The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
The Hostri Kartuzy unit once again demonstrated the high skill of its pilots and the effectiveness of the FootCrusher munition during a recent combat mission in Donetsk Oblast.
With a single precise drop on a group of three enemy infantrymen, a Hosti Kartuzy pilot eliminated two and seriously wounded the third invader, thereby thwarting the infiltration of a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group (DRG) into the near rear of the Defense Forces.
A second FootCrusher drop struck two Russian assault troops: one was killed on the spot, while the other was wounded. This very strike disrupted the enemy assault on Ukrainian positions and provided critically important assistance to Ukrainian infantry.
This was reported in an exclusive comment to ArmyInform by an officer of the 2nd Separate Detachment of the Omega Special Purpose Center of the National Guard of Ukraine, from the Hosti Kartuzy unit.
“One of the Hosti Kartuzy groups was on combat duty in the sector. Suddenly, gunfire broke out not far away — approximately two kilometers from our pilots’ position.
A neighboring unit contacted us over the radio and explained the situation: ‘A group of occupiers has infiltrated toward a dugout where our infantry is and has begun an assault’.
The enemy acted in a coordinated manner and attempted to assault Ukrainian defenders simultaneously from the front and the flanks.
The enemy initiated a diversionary frontal attack, and while Ukrainian infantry were repelling it, enemy assault troops moved in from the flank.
The neighboring unit requested assistance, provided coordinates, and the Hosti Kartuzy pilots immediately launched strike drones”, — the serviceman said.
Events then unfolded rapidly—the Hosti Kartuzy pilots destroyed the occupiers.
“We first detected a sniper and a rifleman who had already approached to within 30 meters of the dugout. A FootCrusher was precisely dropped on them, eliminating the sniper and seriously wounding the covering rifleman.
Next, our crew tracked and struck two other Russian assault troops. The entire group was completely destroyed.
As a result, the Defense Forces’ position held, and the infantry there suffered no losses. The enemy assault was stopped”, — the officer emphasized.
The serviceman noted that this was far from the first time the Hosti Kartuzy’s signature FootCrusher munition had proven effective in freezing weather.
“Thanks to the munition’s good aerodynamics, all drops were extremely accurate, and the fragmentation spread left the enemy assault troops with no chance”, — the Omega serviceman stressed.
He added that recently, under similar weather conditions, Hosti Kartuzy bombers managed with a single drop to eliminate two enemy assault troops and wound another.
“Recently, during reconnaissance flights, Hosti Kartuzy pilots detected a sabotage group of six Russians attempting to cross the front line by crawling through reeds.
A strike drone with a special FootCrusher charge was immediately dispatched to the detection site.
The very first drop instantly took out half the group: two occupiers were killed on the spot, and a third was wounded and began searching for cover to provide himself medical aid”, — the officer said.
The explosion was so powerful, and its effects so devastating, that the remaining members of the group fled, abandoning their dead and wounded on the battlefield.
“Some time later, Hosti Kartuzy carefully examined the combat site using a reconnaissance drone and found that two of the killed Russian servicemen had extremely poor-quality equipment.
Instead of proper winter military footwear, they were wearing rubber boots, dressed in sweatpants, and carried Soviet-era backpacks—the so-called ‘veshmeski’”, — the serviceman said.
The officer emphasized the high effectiveness of the FootCrusher munition compared to standard charges.
“Thanks to the powerful impact of the FootCrusher, Hosti Kartuzy fighters immediately took out half the group.
Had a standard VOG-17 or another conventional munition been used, at best only one occupier would have been wounded, and the group could have continued moving toward the nearest shelter.
The use of this special munition allowed the pilots to effectively complete the mission and prevent enemy DRG infiltration into our rear”, — the serviceman emphasized.
