Review of Russian-Ukrainian Strikes: Ukrainian Marines Killed During Awards Ceremony and Drone Attacks on Crimean Air Defenses

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Russia and Ukraine continued their intense exchange of strikes in early November. According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, Russian air defence systems destroyed 64 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that three Kh-47M2 ‘Kinzhal’ aeroballistic missiles, four ‘Iskander-M’ ballistic missiles, five S-300/S-400 anti-aircraft guided missiles, and 138 attack UAVs had been launched at Ukraine. Of these, one ‘Kinzhal’ missile and 115 drones were reportedly shot down or suppressed.

One notable incident was a Russian missile strike on November 1st against a formation of the 35th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Reports indicate the strike hit a parade ground during an awards ceremony for military personnel, resulting in significant casualties.

Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Sviatnenko confirmed the incident and reported that his brother was among those killed.

“They assembled the best. The best pilots and infantrymen of the brigade. By direct order. In an open area. “Ballistics” arrived. The story of negligence has repeated itself again,” stated Sviatnenko.

The Ukrainian side confirmed the fact of the strike and the presence of fatalities, noting that some officials responsible for the security of the ceremony had been suspended from their official duties.

Against this backdrop, it became known that the United Kingdom had delivered an additional batch of long-range ‘Storm Shadow’ missiles to Ukraine. According to reports, the delivery was made to replenish weapon stockpiles ahead of the winter months, following the United States’ refusal to transfer ‘Tomahawk’ missiles.

Strikes on Ukraine

On the night of 2-3 November, Russian forces carried out a series of strikes on targets in eight regions of Ukraine, using ‘Geran-2’ and ‘Geran-3’ attack UAVs, as well as ballistic missiles. In the Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr regions, the ‘Kinzhal’ hypersonic missiles targeted the military airfield in Starokostiantyniv and the Ozernoye airbase.

In the Kharkiv region, near Havrilivka, a drone strike on a traction substation caused damage to infrastructure supporting northbound railway communications.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, near Shevchenko, a field camp of the 112th Territorial Defence Brigade was hit, disrupting the redeployment of reserves. In Pavlohrad, a major fire was reported at an industrial plant following a UAV attack, while an oil depot was targeted in Shakhtersk.

A strike on the ‘Marievka’ compressor station in the Mykolaiv region had significant consequences. A fire there damaged power transformers and the cooling system, temporarily taking the facility offline. This station played a key role in gas transit along the southern section of the main gas pipeline supplying central regions of Ukraine.

In the Poltava region, strikes targeted the ‘Svinkovka’ railway station, disrupting train traffic, and the ‘Grebennovskaya’ compressor station, where gas pumping units were damaged.

In the Chernihiv region, in Nizhyn, drones attacked a State Emergency Service (SES) airfield, destroying fuel and lubricants warehouses and emergency rescue equipment, thereby reducing the operational capabilities of Ukrainian UAV units in the region.

A missile strike on the Dnipropetrovsk Locomotive Repair Plant held particular strategic importance. A series of hits by ‘Iskander-M’ missiles led to the destruction of the administrative building, repair shops, and the destruction of railway platforms with locomotives. This plant was a key hub for repairing rolling stock involved in Ukrainian military logistics.

In Kramatorsk, an FPV drone hit a gas distribution station, damaging the administrative building and pipelines. Furthermore, in the area of Oleksievo-Druzhkivka, Russian aircraft struck a fortified checkpoint on a highway using guided aerial bombs. This checkpoint was used by units of the Military Law and Order Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine to control troop movement; its destruction led to a disorganisation of the security system in the sector.

Strikes on Russia

For their part, Ukrainian forces carried out a series of attacks using unmanned systems. According to Russian information, the largest numbers of UAVs were shot down over the Rostov and Saratov regions—29 in each. Interceptions were also reported over the Volgograd and Belgorod regions, and the Stavropol Krai.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed a successful strike on the Saratov Oil Refinery, while local authorities reported only downed drones.

Another area of attacks was objects in the Black Sea waters. Ukrainian forces, using naval kamikaze drones and carriers for FPV-appliances, attacked the Russian contingent on floating drilling platforms, presumably the ‘Krym-2’ or ‘Sivash’.

The Russian side, in turn, reported the successful engagement of one such naval drone using a ‘Lancet’ loitering munition. Additionally, in Crimea, Ukrainian UAVs struck components of air defence systems. Ukrainian sources reported the destruction of two vehicles of an S-300/400 anti-aircraft missile system and two radar stations, indicating the continued vulnerability of even well-protected objects.

In summarising the events of 2-3 November, it can be noted that both sides maintain the tactics of striking critical infrastructure and military targets. Russia is focusing on disrupting Ukrainian Armed Forces’ logistics chains, energy infrastructure, and railway communications, while Ukraine is striving to hit fuel and energy complex facilities and air defence systems on Russian territory. Simultaneously, technological adaptations are being noted: according to expert assessments, Russia is preparing for the long-term use of Chinese CRPA antennas in its drones, which are difficult to suppress with electronic warfare means, potentially increasing the effectiveness of unmanned attacks in the future.

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