Ukrainian Forces Shoot Down Russian Molniya Drone Stalking Civilians in Donetsk Region

In the Donetsk region city of Kostyantynivka, Ukrainian drone-interceptor crews brought down a Russian Molniya UAV that had been stalking civilians.

The 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign reported the incident on Telegram and released video of the interception on November 28.

The brigade said the Russian Molniya entered a residential neighborhood and began circling over houses, searching for targets. It wasn’t merely flying past—at one point, it hovered directly above civilians, appearing ready to strike.

Ukrainian interceptors launched quickly, struck the drone mid-maneuver, and shot it down before it could acquire a target. Those few seconds, the brigade noted, were decisive in saving lives.

Since January, Russian forces have launched more than 82,000 strikes on civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, hitting homes, schools, hospitals, and energy facilities. The figures were announced by Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko during the first meeting of the Coalition of Shelters for Ukraine, Ukrinform reported on November 27.

Deputy Interior Minister Oleksiy Serhiyiv noted that nearly 400,000 attacks on civilian infrastructure have been recorded over the almost four years of full-scale war.

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War in Ukraine

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According to National Police investigators, these strikes have killed 13,669 civilians and injured 48,503. Ukrinform reports that the bombardment has also damaged or destroyed about 200,000 residential buildings, 4,200 educational institutions, and nearly 1,800 medical facilities.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) reported that operators from the 3rd Brigade eliminated a four-man Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group that attempted to break into the frontline city of Pokrovsk on November 26.

According to the SSO, the Russian team tried to enter a multi-story residential building to prepare for a further advance into the city. Ukrainian special operators, monitoring their approach, positioned an ambush along the path of movement and struck the unit before it could reach its objective.

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