A powerful drone defense in Donbas halted a major Russian offensive

In Donbas, a dense "wall" of drones successfully fended off a major Russian assault. According to Forbes, four Russian assault groups launched a coordinated attack in western Donetsk Oblast but were decisively repelled before reaching Ukrainian lines. Back in December, Russian forces had seized the strategically important town of Kurakhove in the southern part of the region. However, their advance soon stalled due to fatigue and a lack of armored support. Four months later, they resumed offensive operations. "We expect Russian offensive actions to expand in the south in the coming months," said Tatarigami, a military analyst and founder of Ukrainian Frontelligence. The latest offensive began on Tuesday, with Russian troops striking simultaneously north of Kurakhove and south of Serebryane. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Khortytsia group, four mixed units - including infantry, buggies, motorcycles, armored vehicles, infantry fighting vehicles, and tanks - moved toward the settlement of Bohdanivka from different directions and at staggered times. Their objective was to seize Bohdanivka, Troitske, and Orekhove. However, Ukraine’s 72nd Mechanized Brigade, along with marine and drone units, successfully halted the attack. Reconnaissance drones tracked Russian movements, followed by a barrage of FPV drone strikes. The drone deployment was so dense that some explosions triggered nearby drones to detonate as well. None of the Russian units reached Ukrainian defensive positions. According to Khortytsia, the losses included two tanks, two APCs, four buggies, four motorcycles, and at least 50 Russian troops. While the overall situation remains difficult for Ukrainian forces, Tatarigami emphasized that Russia has not yet achieved any meaningful strategic or operational gains, despite its efforts to portray Ukraine's position as weakening. Pavlo Palisa, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President's Office, warned that Russia is expected to ramp up offensive actions by late April and into May, possibly concentrating efforts around Pokrovsk and launching additional operations near Kupiansk, Lyman, as well as southeastern fronts around Zaporizhzhia and Novopavlivka. Reserve Major General Serhiy Kryvonos of the Ukrainian Armed Forces added that while Russian forces are actively preparing for attacks on multiple fronts, they are not yet ready for a full-scale offensive.