Russia is testing a new drone in Pokrovsk: the city has become a testing ground for the occupiers
Pokrovsk has become a testing ground for new Russian developments. According to available information, the occupying forces have begun using the BM-35 drone here, which operates via Starlink. It is described as a more compact version of the “Shahed” kamikaze drone, which may indicate that new tactics for using UAVs are being tested.
According to him, Ukrainian troops still hold the northern outskirts of Pokrovsk.
“Despite the fact that the largest enemy force in this sector—the ‘Center’ military group—is stationed here, it carries out its missions using units from the 41st and 51st Armies. It is also attempting to deploy ‘Rubicon’ UAV units,” Lasyichuk said.
He noted that this section of the front has become a testing ground for such units. All the latest equipment—if not daily, then very frequently—is used precisely there.
“A BM-35 drone was recently spotted here. This is the latest model, similar to the ‘Shahed’ but smaller in size. This drone attempted to strike our equipment from a fairly long distance, almost in the rear, while using Starlink communications,” added the commander of the 7th Corps.
The advance of the occupying forces is measured in tens of meters per day, making it one of the slowest in military history over the past century (the pace is comparable to the Battle of the Somme during World War I):
Near Kostiantynivka: an average of 50 meters per day.
Around Pokrovsk: about 70 meters per day.
Around Sloviansk: 90 meters per day.
At the same time, in the spring of 2026, Russian territorial control in Ukraine began to shrink.
In April and May, Russian forces lost more territory than they were able to capture, resulting in a net loss of about 400 square kilometers. These are the Russian Federation’s first monthly net losses since August 2024.
After the Russians’ failed attempts to break through to Sloviansk, the enemy shifted its focus to the Donetsk region. Now, Kostiantynivka has become the main target of the Russian Federation’s spring-summer offensive campaign.
Brigadier General Yevhen Lasiychuk, commander of the 7th Airborne Corps, spoke about this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
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