---
title: "Operation 'Black Bird': 422nd LUFTWAFFE Regiment Destroyed the Occupiers' Power Supply on the Southern Axis"
description: "The 422nd Unmanned Systems Regiment LUFTWAFFE completed the \"Black Bird\" operation on the southern axis: the main power supply sources of the Russian troops were hit, and no civilians were harmed."
date: 2026-09-19T15:16:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/operation-black-bird-422-luftwaffe-power-supply-south-en
tags: [ukraine, military-operation, drones, energy-infrastructure, luftwaffe-regiment, southern-front]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Operation 'Black Bird': 422nd LUFTWAFFE Regiment Destroyed the Occupiers' Power Supply on the Southern Axis

![Operator of the 422nd LUFTWAFFE regiment holding a tactical drone in a forest during Operation Black Bird targeting the enemy power supply on the southern axis](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/20/operatsiya-chernaya-ptitsa-422-luftwaffe-energosnabzhenie-yug/operatsiya-chernaya-ptitsa-422-luftwaffe-energosnabzhenie-yug-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The 422nd LUFTWAFFE Regiment completed the «Schwarzer Vogel» operation on the southern axis, destroying the main power supply sources of the Russian troops
- Russian military forces switched to gas generation due to a shortage of gasoline and diesel; Ukrainian military personnel struck the gas pipelines laid for this purpose
- According to the regiment's statement, no civilians were harmed during the operation, and the aggressor's active capability along the sector has been significantly reduced

Ukraine's defense forces have completed an operation on the southern axis under the codename «Schwarzer Vogel» ("Black Bird"), during which the main power supply sources of the Russian troops were hit and destroyed. This was reported on September 20, 2026, by RBC-Ukraine, citing an official statement from the 422nd Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment LUFTWAFFE. According to Ukrainian defenders, the operation is in its final stage, and the "aggressor's active capability along the sector has been significantly reduced."

### Strike targets: gas infrastructure and repair facilities

As explained by the 422nd LUFTWAFFE Regiment, Russian military forces on the southern axis were forced to switch to gas generation due to a shortage of liquid fuel — gasoline and diesel. To ensure an uninterrupted supply of energy to repair and other facilities, the occupiers laid separate gas pipelines, which were disguised to the civilian population of the occupied territories as "preventive maintenance." Ukrainian military personnel had been monitoring this infrastructure for a long time and, according to them, decided to carry out a targeted strike operation.

### Results: all main energy sources hit

The LUFTWAFFE Regiment's statement emphasizes that as a result of the "Black Bird" operation, all main sources of energy supply for the occupation formations were hit or destroyed. This, according to Ukrainian defenders, led to a significant reduction in the active capability of Russian troops in this sector of the front. It is separately noted that no civilians were harmed during the operation.

### Context: parallel AFU operations

The "Black Bird" operation took place against the backdrop of other active actions by the defense forces. Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported new results of the "Vivaldi" operation, during which the AFU liberated several settlements in the north of Donetsk Oblast. Ukrainian military personnel also drove Russian fighters out of the settlement of Serednie without any losses. Thus, strikes on the enemy's logistical and energy infrastructure in the south complement the offensive actions on the eastern axis.

### Contradictory data

No direct discrepancies in figures and dates were found between the provided sources: RBC-Ukraine and Censor.net are relaying the same statement from the 422nd LUFTWAFFE Regiment. At the same time, it should be noted that all the results listed — the destruction of "all main" energy sources, the absence of civilian casualties — are a self-report by the unit that directly carried out the operation. Independent verification of the scale of the damage has not been provided by any of the cited publications to date. The Censor.net source (ID 3) additionally mentions the striking of a railway bridge and an energy facility, which expands the picture of the strike targets beyond exclusively gas lines, but does not contradict the main text of the statement.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [AFU announces results of the "Black Bird" operation on the southern axis (video)](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zsu-ogolosili-rezultati-operatsiyi-chorniy-1789830814.html) - Первичный источник заявления 422-го полка LUFTWAFFE. Содержит полный текст заявления с деталями о газовой генерации, целях удара и отсутствии пострадавших гражданских.
- [Operation "Black Bird": Ukrainian military personnel struck the main power supply sources ...](https://censor.net/ru/news/4024276/piloty-vsu-nanesli-udar-po-energosnabjeniyu-okkupantov-na-yuge) - Вторичный источник, транслирующий заявление полка. Подтверждает ключевые тезисы: поражение энергоснабжения, южное направление, завершение операции.
- [Operators of the 422nd Luftwaffe Regiment struck a railway bridge and an energy facility ...](https://censor.net/ru/videonews/4013459/422-yi-polk-lyuftvaffe-nan-s-udar-po-mostu-i-energeticheskomu-obektu-rf) - Вторичный источник, транслирующий заявление полка. Подтверждает ключевые тезисы: поражение энергоснабжения, южное направление, завершение операции.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is the "Black Bird" operation?
**A:** It is a strike operation by the 422nd Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment LUFTWAFFE on the southern axis, during which the main power supply sources of the Russian troops were hit. As of September 20, 2026, the operation is in its final stage.

### Q: Which specific facilities were hit?
**A:** According to the regiment's statement, all main sources of energy supply for the occupiers were hit, including gas lines laid to ensure repair and energy facilities. The Censor.net source additionally mentions the striking of a railway bridge and an energy facility.

### Q: Were any civilians harmed?
**A:** The statement of the 422nd LUFTWAFFE Regiment explicitly states that no civilians were harmed during the operation. An independent verification of this claim has not been conducted to date.

### Q: Why did Russian military forces switch to gas generation?
**A:** According to the statement of Ukrainian defenders, Russian troops on the southern axis faced a shortage of liquid fuel — gasoline and diesel. In connection with this, they laid separate gas pipelines to ensure an uninterrupted supply of energy to their facilities.