In the summer of 2026, according to Ukrainian military sources, units of the 7th Rapid Response Corps of the Air Assault Forces have, for the first time in a long while, seized the initiative on one of the most heavily contested sectors of the front — the Pokrovsk axis. The key factor that, according to the soldiers, allowed them to turn the situation around was the mass use of medium-range drones — so-called mid-strikes. RBC-Ukraine reports on the work of the corps' units, citing a report by "Ukrainska Pravda," whose journalists visited the positions of three formations carrying out combat tasks in this area.
Three formations and a UAV arsenal
The filming crew documented the work of the 237th Unmanned Systems Battalion, the 25th Separate Air Assault Secheslav Brigade, and the 147th Separate Artillery Brigade — all part of the 7th VDV Corps. The soldiers use both domestic and foreign medium-range aircraft: among the models named are the "Chaklun," the "Bliskavka," the "Darts," and the "Hornet." The last aircraft stands out: it is equipped with an artificial-intelligence-based automatic re-homing function, which, according to operator Nikita of the 25th Brigade, allows the drone to "calculate" the target's movement and autonomously close in on it even when the link is lost.
Strikes on rear logistics
Light kamikaze drones operating at ranges of 30 to 200 kilometers are used primarily to "cut" enemy logistics: controlling roads, and the delivery of ammunition, fuel, and provisions. Kirill, the crew commander of mid-strikes in the 237th Battalion, notes that most flights are carried out to Donetsk — around 120 kilometers — although technically the aircraft is capable of flying up to 350 kilometers. Targets include both "free hunting" in the rear areas and stationary objects: convoys with ammunition, fuel depots, and command posts.
Assessment by the corps command
According to the soldiers, as a result of using mid-strikes, the enemy's advance on the Pokrovsk axis has, in their assessment, come to a complete halt, and its logistics have been significantly constrained. Earlier, the commander of the 7th VDV Rapid Response Corps, Brigadier General Yevhen Lasiychuk, told RBC-Ukraine in an interview that medium-range drones are the "present and future" of the Ukrainian forces, emphasizing that such systems will be scaled up and deployed in every unit. Contextually, according to Ukrainian media reports, the corps is also developing a new system for coordinating electronic warfare and UAVs, and Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Kondratiuk publicly described the 7th Corps as a model of "how the modern army of Ukraine should look."
