May 12, 2026
Strikes against Russian air defense systems are carried out using mid-strike drones made of composite materials, which are less detectable by Russia’s outdated radars, explained Pavel Laktionov, commander of the 412 Nemesis Brigade. Furthermore, they fly at low altitudes and in pairs. This tactic allows a second crew to finish off the target or confirm a successful strike. What tactics has the Unmanned Systems Forces brigade, which ranks among the top five in effectiveness, developed?
By knocking out Russian air defense systems, gaps are opening up in the Russian defenses that can be exploited for disruptions and other operations, Laktionov said in an interview with the Oboronka project. However, tactics are not uniform: decisions on further operations are always different and take the enemy by surprise. Currently, a 200-kilometer zone has formed along the front line, where Russian air defense assets are regularly hit. These regular attacks have made it possible to target Russia’s oil infrastructure and military logistics.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=919819613859240
The Nemesis commander explained that the first hits were carried out by a conventional heavy bomber, which struck a Buk air defense system 57 kilometers from the front line. As of May 2, this involved 83 systems of various types—from Tor and Buk missiles to the S-300 radar . The deteriorating situation with Russia’s air defenses is due to the work of the Nemesis brigade. The essence of the tactics is to fly at low altitudes, where UAVs are less visible to radar, and to “disperse” air defenses, which are forced to engage drones from multiple directions. Furthermore, the mission is carried out in a comprehensive manner: first, reconnaissance identifies targets, then the military prioritizes and plans, and then strike crews launch.
“The rules of the game are constantly changing. A little daily, a lot monthly, a lot quarterly, and a lot annually. And the emergence of such weapons [Middlestrike] has already changed the war,” the officer said.
The officer explained why Russian air defense systems are incapable of defending themselves. It turned out that the Russian military-industrial complex is unable to compensate for losses, and, furthermore, air defense systems are being pulled away from the front to protect rear-line targets. Furthermore, Russian military equipment uses outdated radars, which have difficulty detecting small targets made of composite material. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military does not employ formulaic attacks. Specifically, mid-strikes can be used to “open corridors” for deep strikes, or for independent attacks, but “in different combinations, at different times, from different directions,” Laktionov said.
“If there’s an important target, it takes just a few hours from planning to execution. The only thing that can really disrupt such work is weather,” noted the commander of the 412th Nemesis Brigade.
Drones against Russian air defense systems – details
It’s worth noting that Serafim “Falko” Gordienko, an officer at the 1st Separate SBS Center, described how drones are disrupting Russian air defenses on the front line. Among other things, the drones destroyed a Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile system in the middle of a field, as well as a Smerch multiple launch rocket system, which they spotted during a mission. Meanwhile, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War reported that Ukraine has indeed found a weak spot in Russia’s air defense system. The strikes are being conducted because Russia’s air defenses are overextended and are being depleted by regular Ukrainian attacks.
As a reminder, in April, the military demonstrated the launch of Sting interceptor drones from surface platforms: the operation was carried out by fighters from the Nemesis Brigade.
The results are now coming in. Reports of Ukraine taking fire control over the Mariupol highway is huge. The only other way for mafia land to supply their meat puppets is through Crimea.
Great news. This also supports my theory that we are leaving the Crimean bridge up so we can closely monitor what is coming from mafialand, which makes their kit easy to target, as we’ve seen in Crimea.
There are only two exits from Crimea, so they can be monitored quite easily.
Sounds great!