UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Jul. 17 — Ukrainian forces destroy Russian drone antennas and their launch sites, said Vadym Ponka, an officer of the communications unit of the 14th Mechanized Brigade, to ArmyInform.

Ponka reported that Russian troops are not currently conducting mechanized assaults in the area. Instead, Russian small groups attempt to infiltrate deep into Ukrainian positions. They are actively using drones and carrying out airstrikes with glide bombs every day.

According to Ponka, Russians carefully camouflage the launch sites and their drones and antennas using tree cover. But Ukrainian operators can still locate and destroy them.

“Each such strike is far more valuable than taking out a single Russian infantry soldier, because it means one less drone flying above our heads,” said the officer.

He also said that a few days ago, Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian tank deep in their territory. Ponka added that Russian ground drones are also targeted, but there is no widespread use of such systems in the Kupiansk area as opposed to Ukraine using them often.

Ponka pointed out the difficult humanitarian situation in the settlements of the Kupiansk district. Some civilians refuse to leave the dangerous areas and survive on food stockpiles, plus a few people even keep working in their vegetable gardens despite the constant threat of Russian attacks. Ukrainian soldiers deliver food to locals or organize evacuations, but many still remain in the combat zone.

“Unfortunately, Russian aircraft continue to drop large numbers of glide bombs every day. The civilian population suffers the most, since such weapons cause widespread destruction,” said Ponka.

The Kupiansk district is an eastern part of the Kharkiv oblast. Russian forces are attacking settlements in the district every day, with some of them now completely uninhabitable. Recently, local authorities expanded the mandatory evacuation zone there.

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