the regional capital of Dnipro. All fires were promptly extinguished with no reported casualties.
However, one drone managed to hit a high-voltage substation in the Kirovohrad region, sparking a fire, as confirmed by the Ukrenergo grid operator. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties, and air defenses successfully downed nine out of ten incoming Russian drones, according to the General Staff.
