Explosion Kills Russian Skat 350M Drone Crew in Occupied Tokmak – Ukrainian Intel

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) reported the elimination of a Russian drone crew operating a “Skat 350M” unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the temporarily occupied city of Tokmak in central Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region.

A green UAZ-452 minivan – nicknamed “bukhanka” (Russian for “bread loaf”) – exploded on the outskirts of the city early Wednesday, according to HUR.

Inside were two Russian servicemen from an aerial reconnaissance unit who specialized in operating Skat 350M drones, HUR said.

“This enemy UAV was used by Russian forces to detect the positions of Ukraine’s Defense and Security Forces in the Zaporizhzhia region and to adjust artillery fire,” HUR said in its Wednesday morning statement.

HUR – without explicitly claiming responsibility for the strike – said both Russian operators were killed along with the Skat 350M drone, which they were transporting inside the vehicle.

Kyiv Post cannot independently verify these claims.

According to the Kalashnikov Group, the company that manufactures the Skat 350M drone, it is a reconnaissance drone equipped with a camera with a four-hour flight time. The cost of each drone is unclear.

The Ukrainian-controlled part of the Zaporizhzhia region, including the regional capital, regularly comes under Russian attack. Occupation forces frequently deploy a wide range of weapons – from kamikaze drones to guided aerial bombs (KABs) and various types of missiles.

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Due to its proximity to the front line, the region remains one of the most vulnerable targets of Russian strikes, which have led to the destruction of civilian infrastructure, injuries, and civilian deaths.

On July 7, Russian forces launched a drone strike on the city of Zaporizhzhia and the surrounding region, injuring at least 10 people and damaging civilian infrastructure, including a university building.

On June 21, Russian forces launched 343 attacks on 11 settlements across the Zaporizhzhia region within 24 hours, injuring a woman in the Zaporizhzhia district.