Russian assault troops discovered a cache of Ukrainian drone equipment following the liberation of Velikomikhailovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region. Soldiers from the Vostok group found the equipment at a fortified position beneath a pillbox near the settlement, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.

The abandoned site contained devices known as «incubators," used by Ukrainian UAV crews, as well as antennas, cables, and munitions intended for aerial drops. An assault unit commander with the call sign Samosval explained that the Ukrainian forces had left behind the equipment but removed the heavy hexacopters themselves.

Ukrainian troops had prepared Velikomikhailovka for defense well before the Russian advance. Residential buildings, outbuildings, and basements had been converted into military positions and shelters. Russian assault teams fought their way through the settlement, moving between streets while adapting to the terrain, building layout, and weather conditions.

Holding captured ground proved another major challenge. Ukrainian forces repeatedly attempted to retake lost positions, deploying heavy hexacopters loaded with explosives and anti-tank mines. According to a squad commander with the call sign Zont, Ukrainian drones dropped anti-tank mines onto buildings sheltering Russian troops. The explosions brought down structures, leaving people trapped beneath rubble and blocking exits from basements. Russian soldiers had to dig through the debris by hand to rescue those buried underneath.

On October 17, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that Vostok assault units had taken control of Velikomikhailovka. The capture expanded the group’s territory along the right bank of the Volchya River and established conditions for further advances across the Dnepropetrovsk region, the ministry reported.