Ukraine’s Drone Strike on Russian Dam Cuts Off Troops Near Vovchansk

Ukraine’s Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Brovdi—known by his call sign Madyar—confirmed that Ukrainian drones struck the Belgorod Reservoir dam inside Russia, causing a one-meter drop in water levels.

The strike reportedly cut off Russian troops near Vovchansk in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region from their main forces.

Brovdi announced the operation on his official Telegram channel, saying it was carried out by the “Birds 1” unit of the Unmanned Systems Forces, formerly the 14th regiment.

“The Belgorod Reservoir gave a crack,” he wrote. “Since the magic push, the level has dropped by 100 centimeters.” Brovdi said the operation was named “Dam, Hold On If Anything!”

According to Russian regional authorities, the Belgorod Reservoir dam—located about 20 kilometers southeast of Belgorod—was damaged after several strikes between October 24 and 26. Local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed the structure was hit by rockets fired from a HIMARS system, damaging key components and triggering partial flooding downstream.

Ukraine’s 16th Army Corps later reported that water released from the reservoir flooded Russian trenches and shelters in the Grafivka area, leaving Russian units across the Siverskyi Donets River “effectively isolated.”

Satellite imagery published by the OSINT project Dnipro Osint showed visible damage to the dam’s structure and a significant drop in water level.

The Belgorod Reservoir—sometimes referred to as the “Belgorod Sea”—was constructed in the 1980s to provide water for agriculture and local industry. The surrounding Belgorod region has frequently been used by Russian forces to launch attacks against Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

Earlier, on September 28, a series of reported drone and missile strikes hit energy infrastructure in Russia’s Belgorod region, causing widespread blackouts. According to regional authorities, explosions damaged a thermal power plant and substation, leaving towns like Stary Oskol and Shebekino without electricity and disrupting traffic systems.

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