Remember when a secret drone destroyed millions in Russian equipment

Ukraine has come up with several ingenious ideas to battle the imbalances its military forces face while defending its land from Russia's invasion. But few of these ideas have been as effective as its cost-effective drone forces.

Drones have come to play a pivotal role in the war and video evidence has revealed more than once just how skilled Ukrainian operators have gotten at using these new weapons of war.

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The destruction of expensive Russian equipment and vehicles has become a hallmark of Ukraine's information war, something that was very clear in September 2023 when one official revealed the staggering cost that Moscow suffered at the hands of a new 'secret' drone.

The Russian Armed Forces allegedly lost several million dollars worth of military equipment in a single night attack thanks to Ukraine's new secret drone according to a statement made by Mykhailo Fedorov. 

Federov is Ukraine's current Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development, as well as the country's Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. He has been spearheading Ukraine's military foray into drone technology.

Fedorov revealed that September 26th was a particularly tough day for Moscow after a new type of drone that’s been kept secret until now inflicted some very significant losses of a few big-ticket Russian items. 

"The secret Ukrainian drone is in action,” Federov explained in a post on his Telegram with a video attached showing a secret drone quickly dropping explosives on Russian equipment and the aftermath of the carnage that followed each attack. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @zedigital  

“The Russians are losing equipment worth over $7 million in a single night,” Federov continued according to a translation of his comments from the Kyiv Post.  

Members of a drone team attached to Ukraine’s 92nd Separate Assault Brigade with the codename ‘Achilles’ could be seen using their new weapon to great effect and showed how the unit's drone operators have gotten at hitting their marks. 

One T-80 tank was hit on what appeared to be its turret and began moving in a possible attempt to avert more incoming attacks. However, the tank crew wasn’t fast enough and the T-80 was hit by a second and third strike from the drone operators.

Photo Credit: Telegram @zedigital  

The video then cuts to footage of a T-80 tank driving down a dirt road while being tracked by the Achilles drone operators, who recorded the vehicle as it sped alongside a row of trees on fire and smoking from the previous attack.  

Photo Credit: Telegram @zedigital  

A T-72 tank was also recorded being destroyed by Ukraine's new drone. The vehicle was hit twice and erupted in flames after the second explosive made contact.

Photo Credit: Telegram @zedigital  

The video also showed one D-30 howitzer taking a direct hit from the drone and was destroyed and a caption in the video estimated all three losses amounted to $7 million.

Photo Credit: Telegram @zedigital  

Federov wrote that the results of the evening were because of skilled Ukrainian fighters and their new drone, which he noted the Russians “fear greatly.” Unfortunately, Federov gave no other details about the drone at the time saying he preferred to keep it a surprise. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @zedigital  

However, Federov did add that more details about the drone would be revealed after the country’s victory. “Let it remain a 'pleasant' surprise for the enemies," he said in his statement. 

Federov then thanked the soldiers who undertook the mission for their service and their results before adding that Kyiv had several other technologies and surprises prepared for Russia, though he did not go into further detail about those technologies and surprises. 

This wasn’t the first time drone operators from the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade were able to knock out a high-value Russian target using a first-person view drone according to the Kyiv Post. In mid-September, Achilles destroyed 5 Russian D-20 towed howitzers. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons: By George Chernilevsky, Own Work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Yuriy Fedorenko is the commander of the Achilles group and explained in a post on his Telegram channel that the guns were knocked by drones, adding that the weapons were dangerous pieces of equipment that could be quickly deployed to fire on the frontlines. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons: By Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, CC BY-SA 2.0

David Hambling writing for 19fortyfive noted in an article for the war publication that Kyiv was making increasing use of kamikaze first-person view drones and modified quadcopter racing drones at the time, tuning them into deadly loitering munitions against high-value targets. 

“They look ungainly, but FPVs are highly effective at hitting targets several miles away; a skilled operator can put one right through a specific window,” Hambling wrote, adding they’ve been useful against the 240mm Tyulpan and the TOS-1 heavy flamethrower. 

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The secret drone used in the video posted by Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister was not a loitering munitions drone, which just goes to show how innovative and deadly Kyiv’s new weapons had become at that point in the war.