Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) said they have struck a BM-27 Uragan multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) and Russian personnel in the Donetsk region.
According to the SSO’s Telegram statement, the strikes took place early Tuesday, Dec. 16, using Ukraine’s domestically-produced FP-2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
“In the Blahodatne settlement, the SSO struck the storage site of a BM-27 Uragan MLRS and the location of its crews,” the statement says.
The BM-27 Uragan-1 is a 220mm multiple launch rocket system capable of firing high-explosive fragmentation and cluster munitions at ranges of up to 35 kilometers (22 miles).
The SSO also released drone footage showing moments of impact, though Kyiv Post could not independently verify the time or location of the video.
SSO also reported strikes on a concentration of Russian troops in the Pokrovsk area. According to the statement, Russian troops attempted to gain a foothold along railway tracks to advance further, but were hit by explosive drops from the Ukrainian drones on their approach. Some of the troops were killed during the strikes.
A group from the 3rd SSO Regiment then advanced and eliminated two additional Russian servicemen who had taken shelter in dugouts, the statement says.
“Despite heavy Russian artillery fire, our group successfully completed the task and prevented the enemy from securing the planned positions,” it adds.
The operations follow earlier SSO strikes carried out on Sunday, Dec. 14, including an attack on a moving train carrying fuel and lubricants in occupied Crimea.
“Near the village of Yantarne, SSO strike UAVs hit a train transporting fuel and ammunition for occupation forces, and also struck an oil depot in the village of Bitumne,” the report said.
Additional strikes were reported on a Russian Volna-2 electronic warfare station near Maryanivka in the Donetsk region and a FPV drone operator training center near Dokuchaievsk.
These attacks were also carried out using FP-2 strike UAVs. SSO released corresponding drone footage, which Kyiv Post could not independently verify.
Pokrovsk updates
Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, two key cities in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, remain well-fortified Ukrainian defensive hubs, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Oleksandr Syrsky said, saying Russian attempts to seize the area have failed despite months of pressure.
“The defense of Pokrovsk has been going on for 16 months. The Russians have announced at least six dates for taking control of the entire Donbas. They have not taken it,” he said, adding that Myrnohrad is not encircled and that logistics, while difficult, continue to function.
Syrsky said Russia has concentrated around 156,000 troops in the Pokrovsk sector, which he described as the main theater of operations and the target of roughly half of all Russian guided aerial bombs used along the front.
He confirmed that Ukrainian forces recently withdrew from positions 5-7 kilometers (3-4 miles) from Pokrovsk, saying that the areas could not be rotated and were being penetrated by Russian troops.
Ukrainian military officials say Russia has intensified assaults on the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad urban area by moving in operational reserves. According to Ukraine’s Airborne Assault Forces, Russian troops have entrenched themselves in the southern parts of Pokrovsk, while northern districts remain under Ukrainian control.
With no stable front line, Ukrainian units continue clearing contested neighborhoods, inflicting losses on Russian infantry advancing across open terrain.
Despite Moscow’s claims that Pokrovsk has been fully captured, Ukrainian forces insist the city remains under their control. Earlier Russian statements and staged videos showing flags in the city center were dismissed by Kyiv as propaganda.