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Trench Art

The Fog Wasn't Quite Thick Enough To Save This Russian Tank Column From Ukrainian Drones

Volodymyrivka holds as the fourth Russian assault fails

Nov 12, 2025
∙ Paid
A Russian tank moments before a Ukrainian drone strikes it on Nov. 9. Via Kriegsforscher

Fog can protect your mechanized column as you attack across the drone-patrolled no-man’s-land in Ukraine. But God help you if the fog isn’t quite thick enough to blind the drones.

The Russian 155th Naval Infantry Brigade miscalculated on Nov. 9 when it tried, for at least the fourth time in a month, to capture the village of Volodymyrivka, just north of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. Previous attacks failed on Oct. 10, Oct. 16 and Oct. 27.

For the Nov. 9 push, the Russian marines mustered some of their best armored vehicles, all apparently fresh from their respective factories. The assault included up-armored T-80BVM tanks for mine-clearing and fire support plus BMP-3 and BTR-82AT infantry fighting vehicles to haul troops.

Rolling toward Volodymyrivka under cover of the fog that has blanketed much of eastern Ukraine in recent days, the marine column quickly ran into trouble.

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