Ukraine’s 28th Separate Brigade said it destroyed a rare Russian vehicle used as a launch platform for Shahed attack drones. The strike occurred on Friday, June 26, at the occupied Donetsk airport, the brigade reported on Facebook. The battalion “Spalakh” for unmanned systems released footage of the attack.
“Our troops are in Donetsk. Today’s rare target was a vehicle that served as a launch platform for Shahed drones. At the Donetsk airport. For the first time. We are helping to protect peaceful Ukrainian cities from this scourge,” the brigade wrote. The unit did not disclose the type of vehicle or whether additional launch equipment was destroyed.
Russian forces have increasingly converted civilian trucks and military vehicles into mobile launch platforms. These can launch Shahed drones closer to the front line and are harder to locate after firing. The Iranian-designed Shahed drones, known in Russia as Geran-2, have a range of up to 2,000 kilometers and carry warheads of 40 to 50 kilograms. They are used in swarms to overwhelm air defenses and attack critical infrastructure and civilian areas.
Destroying launch vehicles can disrupt attacks before they begin and reduce Russia’s ability to conduct mass strikes. Ukraine is increasingly focusing on hitting not only the drones themselves but also the infrastructure for production, storage, and launch.
Source: www.kyivpost.com
