Category: War in Ukraine

“Crimean Power Switch Off”: Ukraine Says Month-Long Drone Campaign Has Hit 164 Energy Targets

Jul 29, 2026 19:12

3 min read

Authors: Roman Kohanets
News Writer

Thermal drone footage released by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces appears to show a strike on a reported energy infrastructure target. (Source: Official Telegram channel of the Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)

Ukrainian drones struck 10 more power substations in occupied Crimea and other Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory on July 28 and 29, raising the claimed total for a month-long campaign to 164 energy targets.

The report was posted online on July 29 by Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS).

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Brovdi shared a video of the reported strikes on Telegram, captioning it: "Crimean Power Switch Off."

The strikes targeted power infrastructure across occupied Crimea and parts of southern and eastern Ukraine. Six substations were listed in Crimea, including facilities in Feodosia and Yevpatoria, as well as three sites in Kerch.

Ukrainian forces also reported hitting three substations near Kairka and Pershokostiantynivka in the occupied Kherson region, plus another facility in Zaporizke, Luhansk region.

Infographic showing the 10 power substations that Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces reported striking across occupied Crimea and the temporarily occupied parts of the Kherson and Luhansk regions on July 28–29, 2026. Reported targets are grouped by location and voltage level. (Source: Official Telegram channel of the Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) — Infographic showing the 10 power substations that Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces reported striking across occupied Crimea and the temporarily occupied parts of the Kherson and Luhansk regions on July 28–29, 2026. Reported targets are grouped by location and voltage level. (Data: Official Telegram channel of the Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)

Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS) carried out the strikes, the post stated. It credited the 414th Separate Brigade "Magyar's Birds" and its "Kairos" battalion, the SBS's 1st center, and the 20th Separate Brigade 'K-2.

Footage published to the channel showed strikes on 28 energy nodes between July 25 and July 29. The unit reported the running count of energy targets for the operation at 164 between July 1 and July 29.

A frame from a video published by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces shows drones approaching a reported power substation target in occupied Crimea. (Source: Official Telegram channel of the Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)

The count had been climbing through the month. By July 6, Magyar's Birds reported 38 energy facilities struck in temporarily occupied Crimea and the Donbas since the start of July.

The "Moynaky" substation in Yevpatoria, among the July 28–29 targets, had already been hit on July 10, when a drone strike triggered a fire there.

On July 19, the unit reported striking 13 power facilities and four Russian shadow-fleet vessels in a single overnight operation that engaged 59 targets.

Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, who commands the SBS and the 414th brigade, said in May that Ukraine would concentrate on vulnerable energy targets on Russia's periphery rather than its most heavily defended sites.

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