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Ukraine's Deep Strike Drone Operations Hit Over 200 Russian Targets, SBU Head Malyuk Reveals
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![Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk]( "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
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The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has become a leader in the country’s defense efforts with its deep strike operations, utilizing drones to hit more than 200 targets in Russia’s rear during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In an interview with the “We-Ukraine” TV channel on August 12, SBU Head General-Lieutenant Vasyl Malyuk discussed the success of these operations and their impact on the battlefield.
“We primarily focus on how to support the front and help the soldier on the front lines. To date, we’ve targeted over 200 objects in Russia’s deep rear: military-industrial complexes, logistics centers, and command posts. We’ve also struck their oil extraction and refining industries, which fund the Russian Ministry of Defense with dirty rubles,” Malyuk stated.
“The SBU’s Special Operations Center ‘A’ has been instrumental in this, making it the flagship unit for airstrike operations, not just in the SBU but across Ukraine,” he emphasized.
He highlighted a particularly successful strike on a Russian munitions depot in Toropets, where half of the 120mm mines stockpile was destroyed in a single operation.
“There were 160,000 tons of enemy ammunition. Half of the 120mm mines were wiped out. It was a massive success. We used 120 drones, with another 20 launched by other Defense Forces units,” he said. According to Malyuk, unity among Ukraine’s forces played a key role in these successful operations.
The SBU head also spoke about the unit’s active involvement in frontline combat, stressing that operations are conducted regularly along the entire front line, including general military operations, tactical group missions, and counter-diversion activities.
“On the front, we’re working constantly, rotating through various operations,” Malyuk added.
One of the innovations in Ukraine’s warfare tactics is the use of drone-storm operations, with the SBU employing new methods to engage the Russian forces. One of the first examples of this was the assault on a Russian forward operating base in the Kursk region.
“Last year, we stormed a Russian outpost near Sverdlikovo, with over 100 Russian troops stationed there. We initiated drone preparations, sending drones into every opening of the outpost, and then ground robotics took over. Our soldiers stormed the base in small tactical groups while our FPVs provided aerial support. Once we made contact with the enemy, we struck with drones,” Malyuk explained. During the operation, 102 Russian soldiers were captured, and over 20 were neutralized.
The SBU continues to conduct drone-storm operations across the front lines.
“This week, for example, in the Pokrovsk direction, small enemy groups infiltrated the city. They call it the ‘small cuts’ tactic, where they spread out in basements and houses. In response, we conducted counter-diversion operations, thoroughly checking every corner. We neutralized many of them and captured a few,” Malyuk added.
The SBU’s success in deep strike operations is attributed to the effective use of UAVs and a unified effort across various branches of the Ukrainian military. Malyuk stated that the SBU’s Special Operations Center continues to lead these high-stakes operations, with growing support from other Ukrainian units.
Earlier, it was reported that long-range drones operated by the SBU targeted a logistics hub in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan on the morning of August 9, according to the agency’s press service. The facility, located in the settlement of Kzyl-Yul about 1,300 kilometers from Ukraine, was used to store Shahed drones ready for deployment as well as foreign-made components. The strike was carried out by the SBU’s Special Operations Center “A.”
