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Ukrainian special unit destroys Russian drone operator training center, military intelligence says

• 2 min read
Ukrainian special unit destroys Russian drone operator training center, military intelligence says
Screenshot of the video showing a Ukrainian attack on a Russian drone operator training center in Khorly, occupied Kherson Oblast, Ukraine on Oct. 12, 2026 (HUR/Telegram)

Ukrainian units destroyed a Russian training center for drone operators in Khorly, in occupied Kherson Oblast, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said on Oct. 15.

Service members of the HUR special unit "Shamanbat," together with the 426th Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment, conducted an operation overngiht on Oct. 11 to destroy the training center for drone operators of Russia's 18th Combined Arms Army, HUR said.

The operation also destroyed the residence of the Russian officer corps, in particular of those training the sabotage groups of the 18th Army, HUR added.

The intelligence agency said that its operation completely destroyed the training center. In a video released together with the statement, details of the operation and its aftermath can be seen, showing several drone strikes on the training facility.

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The Russian 18th Combined Arms Army was formed in August 2022 “to free up more experienced units to fight on key axes" in Ukraine, according to the U.K. defense ministry.

The formation is likely "an amalgamation and uplift" of other units operating in Kherson Oblast, including the 22nd Army Corps, which normally forms the Russian garrison in occupied Crimea, the ministry said.

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Jonas Heins

Assistant Editor

Jonas Heins is Assistant Editor at the Kyiv Independent. Before joining, Jonas worked in several think tanks and research institutions across Central and Eastern Europe. He grew up in Germany and holds an MA in European Studies from the University of Padova. Currently he is pursuing an MA in Central and East European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies from the Universities of Glasgow and Tartu.

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