All-terrain pick-up trucks will augment the unmanned vehicle forces in Zaporizhzhia region.
Off-road vehicles in the Ukrainian army are not just transport, but one of the key elements of combat effectiveness on the front line. These manoeuvrable and fast vehicles allow troops to navigate rough terrain, deliver personnel, ammunition and equipment to operational sites, evacuate the wounded and quickly change their location.
Thanks to their off-road capability and reliability, such vehicles help carry out combat missions in the challenging conditions of the front line and enhance the safety of military personnel. For these very reasons, the enemy targets these vehicles, seeking to weaken the logistics of the Ukraine's Defence Forces. This is precisely why the need for vehicles is constant, regardless of the branch of the armed forces.
As part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front defence initiative, Metinvest has provided two pick-up trucks to the UAV operators of the 23rd Khortytsia Separate Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. Together with the UAV pilots, we head to the position in the donated vehicle; in the pick-up’s cabin is a heavy Kazhan bomber drone. The men work quickly, their movements are well-practised and precise: within a few minutes, they unload and prepare the ‘bird’ for combat flight. The powerful hexacopter can carry around 15 kilograms of payload: provisions, ammunition, weapons – it all depends on the mission. Today, the ‘Kazhan’ is carrying an explosive payload for the enemy.
"The most significant target I can recall was a tactical-level stronghold, so to speak. First, we conducted reconnaissance using a fibre-optic FPV. We located an enemy depot containing ammunition, weapons, generators and Starlink equipment, and the decision was made to neutralise this stronghold. We flew all night and completely dismantled that depot, neutralising the enemy,” shares the details of the successful mission the UAV pilot using a call sign YAKUDZA from the 23rd Khortytsia Separate Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine.
Warrior Yakudza has been piloting various UAVs for around two years. During this time, he has personally recorded over three hundred confirmed target strikes. The statistics for this crew of the 23rd Khortytsia Separate Brigade over the past six months show that the enemy has received over a thousand ‘greetings’.
According to the drone operators, the key to successful strikes is the crew’s skill and mobility. Reliable vehicles are always in demand. Recently, due to an enemy FPV, the crew lost a vehicle; however, thanks to the driver’s excellent work, all the defenders survived. Therefore, the need for vehicles on the front line remains constant.
The defenders say that a vehicle is just as much a consumable as ammunition or drones, because at any moment whilst carrying out a mission, the unit could become a target for FPV drones or enemy artillery, for example. The men hold their ground, but the hardware doesn’t: the men note that vehicles often break down, as the daily route can cover up to 200 km between positions along rough terrain. There’s no time to wait for a repaired vehicle, as combat operations and the defence of the country cannot simply be ‘put on hold’.
“We received these vehicles from Metinvest as part of Steel Front defence initiative. They will be extremely useful in our unmanned aerial vehicle company, as we constantly need to manage logistics, transport crews to their positions, and deliver drones and munition; so, every vehicle is vital on the front line,” says YAKUDZA.
Over four years of the full-scale war, Metinvest has provided 795 vehicles to the Ukrainian army, including ambulances. In total, the company has spent around UAH 10.1 billion to support the country and its citizens, including UAH 7.3 billion for the needs of the Armed Forces as part of Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front defence initiative. The Company is one of the largest donors to the Armed Forces among private businesses.
