Russian troops advancing from Hrodivka towards Myrnohrad found themselves trapped in a deadly ambush this week when Ukrainian incendiary drones struck their mechanised column on the Hrodivka‑Myrnohrad road. As the vehicles paused in their staging area, the drones dropped fire charges onto fuel tanks and engine compartments, setting several armoured personnel carriers and tanks ablaze within minutes.
The Russian objective was to secure a foothold in southern Myrnohrad in order to begin intense urban fighting in the Pokrovsk‑Myrnohrad agglomeration. Commanders had amassed forces in Hrodivka to use a five‑kilometre stretch of paved road for a swift mechanised thrust. This route would have allowed tanks and infantry fighting vehicles to dismount stormtroopers rapidly into the city.
Yet the attackers had underestimated Ukrainian defences. To guard against exactly such an assault, Ukraine’s engineers had cut anti‑tank ditches and planted dragon teeth across the surrounding fields. These fortifications channelled the Russian column onto the single paved approach, turning it into a kill zone overlooked by concrete observation posts in the industrial area of a nearby coal mine. Two elevated spoil tips provided further firing positions for Ukrainian troops.
When the Russian vehicles moved onto the road and began clearing anti‑tank mines, they entered clear view of FPV drone operators and trench‑held anti‑tank guided missile teams. The Ukrainian drones struck key vehicles first, crippling their engines and halting the advance. As the column stalled, fire from trenches and elevated positions destroyed an entire mechanised platoon in minutes.
This action marked the first major Russian mechanised push in the Pokrovsk direction after months of stalemate around Myrnohrad.
