Video summary
Soldiers from the Cartel company, a counter-UAV unit within the National Guard of Ukraine led by Yuri Butusov, have released new footage detailing their successful operations in August. In this video summary, the defenders showcased precise strikes using FPV drones against a wide array of Russian targets, including moving vehicles, infantry positions, shelters, and enemy aerial assets. The infographic accompanying the release highlights significant combat defeats for the invaders, with statistics showing the destruction of 62 trucks, 32 quadcopter UAVs, numerous passenger and cargo vehicles, generators, antenna systems, armored combat vehicles, ATVs, and notably, three locomotives in a single coordinated effort.
This systematic dismantling of Russian logistics and communications equipment severely undermines the operational capabilities of occupation forces on the front lines. However, Russia has escalated its own offensive by increasingly targeting Ukrainian passenger trains with jet-powered drones, posing a critical threat to the nation's rail network. According to reports, since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, Russian attacks have damaged or destroyed over 500 locomotives, with more than 60% of these losses occurring in just the last eight months. Currently, the state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia is losing between 37 and 40 locomotives per month, a rate that Moscow openly admits is part of a strategy to disrupt the transport of foreign weapons and paralyze Ukraine's economy.
The broader implications of these attacks extend beyond mere logistical disruption, as they aim to isolate frontline communities and instill fear among exhausted residents. Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, chairman of Ukrzaliznytsia, noted that Russia intensified its targeting of passenger trains in the fall of 2025 after acquiring antennas for mesh networks. This technology enables drones to connect with ground transmitters in Belarus or occupied territories, allowing operators to control them in real-time despite electronic warfare measures and engage moving targets effectively. The campaign has already claimed lives, such as the attack near Lozova that killed six people, prompting the implementation of evacuation protocols that have saved many but failed to stop the destruction of rolling stock.
While most attacks currently occur within 200 kilometers of the contact line in eastern and southern Ukraine, Moscow is expanding both the geography of its strikes and the range of potential targets. The Russian Ministry of Defense does not hide these actions, framing them as necessary to destroy Ukrainian logistics used for transporting foreign aid. In response, Ukrainian fighters continue to adapt, demonstrating their ability to inflict devastating blows on enemy supply chains while simultaneously defending against sophisticated drone threats that seek to isolate and weaken the country's infrastructure and civilian population.
Read the full video transcript
Soldiers from the Cartel company, a
counter UAV company of the second core
of the National Guard of Ukraine, led by
Yuri Butusov, have released a summary
infographic and video of the enemy's
combat defeats in August.
Ukrainian defenders dealt devastating
blows to the logistics, equipment,
communications equipment, and air
targets of the Russian invaders.
In the video, the unit demonstrated
precise FPV drone hits on moving
vehicles, motorized vehicles, infantry
positions, dugouts, shelters, and enemy
drones while in the air.
According to published statistics during
August, the unit's fighters hit and
destroyed 62 trucks, 32 enemy quadcopter
type UAVs, 24 passenger and cargo
passenger vehicles, seven power plant /
generators, five antenna systems, four
armored combat vehicles, three
locomotives, and three ATVs.
The systematic destruction of enemy
vehicles and communications equipment
significantly undermines the logistical
capabilities of the Russian occupation
forces on the front line.
But Russia is increasingly attacking
Ukrainian passenger trains with
jet-powered drones, threatening the rail
network, which is critical to the
country's economy, military logistics,
and the movement of people, according to
a Politico report.
It is noted that since the beginning of
the full-scale invasion in 2022,
the Russians have damaged or destroyed
more than 500 locomotives.
More than 60% of these were damaged in
the last 8 months.
Currently, Ukrzaliznytsia is losing 37
to 40 locomotives per month.
The publication noted that the Russian
Ministry of Defense doesn't even hide
the fact that it's striking trains,
calling these attacks part of a strategy
to destroy Ukrainian logistics used to
transport foreign weapons.
Meanwhile, Ukraine believes this
campaign has a broader purpose.
"The Russians are trying to isolate our
frontline communities, sow panic and
fear among already exhausted local
residents, and paralyze the economy,"
said Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, chairman of
the board of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia.
According to Pertsovskyi, Russia began
targeting passenger trains in the fall
of 2025
when it acquired antennas for mesh
networks. This technology allows drones
to transmit signals to each other or
connect to ground transmitters in
Belarus or occupied Ukraine, allowing
operators to control them in real time
despite electronic warfare measures, and
engage moving targets like trains.
Last fall, they struck a train near
Lozova, a town in the Kharkiv region,
killing six people.
"Since then, we've implemented
evacuation protocols. We've managed to
save most of the people, but the
Russians continue to destroy our
locomotives," he said.
The publication emphasized that most
attacks occur within 200 km of the line
of contact, that is, in eastern and
southern Ukraine.
However, Moscow has recently expanded
both the geography of its strikes and
the range of potential targets.
>> [music]