Ukraine’s elite drone warfare unit, the 414th Separate Brigade (ОБрУБАС), has reported devastating success in the final week of April 2025 during its “Eyes and Sting” campaign, known as ВЙО-day.
Between 22 and 30 April, the brigade conducted an astonishing 7,750 combat sorties, with 2,860 FPV drones deployed and 3,227 reconnaissance missions. These operations targeted Russian invading forces entrenched across eastern Ukraine. The numbers are grim reading for the Kremlin. Ukrainian pilots struck 1,446 confirmed targets, including 394 Russian personnel positions. Among them, 183 were confirmed kills and 211 wounded. These Russian troops are often referred to by Ukrainian fighters as “worms”, a dark term of endearment that reflects the invaders’ crawling and hiding tactics.
Over the same week, Ukraine’s forces destroyed or incapacitated a significant array of Russian war machinery: 12 tanks, 23 armoured personnel carriers, 7 multi-launch rocket systems, 9 self-propelled artillery units, and 10 enemy drones such as Orlans and Zalas. Anti-drone efforts captured 4 “Lancet” and “Zala-Cube” loitering munitions, rarely intercepted due to their elusive nature.
The KlimaTeam pilots of the unit, celebrated for their precision and creativity, also wiped out 19 field guns and 8 howitzers, while simultaneously disabling 84 enemy communication antennas. These hits heavily disrupted Russian command capabilities. In a bizarre twist of modern combat, 114 Russian troops were reportedly riding into battle on cheap disposable Chinese motorcycles, all of which were neutralised during this week’s operations.
Further demolition includes five military buggies, two mortars, and nearly 30 enemy ammunition and equipment warehouses. Ukrainian strikes also dismantled over 400 makeshift shelters and dugouts, flushing out Russian forces from their hiding spots. The overpass strikes, described as turning the area into a “crayfish trap”, were met with brutal drone precision and resulted in significant Russian losses.
Despite Russian propaganda and bizarre online theories, such as claims that Magyar, the commanding face of the unit, is being replaced by artificial intelligence or plotting coups, the unit’s transparent field reporting and undeniable results underscore a steady and focused Ukrainian effort.
April ended with an impressive toll: 1,804 confirmed enemy losses throughout the month, a rise from the previous period, indicating Ukraine’s consistent ability to increase strike efficiency. This operational update from the frontline underscores the reality that the Russian dictator’s forces continue to face mounting, irrecoverable losses in Ukraine.
Magyar, signing off on 2 May, called for continued public awareness, urging calm among Ukrainians while reaffirming their resolve: “A drone for every worm’s head.”
