Watch Ukraine’s Unmanned System Forces launch a massive long-range drone attack against Russian army assets and Iranian cargo ships. See how Ukrainian UAV swarms destroyed a $500 million Russian S-400 radar system in Rostov, struck oil refineries, and targeted weapons vessels in the Caspian Sea. As Kyiv dismantles Moscow's supply lines, will Iran's proxy alliance with Russia survive this devastating air defense breach?
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Ukraine UAV Swarms Attack Rostov and Caspian Sea
1:37 - Iran Shahed Drone Supply Lines to Russian Military
5:03 - Ukraine SBU Deploys Long Range Strike Drones
7:53 - Ukraine Drones Destroy $500M Russian S400 System
11:05 - Is Ukraine Targeting Russian Ships in Caspian Sea?
Sources:
https://pastes.io/iI8UGBhK
#militarystrategy #militarydevelopments #militaryanalysis
#thebattlefieldshow
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Ukraine UAV Swarms Attack Rostov and Caspian Sea
1:37 - Iran Shahed Drone Supply Lines to Russian Military
5:03 - Ukraine SBU Deploys Long Range Strike Drones
7:53 - Ukraine Drones Destroy $500M Russian S400 System
11:05 - Is Ukraine Targeting Russian Ships in Caspian Sea?
Sources:
https://pastes.io/iI8UGBhK
#militarystrategy #militarydevelopments #militaryanalysis
#thebattlefieldshow
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00July 24, 2026. 2200 hours. The sun has set, and under cover of darkness,
00:07swarms of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles take to the skies, speeding off in different
00:13directions to hunt down an array of high-value enemy targets. Some speed towards the city of
00:19Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, not far from the Ukrainian border. By midnight,
00:24they're already making an impact, eliminating various air defense systems and strike drone
00:29warehouses, leaving rubble and destruction in their wake. Others, however, have a much longer
00:34journey ahead of them. They'll be travelling hundreds of miles across enemy territory towards
00:39the landlocked Caspian Sea, a vast and vital body of water linking Russia and Iran.
00:45That's what makes tonight different. It's not just another drone attack, it's the moment when two
00:50wars collide. Because tonight, Ukraine's unmanned system forces aren't just going after Russia,
00:56they're also going after Iran. As Kyiv's drones traverse enemy territory and evade air defenses
01:03on their way to the coast, a pair of cargo ships are en route to Russia from Iran, crossing the
01:08calm midnight waters of the Caspian Sea. As far as Ukraine's drones are concerned,
01:13it doesn't matter if those vessels have Iranian shipments or even sailors on board. They're fair
01:18game. And by the time the sun has risen on July 25, Iran would have felt the full fire and
01:24fury of the
01:25Ukrainian drone army rained down upon it. And the global geopolitical situation will have taken an
01:31astonishing turn that nobody saw coming. Chapter 1. The Iran connection.
01:37Iran may not be an active combatant in the Russia-Ukraine war, but there's no doubt it's
01:42played a massive role in the conflict since day one. Within the early weeks of the war, for example,
01:48multiple news sources reported that weapons shipments were being smuggled from Iran into Russia,
01:52and Tehran arguably gave Moscow its biggest boost when it provided the Russian military
01:57with Shahid-style strike drones, which Russia has gone on to use to devastating effect against
02:03Ukrainian military sites and civilian infrastructure. Indeed, without Iran's intervention,
02:09the war might never have become so drone-oriented. It was thanks to Tehran's Shahid shipments,
02:14plus the fact that Iran also sent drone operators to places like Crimea to train Russian troops on how
02:20to use drones effectively that so many Ukrainian lives were lost. And even though Russia today
02:25produces its own drones, rather than having to import them from any of the few allies it has left,
02:31many of its most effective models were based on original Iranian designs. In effect,
02:36it was Iran that laid the groundwork for a large part of Russia's success in the conflict so far.
02:41Because even though Russia is now infamous for its enormous drone swarms and devastating strikes on
02:47cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv, it wasn't always that way. When the war began, and Russia realised that
02:53conventional mechanised warfare tactics and vast tank columns weren't necessarily going to be enough
02:58to get the job done, the Kremlin's commanders became desperate for drone technologies. But they barely
03:04had any sort of drone army of their own to speak of. The country's indigenous fleet was small and
03:09lightweight, with limited capabilities and poor range. It didn't have the diverse array of UAVs it needed,
03:15like bombers, kamikaze drones and surveillance models. Iran, however, had been working with
03:21military drones for quite some time. It was widely considered a pioneer in the field,
03:26and it was only too happy to help out its ally, not only handing over some serious unmanned system
03:31hardware, but also taking the time to show Russia how to make its own drones and providing thousands
03:36of hours of training for its pilots and crews. Iran's aid didn't end there. Before the war was even
03:42a year old, reports had also emerged of Iran supplying Moscow with short-range ballistic
03:47missiles and other supplies. And even as much of the wider world has shunned Moscow, with even
03:52many of the former USSR republics actively seeking out other trade partners and international
03:57relationships, Iran has remained one of a very small group of countries to continue to back Russia.
04:03No matter how many war crimes and atrocities the country commits, no matter how many innocent lives
04:08it claims or how much civilian infrastructure it blows up, Iran continues to stand by it.
04:14It's no surprise, therefore, that Kyiv sees Tehran as its enemy.
04:18Indeed, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken out against Iran on numerous occasions,
04:24calling out the country's complicity with such an evil as Russian aggression back in 2023,
04:30and officially labelling the Iranian military, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC,
04:36a terrorist organisation in February 2026. Of course, Ukraine has been far too busy defending
04:42its own territory to carry out any sort of direct strikes against Iranian targets. But if ever an
04:48opportunity presented itself to deal damage to the Tehran regime, Kyiv's forces certainly wouldn't say no.
05:01As Ukraine's military has gained momentum and managed to slow Russia's frontline progress throughout
05:072026, the unmanned systems forces have been able to organise and execute more frequent and ferocious
05:13drone strikes against their enemy. Barely a day goes by without more news of Ukrainian drones striking
05:19some sort of Russian assets or infrastructure, from air defences near frontline locations to
05:25Wildberry's logistics warehouses hundreds of miles behind enemy lines. And, as night began to fall on
05:32July 24, the pieces were put into place for another of these attacks. Using a combination of its own
05:38surveillance drones and intelligence data provided by its allies, the Ukrainian Security Service, SBU,
05:44had identified several high-value targets in various Russian cities, and had prepared several small
05:50swarms of drones at undisclosed strategic locations around the country. Each swarm was comprised of the
05:56very best models to suit its mission parameters. Those that would have to travel the longest distances,
06:02for example, would have included the likes of the Anatov AN-196 Liuti, which boasts an extraordinary
06:08operational range of between 1,000 and 2,000 kilometres, or 620 to 1,240 miles. Those headed for
06:17closer targets, meanwhile, likely relied on models like the US-made Hornet, which boasts AI-powered
06:22guidance systems and has proven to be one of the most effective elements of Ukraine's middle strike
06:27campaign. Ukrainian drone crews also prepared dummy or decoy drones, designed to lead the way into
06:33enemy territory and trigger Russian air defences into wasting missiles and munitions. Once the swarms
06:39were set, and in position, the green light was given, and in the blink of an eye, dozens of UAVs
06:44burst
06:45into life and buzzed away into the black night sky. Cruising at speeds of around 180 kilometres per hour,
06:51or 110 miles per hour, the drones beeline towards their destinations, quickly crossing over into occupied
06:57regions and Russian territory, where they could be spotted and shot down at any instant. They remain
07:03low to the ground, hugging the terrain, darting and diving between trees, pylons, power lines,
07:08and buildings in order to evade detection. The lower their altitude, the trickier it is for Russia's
07:13radars to spot these diminutive weapons as they close in, one mile at a time, on their respective
07:19targets. The decoys lead the way, like military scouts, scanning the terrain ahead and plotting a safe
07:25path for the others to follow. Ukraine knows that not all of these drones are likely to make it to
07:30their destinations, but as long as some are able to bypass the enemy's defences and strike their
07:34targets, it should still be another successful night. An hour into the operation, some of the drones,
07:40those that headed towards the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, are now just moments away
07:45from making impact. This city, which is roughly 60 miles from the Ukrainian border, is about to be set
07:51ablaze. Chapter 3 The Rostov Strike
07:55The sleepy silence of Rostov-on-Don, a port city of more than a million people, is suddenly
08:00punctuated by the buzzing sound of Ukrainian UAVs entering its airspace. Given its proximity to Ukraine
08:07and the Sea of Azov, Rostov has been heavily guarded throughout the war, but Ukraine has slowly picked
08:12away at the city's defences over the years, leaving fewer and fewer radars and missile batteries for the
08:18Russians to rely on. Thanks to this, it's only when the drones are actually in the city itself that
08:23Russia's defences finally begin to activate. By then, it's far too late.
08:28While some drones are ultimately shot down, others speed ever onwards towards the high-value assets
08:34identified by the SBU in the days leading up to the attack. In fact, some of them are heading
08:40straight for the few remaining air defences left in the area. An S-400 Triumph missile system,
08:46for example, has been stationed in a strategic spot on the city's outskirts, tasked with scanning the
08:51skies for any signs of incoming threats. Before it has time to fire a single missile,
08:57it's already being put out of action. One Ukrainian drone screams straight into the S-400
09:0392N6E gravestone multifunctional radar station. Another blasts into the system's antenna tower.
09:09Two of the most important elements of this $500 million system, gone in the blink of an eye.
09:15One of Russia's most valuable and vital defensive assets, sent straight to the scrap heap.
09:20And the attack is far from over. Elsewhere, the explosive warheads of Ukrainian UAVs meet another
09:26enemy air defence, a Tor M2 to be precise. Based on an old Soviet design, but equipped with modern
09:33components and advanced technologies, the Tor M2 has also been one of Russia's more reliable assets
09:38over the course of the conflict so far, when it comes to tracking and eliminating airborne munitions
09:43from Ukraine. But this Tor is about to meet its maker. As the drones make direct hits with the
09:49system, it's blown to bits, with nothing but a charred smoking chassis left behind. Ukraine's UAV pilots
09:56also spot a polled 21 electronic warfare system, another of Rostov's protective layers, and Russian
10:02to eliminate it. With the city's defensive shield all but eliminated, the rest of the swarm is free to
10:08move in for the knockout blow, targeting the key pieces of infrastructure they came for.
10:13Residents of Rostov are woken by the sounds of explosions, and the sight of flames and smoke
10:17filling the air, as more mid-range strike UAVs meet a nearby fuel and lubricants depot.
10:23Gallons of oil go up in flames as the drones make contact, as Russia once more feels the war come
10:29home,
10:29and this strike still isn't done. More drones are in the air, and headed straight for the two final
10:34targets, a pair of warehouses that may look simple from the outside but actually has hordes of Russian
10:40FPV drones. Ukraine's final wave of UAVs crashes down onto the warehouse walls, blowing holes in
10:47the structures and triggering fires and explosions, dealing untold damage to the enemy munitions hidden
10:52away inside. Rostov is burning, and Russia's night is about to go from bad to much, much worse.
10:59Chapter 4. Follow-up strikes. As reports rushed in of the Rostov attack,
11:05Russia's commanders might have hoped that the city was Ukraine's one and only target for the evening.
11:10If so, they were sorely mistaken. Dozens of drones had left Ukraine earlier that night,
11:15and only a small percentage had gone to the southern Russian city. Now, in the early hours of July 25,
11:21many more UAVs are still speeding across Russia's regions towards other important locations,
11:26and nothing is going to stop them. Air defenses and radars have already been eliminated in previous
11:32attacks. Intelligence has been collected and pathways have been cleared. Targets have been
11:37found in regions more than 1,000 kilometers, over 620 miles from Ukraine, and the unmanned system forces
11:43have the power to strike them. Hours pass as the drones close in on their respective targets.
11:49Many head to the north and east, traveling into Russia's more remote, rural and mountainous regions,
11:54the kinds of places that were supposed to be completely safe and insulated from the horrors
11:59of war. Since these locations are so far from the front, they're less heavily defended, making it even
12:05easier for the Ukrainian UAVs to make their approach. They have very few radars, missile batteries or
12:10mobile fire teams to worry about, but remain cautious nonetheless, relying on GPS navigation systems
12:16and preset coordinates to rush towards their target, without having to be manually guided the whole way.
12:22Back in the relative safety of Ukrainian drone bases, teams of operators gather around monitors,
12:28watching the direct feeds from their UAV swarms, eager to witness the devastation unfold.
12:34Five hours into the operation, the drones begin to strike their targets. An oil refinery and two men
12:40goes up in flames. A logistics facility in Yekoturinburg suffers a similar fate. And a plant in Kirov,
12:46around 1,200 kilometers or 750 miles from Ukraine, which is responsible for producing parts for the
12:52Russian army's weapons, also suffers major damage in the wake of the UAV attack. But the biggest and
12:58most important targets of all are found somewhere completely different, the Caspian Sea. This vast
13:04body of water has served as the perfect thoroughfare between Russia and Iran for many years. Since the war
13:10began, Tehran has been able to funnel military operatives and supplies across the sea to the Russian coast,
13:16towards cities like Astrakhan and onward, along the mighty Volga River, towards western Russia,
13:21and the Sea of Azov. Despite having no conventional naval force to speak of, Ukraine has already managed
13:27to effectively nullify Russia's Black Sea fleet and blockade Russian shipping in the Sea of Azov. Now,
13:33it's ready to do something similar in the Caspian. As the drones approach, three enemy vessels are
13:39quickly identified and verified, with at least two of them believed to be headed north from Iran
13:43towards Russia on another of their regular resupply missions. One is the port Olya-2,
13:49a sanctioned cargo vessel. Another is the dry cargo ship Begey. Finally, the cold waters of the Caspian Sea
13:56are also host to a Russian Project 12418 Molnir missile boat in the early hours of July 25. The
14:04missile boat is quite evidently a fair target for Ukraine, given its military associations.
14:09The two other vessels may look more innocent, but also have proven track records of being implicated
14:14in the conflict. The SBU has intelligence that shows both the port Olya-2 and the Begey have been
14:20used to transport military cargo between Iran and Russia on multiple occasions in the preceding years.
14:25Both ships have also been placed under sanctions by numerous Western powers,
14:30including the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. Even while fighting its own separate war
14:35with the US and Israel, a war in which it suffered greatly, Iran hasn't eased off on assisting Moscow,
14:41however it can. And it's about to pay the price. Decoys have led the way. Strike drones have followed
14:47behind, covering literally hundreds of miles of Russian airspace at low altitude flight,
14:52in order to avoid being detected. Now, they're skimming mere feet above the surface of the Caspian,
14:57the swarms splitting into smaller groups, each one tasked with taking out a particular target.
15:02The missile boat is the most offensive of the trio, so it takes priority. Armed guards are aboard,
15:08and the vessel has various methods to defend itself, including AK-630 30mm guns and MANPAD's air
15:15defense missiles, along with various radars and sensor systems to alert it to incoming threats.
15:21However, like so many other Russian military assets, this boat wasn't built with drone warfare in mind.
15:27It has neither the awareness nor the agility to evade the Ukrainian attack. Within seconds,
15:32UAVs are blowing holes in the Project 12418, targeting its weakest points to deal maximum damage
15:38in the minimum amount of time. Ukraine's drone crews watch only glee back at base,
15:43as their monitors show the moments of impact, and night vision cameras capture the glowing
15:47orbs of explosions and thick columns of smoke spilling out into the open air.
15:52With the missile ship out of action, other drones rush towards the cargo vessels,
15:57which are believed to be transporting the likes of drone and missile components towards the Volga.
16:02Both of the ships suffer direct hits and are left stranded and smoking in the water.
16:06This was a pivotal moment. On the face of it, Ukraine had simply attacked another couple of
16:11enemy assets. In reality, this means so much more. This is the first time ever that Ukrainian drones
16:17have struck ships travelling out of Iran. It's a clear message from Kyiv to Tehran,
16:22stop interfering in this war and aiding our enemy, or face the consequences.
16:26Before the sun has risen, Ukraine's remaining UAVs in the area also find the time to hit the
16:32Filanovsky oil field, the largest oil field in Russia's part of the Caspian Sea.
16:37Another target hit, and more losses for the Kremlin to deal with.
16:40As the world wakes to the news, Tehran issues an outraged response, with regime officials warning,
16:46Ukraine's dangerous adventurism will certainly not go unanswered by us.
16:50In reality, however, with much of the Iranian military already obliterated by American forces,
16:56Iran's bark is far worse than its bite. There's very little it can do to hit back for this attack,
17:01and out of the two nations, it's Ukraine, not Iran, that's in the power position.
17:06Ukraine has proven it has the technology and the tactics to carry out precise and efficient
17:11long-range strikes on targets hundreds of miles away. It's shown that the Caspian Sea will no longer
17:17be classified as a safe waterway for Russia and Iran to exchange military goods and aid.
17:21And it's issued a visceral message to both of its biggest enemies,
17:25you will pay for what you've done to the people of Ukraine.