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Russia’s new ‘drone‑proof’ tanks overwhelmed by Ukrainian swarms in Donbas battle (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,628)
EUobserver • • world
Key Points:
- Russian forces attempted a mechanized assault near Dobropillia on 22 July, deploying tanks equipped with the new Arena-M active protection system, which showed effectiveness against drone attacks but requires more defensive ammunition to be fully effective under current battlefield conditions.
- The Arena-M system increased the number of drones needed to destroy a tank by neutralizing many threats, but it did not make tanks invulnerable, highlighting ongoing challenges in adapting tank survivability to modern drone-dominated warfare.
- Rodynske, a strategically important town near Pokrovsk, has definitively fallen to Russian forces after nearly a year of intense fighting, strengthening Russia’s position for further advances toward Dobropillia.
- The battle for Rodynske was significant due to its location on a key road into Pokrovsk; its capture allows Russia to consolidate control in the area despite failing to bypass Pokrovsk from the north.
- The conflict continues to evolve with increasing use of electronic warfare, drones, and innovative defense systems, as both sides adapt to the dominance of drone surveillance and attacks on the battlefield.
