Ukrainian forces repelled one of the largest Russian tank assaults in recent memory on the Dobropillia direction, destroying nine enemy tanks and equipment, border guards said.
Drone footage shows destruction
DPSU border guards from the “Phoenix” unit, in close coordination with adjacent subunits, thwarted the assault after Russian forces launched a major tank push in the area. State news agency Ukrinform released dramatic drone footage showing the entire operation, with multiple T-72B3A tanks and other armoured vehicles advancing into prepared kill zones before coming under sustained attack.
The DPSU stated: “Occupiers carried out one of the most large-scale tank breakthrough attempts in recent times. Border guards of the ‘Phoenix’ unit, together with adjacent units, disrupted the enemy assault.”
Scale of the attack
According to the service, Ukrainian defenders destroyed nine Russian tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, three BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher systems, and dozens of enemy personnel. Much of the heavy armoured column was left burning in the fields and tree lines of the Donetsk region.
The video released by the DPSU depicts Russian tanks manoeuvring across open terrain, with precision drone strikes forcing abandonments and causing secondary explosions. At least several T-72B3A tanks appear disabled or destroyed in the footage, highlighting the stark vulnerability of massed heavy armour to modern, coordinated drone operations on the battlefield.
Pattern of intensified activity
The operation fits a pattern of intensified Russian mechanised activity in the Dobropillia sector, which sits west of the main Pokrovsk-Avdiivka axis. Ukrainian border guard and other drone units have been active here, recently striking artillery, a Buk-M3 air defence system, and crucial logistics targets.
The 24 July action stands out for its scale, with the DPSU noting that it had been a while since such significant “movement” from the enemy. The DPSU emphasised that the “entire armoured ‘grandeur’ remained to burn among the fields and plantings of Donetsk region.”
Impact on Russian forces
No Ukrainian losses were detailed in the official release. The entire operation underscores the critical role of FPV and loitering munitions in countering heavy armoured assaults, allowing frontline defenders to interdict enemy advances at range with precision.
Russian forces continue to rely heavily on T-72 variants in their ongoing Donetsk offensives despite mounting evidence of their acute exposure to Ukrainian drone swarms. This latest failed breakthrough adds directly to documented high attrition rates for Moscow’s battle-tested armoured units operating in the area.
The timely DPSU release provides clear visual confirmation of the defensive success on a day when intense fighting remains fierce along multiple Donetsk axes. Ukrainian units in the region have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to detect and neutralise concentrated armour before it can achieve tactical breakthroughs.
