Huge Russian Convoy Hit by Ukrainian FPV Drones - The Forest Road Became a Death Trap

Indiziert: 2026-05-21

[00:00:05]Drones on the modern battlefield can be used in many different ways. It is no longer only flying UAVs that strike targets. Surface drones have also appeared. GRC's or ground robotic complexes originally adapted for discrete evacuation are also being upgraded for attack missions. While some flying drones can not only burn armored vehicles but also hunt enemy UAVs at high altitude, we have collected a series of episodes showing the diverse but always informative use of these technologies.

[00:00:46]An armored group is moving to attack Ukrainian armed forces positions.

[00:00:51]Artillery fire has opened on the sector, but it misses. The lead vehicle, however, is hit by a drone. The enemy begins maneuvering. Some IFVs stop, and FPV drones immediately find gaps in their protective structures. Other strike drones attack targets while they are moving, even as those vehicles are firing. The enemy turns around, but receives another series of strikes during the retreat.

[00:01:23]A reconnaissance drone flew into the rear and detected a multiple launch rocket system in a firing position. From that distance, the strike drone is not even visible, but it managed to fly far enough using the reconnaissance coordinates and deliver the hit. A powerful explosion instantly tore the system apart and a huge fireball rose high into the sky, turning into a massive cloud of black smoke. The ammunition detonation was so violent that even the nearby trees barely remained standing.

[00:02:00]Ukrainian strike drones attack an enemy armored vehicle during its breakthrough.

[00:02:05]one explosion, then a second, but the armor is not penetrated. An FPV approaches the target and records a third hit, which still cannot stop such a wellprotected IFV. After the fourth strike, it is knocked off the road, but like a wounded animal, it keeps moving a little. After the fifth hit, the IFV rolls onto its side. The sixth strike opens up the protection and only the seventh strike drone finally flies into the hatch. The operation ended without reconnaissance coverage. So the blown up wreckage of the IFV is recorded by the seventh FPV as it performs a confirmation strike. But even seven UAVs against one IFV is still justified.

[00:02:59]A reconnaissance drone records an FPV hit on a Russian APC. After the first explosion, there is immediately a second one, followed by burning fragments flying away from the target, but nearby, an undamaged tank remains. During its attack, the strike drone records an overhead protective structure above the turret. The reconnaissance drone confirms the hit. After that, it confirms that the first target burned to the ground. After the vehicle is destroyed, the entire sector comes under Russian artillery fire. This is an enemy trench line and dugouts. The guns have been dialed in well and tear them apart with a series of powerful explosions while the vehicle that never reached them burns out nearby on the road.

[00:03:54]In this case, an armored column split into several smaller groups is trying to break through, but this is no longer 2022. And every vehicle in the column is reinforced. Overhead structures to absorb the first hit. Explosive reactive armor and mine clearing equipment to protect against munitions dropped onto the road before the assault. Even so, prepared drone teams were waiting for them. A storm of strikes began. Each drone aimed precisely at the target that would best disrupt the entire operation.

[00:04:28]After the initial strikes meant to break the enemy's momentum, more deliberate targeting began. The enemy was forced to concentrate several vehicles in a small area. This reduced the room for maneuver, lowered the overall speed, and allowed the next groups of UAVs to strike with greater precision. The retreat began.

[00:04:50]The minecle clearing element of the first vehicle in the column came under attack. Strikes from the flanks prevented the targets from spreading out. The Russian column was advancing toward the positions of Azovv, one of the most combat capable units of the Ukrainian defense forces, and they had their own answer for every enemy trick.

[00:05:11]By the way, if you want to learn more about elite units from different armies around the world that use UAVs, write it in the comments. Meanwhile, Azov fighters managed to stop the assault and destroy most of the enemy equipment.

[00:05:30]The wide and powerful Dinapro River, which cuts across Ukraine from north to south almost through the middle, is a natural barrier to any Russian advance.

[00:05:40]However, isolated attempts to cross it by boat still happen from time to time despite the counteraction of unmanned systems. But while one boat turned around, another continued its breakthrough on the Dinipro. An FPV catches up with it. Despite the target speed, the drone strikes and the boat loses control. It drifts toward the shore where the next drone hit causes a spectacular detonation.

[00:06:08]But this is not the end. Drone operators keep tracking the remaining intact boats. They have to correctly assess the wind direction, the current, and the distance to the target. Here is the result. A direct hit and a powerful explosion that tears pieces of the hull away. Another boat was found and disabled near the shore with a single hit. Hunting vessels like these is different from fighting armored vehicles. Boats are much less protected, but they also carry very little ammunition that can be detonated. The pilot has to calculate the strike more precisely, and because of the vessel's maneuverability, getting used to this is not easy. Still, Ukrainian pilots have developed a set of effective methods for destroying small enemy boats.

[00:06:56]for example, detonating above the boat to hit the vessel with a large number of fragments, striking the engine, igniting fuel and ammunition if they are on board, and of course, if the boat has stopped, hitting it with good old grenade and munition drops. Usually, one hit is enough to eliminate the target because a small motorboat simply cannot have heavy armor, whether factory-made or improvised.

[00:07:22]That is why accuracy and speed become the key factors in the fight against boats. The scene of a vessel being chased while UAV explosions go off around it one after another looks cinematic. But this is not staged. This is the reality of the Ukrainian armed forces defending the Denipro.

[00:07:44]Destroying even one boat is a serious victory because the river banks are densely overgrown and it is easy to hide there, regroup and launch a covert assault from that point. So drone operators will not let the target go, especially when a reconnaissance drone is tracking it over almost open water.

[00:08:05]Such a hunt can last for hours and end in a powerful explosion after sunset.

[00:08:11]And if a boat is intercepted at night just seconds before it reaches the shore, that is a small victory that is hard to overestimate. The power of the explosion indicates that the target was carrying a large amount of ammunition.

[00:08:26]But now the cargo has been destroyed together with the vessel.

[00:08:35]This is what Ukrainian surface drones look like. These are frames from an occupier reconnaissance drone. They are clearly shocked by this technology.

[00:08:46]Well, if even Trump recently claimed that strikebo type drones are artificial intelligence, then it is hardly surprising. But these are exactly the unmanned systems the Ukrainian armed forces use to strike targets on the water.

[00:09:03]Here is another surface operation, this time at sea. It demonstrates especially clearly how effective the synergy of modern drones of different types can be, as long as they are controlled by experienced operators.

[00:09:19]Aerial reconnaissance detected a Russian special forces unit that had turned a Black Sea drilling platform into a temporary forward base. The area became a Russian observation post, an intelligence gathering site, and a location for anti-tank guided missile systems. The reconnaissance drone records a floating object approaching the target, followed immediately by a powerful explosion. The enemy base was also hit by flying drones. Return fire was conducted from ATGM systems, which can be seen from the explosions near the vessel filming the operation. Since an explosion is recorded immediately after the object approaches, it is obvious that this was not just a boat, but a surface drone. Together, surface drones and flying UAVs of different types worked in synergy, striking targets, eliminating enemy fortifications and weapons and collecting data, making this base unusable for the occupiers.

[00:10:23]This operation takes place only in the air and at great altitude. Thanks to the accuracy of a female Ukrainian armed forces pilot, an expensive Russian reconnaissance drone was eliminated.

[00:10:36]That deserves a like. The explosion from the Hunter UAV instantly tore the target apart.

[00:10:44]Strike drones usually attack by ramming their targets, but this Ukrainian UAV is already almost a fighter aircraft. It attacks targets in the enemy rear with unguided rockets. With them, it fires on a strategic communications node in occupied Crimea. The future is already here.

[00:11:08]Moreover, there are also ground combat drones. Most GRC's are used for evacuation and logistics, but here is an example of an operation to destroy an enemy base using these unmanned systems.

[00:11:22]The base itself was discovered through aerial reconnaissance. It had been set up in an abandoned building in a frontline city under Ukrainian control, meaning this was the elimination of a sabotage point that posed an extreme danger to the civilian population. Three GRC's advanced from three directions in the following sequence. One attacked the enemy's fortified positions, imitating the main assault, but in reality only drawing attention to itself. Meanwhile, the second one used the main advantage that flying UAVs do not have, payload capacity. The GRC delivered 300 kg of explosives into the building. That is enough to destroy any shelters and armored firing positions. A massive explosion demolished the first several floors of the heavy building. All that remained of the structure was its loadbearing frame. The third GRC carried a supply of mines, which then delivered a precise final strike, eliminating any remaining threat and completely destroying the enemy base.

[00:12:35]Two enemy APCs broke through to a treeine near Ukrainian positions. Troops are dismounting. The situation is dangerous, but aerial reconnaissance is monitoring the operation. The enemy movement is reported to headquarters and the infantry will later be intercepted by specially prepared forces. Because the enemy's movement had been tracked for a long time, the Ukrainian armed forces have time to prepare counter measures. Meanwhile, drones have to destroy the abandoned vehicles. A combined attack begins. An FPV hits the rear APC while the entire sector is under artillery fire. Cluster munitions and regular rounds explode closer and closer to the armor and soon this produces results. The second APC is also hit. A short but spectacular fire begins with sparks flying out of the APC. That is not enough and a strike drone slams into the first APC at high speed. A powerful explosion causes an even more impressive firework effect. An artillery shell lands immediately afterward. Its fragments rake across the hull. The combined drone and artillery attack continues. After the first adjustment salvo, the second use of cluster munitions is more effective. A direct hit on the vehicle. Another drone comes in, this time against the first APC, neutralizing the threat. It is not going anywhere now, but the second one still has to be finished. The Ukrainians understood that they had to take away the infantry's mobility. So, UAVs rammed the APCs again and again until a powerful fire starts in the second vehicle.

[00:14:12]An IFV was approaching a Ukrainian village at high speed. This is one of the vehicles for a pinpoint assault.

[00:14:19]This time the bet on speed failed. A Ukrainian reconnaissance drone spotted the approaching threat and an FPV was sent to intercept the target. The drone attacks from the front. That is where the armor is strongest. So destroying the vehicle is out of the question, but the Ukrainian plan is different. The first strike only had to stop the target and force the Russians to abandon it.

[00:14:42]And it worked. The IFV was abandoned right in the middle of the road. The next strike drone does not rush. It approaches slowly and tries to determine at what altitude the signal begins to disappear. Electronic warfare. Recently, the enemy has learned to protect its vehicles very well. But its signal jamming systems have limits beyond which drones can still be controlled. Testing the approach, the FPV pilot finds the optimal altitude, builds speed, and strikes directly into the open hatch he noticed while studying the target. The strike is delivered with surgical precision. So, despite the drone's modest warhead, a fire starts inside the IFV. The fire grows stronger and stronger, and then suddenly, an explosion. The flames have reached the ammunition. A powerful detonation tears a piece of armor off the front of the IFV. The rear and center are simply shredded by the blast. The target's frame is burned out from the inside.

[00:15:39]Now, it is nothing but scrap metal after only two hits.

[00:15:48]After successfully repelling an assault, a Ukrainian drone searches for targets that were not fully destroyed. Among twisted metal and torn vehicle holes, it finds self-propelled carts. At first glance, they look like junk, but they are not. This is how the occupiers tried to disguise fuel and ammunition. A reconnaissance drone records the FPV hit from a long distance. The huge explosion proves that the strike drone was not wasted. This really was a clever disguise for valuable enemy cargo and it was successfully destroyed. The powerful blast creates an entire column of smoke.

[00:16:25]A logistical artery of the enemy has just been cut.

[00:16:33]A reconnaissance drone recorded the evacuation of a Russian multiple launch rocket system. Enemy forces feel completely safe because this is fairly far in the rear. However, the reconnaissance drone tracked the evacuation route and a strike drone was sent to those coordinates. It had to fly a long way, overcoming air defense, jamming, and other Russian counter drone systems. But the strike UAV found the target while it was already moving along the road. The Ukrainian FPV is operating at the edge of its range. The reconnaissance drone has fallen behind and cannot arrive as quickly, so the strike drone pilot has no room for error. He overtakes the vehicle carrying the MLRS and then begins a head-on attack. The vehicle jerks to the side, but the UAV still hits the target. When the reconnaissance drone finally arrives, it sees a very successful result from just one attack. The vehicle was blown up and the MLRS overturned and blocked the road. Enemy equipment is covered in smoke and a powerful fire begins which will inevitably destroy the target.

[00:17:48]We try to show truly epic cases of effective drone use, but a UAV is not an ultimate ability from a video game. It is a complex tool that is difficult to master, does not produce perfect results, and requires long, painstaking work. On average, out of five to 6,000 hits, only about a dozen Russian multiple launch rocket systems are eliminated, and not all of them are carrying a full ammunition load at the moment of impact. But this is exactly one of those epic cases. One small strike drone attacks the target and the ammunition detonation causes an explosion of colossal power. The blast wave spreads outward, followed instantly by a huge fireball while burning pieces of the MLRS fly in every direction.

[00:18:34]Flames consume the trees around it and nothing remains of the system itself except burning traces in the crater. But behind such a highly successful strike are dozens of attempts to penetrate the enemy rear. Many lost drones shot down or neutralized by electronic warfare and dozens of hours of reconnaissance observation.

[00:18:57]The enemy is already decisively attacking Ukrainian armed forces positions with a group of four armored vehicles. The spacing between them is carefully measured. The pace is good and the breakthrough is well organized which makes it dangerous. But no one accounted for the terrain. The first vehicle in the column gets stuck in a swamp and even opens fire from its main gun, either out of desperation or in an attempt to free itself. An FPV flies into the immobilized target and precisely strikes the turret. Explosion, but the tank receives only superficial damage and the armor holds. Ukrainian drones try to finish it with drops. The first one breaks through its armor and the second drop is even more accurate, causing a fire inside. The drone moves away just in time. A chain reaction creates a powerful black column that could have knocked down the UAV above the tank, which is now destroyed from the inside. Meanwhile, strike drones attack the other targets in the column.

[00:19:56]A reconnaissance drone confirms a hit on a stationary target shrouded in smoke nearby. An APC is being chased as it retreats. It maneuvers but receives a strike from the flank. After that, the APC loses control and falls sideways into a trench, becoming unable to move.

[00:20:14]It is now a trophy. The fourth target has to be neutralized. An FPV hit does not produce the desired result. But this is only a distraction. A powerful explosive charge has been dropped on the road directly in front of the APC. When it drives over the mine, the explosion tears apart the running gear. The powerful blast wave rips through the hull from below. A series of detonations begins, captured by a strike drone before the final attack.

[00:20:49]The battlefield is constantly changing.

[00:20:51]Destroying columns of enemy vehicles is now rare. So to analyze drone capabilities, we often have to use older footage. The enemy is increasingly using vehicles one at a time or in pairs, more often at night and during the day, mostly in the rear. Ukrainian drones, meanwhile, are flying deeper and deeper into territory captured and controlled by the enemy. There, almost without reconnaissance drone support, they hunt single targets and destroy lightly protected transport to cut logistics and ammunition supplies. This is a collection of cases from that successful hunt.

[00:21:35]For this attack, the enemy used several armored vehicles. One enemy APC was successfully hit by an FPV drone. After that, the crew was forced to abandon the vehicle and run to the nearest settlement to take cover. Some managed to transfer to another vehicle, but it was not destined to get far either.

[00:21:53]After it was also hit, the driver lost control and crashed into a nearby tree.

[00:22:07]Sometimes drones help record truly brutal enemy behavior. Here, three enemy APCs came under Ukrainian armed forces fire during an assault. The artillery was working with very tight and accurate fire, and explosions were landing close to the vehicles. The assault bogged down, failed, and a panicked retreat began. One of the three APCs was destroyed during this, but the assault in this sector resumed very soon. Still, a Ukrainian drone recorded a delay in the enemy advance. So, the APC opens fire on friendly positions. This is not a mistake and not the result of a mechanism jammed by a successful strike.

[00:22:46]The occupiers are simply using friendly fire as a tool of intimidation. The heavy caliber weapon tears through the positions, destroying fortifications, equipment, and ammunition. After that, the APC begins to retreat, but an FPV drone hits the vehicle. The first hit, even though not immediately, manages to immobilize the target. The APC starts smoking, even if a small fire has started inside, that is not enough. The second drone delivers the decisive strike.

[00:23:20]Which use of unmanned technology impresses you the most? The now familiar fight against heavy armor, innovative systems for warfare on the water, or ground operations? Answer in the comments and subscribe to our channel to be the first to see the next story.