A top secret drone unit inside Ukraine’s covert operation intelligence directorate dubbed ‘ghost’ is systematically dismantling Russia’s ability to defend its military and industry
Ukraine elite “ghost” unit has destroyed two major Russian radar stations and a launch pad for Moscow’s anti-aircraft missile system in eastern Donbas, the Mirror can reveal. The covert drone spook team – dubbed ‘ghost’ because Russia never sees them – infiltrated behind enemy lines and targeted two Podlet low-altitude radars and a 9A82 missile launcher, in a bid to hold back Russian advances in the region.
Destroying the anti-air defence system will also open up opportunities for Ukraine to launch more devastating attacks against Russia’s industrial and energy complexes. A Russian troop-carrying truck was also destroyed in a drone strike called in by special forces units trying to divert Moscow’s troops from their frontline assaults.
Ukraine’s intelligence agencies have dubbed the wiping out of the troop-carrier a “bonus” as it was only spotted as they launched the drone attack on the weapons sites. It comes as hundreds of Russian troops are believed to have entered the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk and as Kyiv slammed claims its troops are ‘surrounded’ as ‘lies.’
If it is overrun the city could serve as a hub for Russia to make deeper incursions into Ukraine as Putin insists on pushing the assault amid US calls for a peace deal. At least 200 Russian troops are inside the city with fierce fighting underway and Moscow’s sabotage teams are believed to have infiltrated into the community.
It comes as a far-reaching UN report says Russian drone teams are hunting down civilians in a bid to force them out of their homes in the east. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine confirmed its special operations unit Prymary (“Ghosts”) launched the attack.
The exact location of the latest “ghost” unit attack has not been revealed but it took place in the occupied Donbas region. The destroyed anti-aircraft system, called the S-300V, is a long-range surface-to-air and anti-ballistic missile system protecting military and industrial sites from aircraft, missiles, and drones.
In recent months Ukraine has prioritised dismantling Russia’s ground to air defence missile systems, in a bid to effectively attack Moscow’s industrial base. Ukraine’s long-range strikes on refineries inside Russia have reduced Moscow’s oil refining capacity by 20%, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.
Over 90% of those deep strikes on Russian soil were carried out by Ukrainian-made long-range weapons, according to Zelenskyy. He said Ukraine needs additional foreign financial help to produce more of them, adding: “We just need to work on this every day.”
Oil exports play a key role in funding Russia’s invasion of its neighbor Ukraine. While Ukrainian weapons take aim at the refineries, new sanctions from the U.S. and the European Union are aiming to cut into Moscow’s oil and gas export earnings. Despite renewed U.S.-led peace efforts, the war shows no sign of ending after nearly four years.
With the Kremlin showing no willingness to compromise, U.S. President Donald Trump raised the stakes by announcing sanctions last week against Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil. Those sanctions are due to come into force on Nov. 21, and Zelenskyy says Trump “probably will use this as a tool of pressure or dialogue with the Russians.”
China and India are the biggest customers for Russian oil. Zelenskyy said India “has definitely given all the signals that it will reduce imports of energy resources” from Russia. He said he is hopeful that Trump’s planned meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday will bring further reductions in purchases of Russian crude.
A source told the Daily Mirror: “Hitting Russia’s energy economy is at the heart of Ukraine’s military thinking – to try and dismantle Putin’s ability to pay for this war and it is very effective. “Targeting Putin’s energy export ability will severely erode his warchest and his ability to feed the military machine is weakening.’
“Western allies are imposing sanctions which are biting Russia’s war economy but Ukraine is more than doing its bit to hit Putin’s finances and logistics.” Over the past month, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence and armed forces have destroyed a series of high-value Russian radar and missile systems across occupied regions and inside Russia. Recently Ukraine’s “Ghosts” smashed three Crimea radar stations.
The unit’s drones pulverised two more radars in southern Ukraine in its bid to strike at Russia’s ability to defend military ground positions. They have celebrated increasing successes against Russian infrastructure in recent weeks.