Ukrainian Drones Crush Russian Assault, Capture Elusive BMP-1KSh, Video

Ukrainian assault troops thwarted a Russian infantry push near Novopavlivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing at least 15 enemy soldiers, capturing two, and seizing an ultra-rare BMP-1KSh command vehicle, the 59th Separate Assault Brigade announced on November 16.

The 59th Brigade released combat footage and images showing the aftermath of the battle, including destroyed armored vehicles and detained Russian troops.

The unit said the enemy attempted to break through Ukrainian lines but was swiftly neutralized with the support of neighboring forces and drone systems. “There was an attempt—the situation was contained,” the brigade stated in its report.

According to the unit, two Russian BMPs were destroyed during the assault. Two soldiers from the Irkutsk and Omsk regions, recently mobilized in August–September 2025, were captured alive. The rest of the Russian group was “eliminated or disabled on the spot,” the brigade said.

What makes this engagement particularly notable is the capture of a BMP-1KSh, a Soviet-designed, unarmed, mobile command post vehicle. Unlike standard infantry fighting vehicles, the BMP-1KSh features a fixed turret, telescopic antenna, multiple radio and navigation suites, chemical and radiation reconnaissance sensors, and an onboard generator—all meant to support battlefield command operations.

These vehicles are exceedingly rare on the battlefield. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, only 14 BMP-1KShs have been visually confirmed lost—nine destroyed and five captured by Ukraine.

Earlier, Ukrainian marines eliminated two of Russia’s rare PRP-4 reconnaissance combat vehicles during a failed armored assault near the city of Myrnohrad in the Pokrovsk sector.

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