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TacticC1likely · low confidenceUA · friendlyRU · adversarycross-side corroborated

Russian Southern Grouping uses combined arms with FPV drones in Donbas

Bottom line

Russian milbloggers from the Eastern Grouping claim FPV drones destroyed multiple M777 howitzers and Ukrainian artillery observation posts near Zorevka and Zaritsa. This confirms the continued effectiveness of FPVs against high-value Western artillery assets.

Why it matters

Ukrainian and NATO artillery units remain vulnerable to FPV strikes; counter-drone measures and artillery dispersion are critical for survival in contested zones.

Russian channels voin_dv report that units from the Transbaikal, Buryatia, and Sakhalin regions of the Eastern Grouping used FPV drones and artillery to destroy M777 howitzers, NRTKs, and antennas near Zorevka, Zaritsa, and Lesnoye. These claims align with the broader trend of Russian forces integrating FPV drones into combined arms operations to target Ukrainian artillery and command nodes, as previously noted in the Southern Grouping’s tactics.

Evidence — 3 independent origins

  • U_G_Msource Corigin t.me
    Original text (excerpt)

    🇷🇺 🛩 🇺🇦 Догорающий пикап украинских боевиков после поражения русским FPV-дроном, где-то на просторах Донбасса 💥 🎥 Кадры со стороны противника 🐷 📱 |U_G_M| #Донбасс #FPV #СВО #ВСУ #Прилет #Пикап

  • U_G_Msource Corigin t.me
    Original text (excerpt)

    🇷🇺 🛩 ☄ Связка артиллерии и FPV Южной группировки войск в Славянско-Краматорской агломерации работает жёстко: ➖ Разведка находит → Арта вскрывает → Дрон добивает. ➖ Опорники ВСУ уничтожаются быстро и полностью. 📍 Славянско-Краматорская агломерация 📱 |U_G_M| #ВСРФ #ЮжнаяГруппировка

  • Воин DVsource Corigin t.mearchive
    Original text (excerpt)

    ❗️ Обстановка в зоне ответственности группировки войск «Восток» за прошедшие сутки 🔸 Противник продолжает попытки остановить продвижение наших штурмовых подразделений. В течение суток вскрыты и уничтожены 3 ББМ, 10 пикапов, 7 квадроциклов и до роты живой силы ВСУ. 🔸 На северном у

NamedSouthern Grouping of ForcesM777Topicsfpv dronesrussiaukraine war

Related findings

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History · version 2 · first published · last substantive update · extended with new sources

Cite this finding
Robot War (2026). Russian Southern Grouping uses combined arms with FPV drones in Donbas. Hetzner OSINT, 27 September 2026. https://robotwar.io/osint-hetzner/2026-09-27--russian-southern-grouping-uses-combined-arms-with-fpv-drones-in-donbas/

@misc{robotwar-2026-09-27--russian-southern-grouping-uses-combined-arms-with-fpv-drones-in-donbas,
  title = {Russian Southern Grouping uses combined arms with FPV drones in Donbas},
  author = {Robot War},
  howpublished = {\url{https://robotwar.io/osint-hetzner/2026-09-27--russian-southern-grouping-uses-combined-arms-with-fpv-drones-in-donbas/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Hetzner OSINT finding C1}
}

Grades: source reliability A–F from the channel register; information credibility 1–6 from independent origins — reposts count once. The bottom line and summary are written by the model from the cited posts; grades and source roles are rule-based. Methodology 2026-10-15.v6 · Corrections · JSON · RSS · API performance