Unmanned aerial vehicle forces struck the BARS-Sarmat base in Kyrylivka

Operators from the 413th Separate “Raid” Unmanned Systems Regiment struck the temporary deployment site of the Russian “BARS-Sarmat” Special Purpose Center. It is located in the temporarily occupied town of Kyrylivka in the Zaporizhzhia region.

According to the 413th Regiment, the Russian invaders had set up a base on the grounds of a former resort. The Ukrainian military reported on the operation on Facebook and posted a video. At this time, no details have been released regarding the extent of the damage or Russian casualties.

What Does the Russian “BARS-Sarmat” Center Do?

“BARS-Sarmat,” also known as “BARS-37,” is one of the units of the Russian unmanned systems forces. It is engaged in the development and combat testing of drones, robotic systems, electronic warfare systems, and electronic reconnaissance systems. The center’s specialists are also working on command-and-control and communications systems. In other words, the unit not only utilizes existing technologies but also participates in the development and testing of technical equipment that the Russian military can deploy on the front lines.

According to Ukrainian assessments, “BARS-Sarmat” poses a serious threat due to its technical capabilities. In this regard, it is compared to the Russian “Rubicon” Unmanned Systems Center, which is better known in the media. The “BARS-Sarmat” personnel consists not only of military personnel but also of technical specialists. Among them are programmers, engineers, and technologists who work on military developments and participate in the war against Ukraine.

The center is commanded by Dmitry Rogozin

The “BARS-Sarmat” center is headed by Dmitry Rogozin, the former CEO of the Russian state corporation “Roscosmos.” In 2022, he left that position and later became a so-called “senator” representing the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The center’s military personnel are also deployed to mobile fire support units. In particular, they provide cover for vehicles on the “Novorossiya” highway, which connects Rostov-on-Don with the temporarily occupied Crimea.

According to Ukrainian sources, this road is under the fire control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. To strike targets behind Russian lines, Ukrainian defenders use, among other things, medium-range drones.

“Raid” had already attacked the center’s facilities in 2026

The current strike on the base in Kyrylivka is not the 413th Regiment’s first operation against “BARS-Sarmat” facilities. In April 2026, “Raid” operators had already struck a complex of facilities belonging to this center deep within the Zaporizhzhia region, on the coast of the Azov Sea.

At that time, the destruction of a temporary deployment site and workshops was confirmed. Drones, ground-based robotic systems, and electronic warfare equipment were manufactured and outfitted in these facilities.

Thus, the Ukrainian military reports repeated strikes on facilities belonging to the Russian center, which is engaged in the development and application of military technologies. At the same time, there is currently no information on the exact consequences of the new attack in Kyrylivka. The 413th Regiment reported this on Facebook.

Soldiers of the 115th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that they had again destroyed a Russian Mi-28 attack helicopter using a drone. The attack took place in the Belgorod region of Russia. According to the Ukrainian military, they had previously struck a helicopter of the same type on October 14.

On October 16 and during the night of October 17, 2026, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck a number of Russian military logistics facilities. In particular, near the village of Sloboda-Seletskaya in the Bryansk Oblast of the Russian Federation, a railway bridge across the Unecha River was reported to have been destroyed.