Russian Forces Bet on Bad Weather to Advance—Ukrainian Drones Made Them Pay, Video

Russian forces attempting to exploit harsh winter weather to push forward near the city of Kostyantynivka were repelled by Ukrainian Armed Forces, whose drones destroyed enemy infantry and armored vehicles, according to footage released on January 12.

Videos showing the strikes were published on social media by Ukraine’s 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade, and feature drone operations carried out by several Ukrainian units, including UAV teams from “Spalakh,” Kurt&Company, the 2nd MB Libertas, and the brigade’s 1st Mechanized Battalion.

According to Ukrainian troops, rapidly changing weather conditions—including abnormal warmth, freezing rain, and snowstorms—prompted Russian forces to move more openly, assuming poor visibility would reduce the effectiveness of Ukrainian reconnaissance and strike drones.

According to Ukrainian soldiers, that calculation proved costly.

“The elements are raging near Kostyantynivka—from abnormal warmth to icy rain and blizzards. The Russians are trying to take advantage of it and move their equipment and infantry more openly.”

“Warriors of the 28th Brigade unleashed a storm of drones on the occupiers and neutralized a camouflaged ‘barn tank,’ burned an MT-LB, several pieces of equipment, and eliminated around two dozen occupiers,” Ukrainian soldiers said.

Earlier, Ukrainian drone operators from the Hart Brigade struck a Russian tractor that had been repurposed for military use on the Southern Slobozhansky axis.

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