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Ukrainian forces have struck Russia’s elite Rubicon drone unit overnight, Kyiv’s military said hours before peace talks got underway with Moscow in Abu Dhabi.
The Rubicon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies was formed in August 2024 by the Russian ministry of defence and is a sprawling unit operating in the heart of occupied territory.
Its key aims include hunting down Ukrainian drone teams on the ground and intercepting reconnaissance and strike drones. It serves as the heart of Russian drone missions against Ukraine.
According to a statement by Ukraine’s southern defence released on Monday, the Rubicon unit was hit in the occupied region of Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia.
“The enemy facility was located 107 kilometres away from the line of contact,” read the statement on Telegram.
“The operation proves once again: there is no longer a safe rear for the Russian occupiers,” it continued.
“The defence forces of Ukraine are capable of detecting and striking enemy targets at a significant distance from the front line, acting in coordination and according to a single plan.”
Russia is reported to have “lost trained specialists who were engaged in training operators and passed on their experience to others”.
