Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces report 38 energy nodes struck in latest wave of "Crimean Switch off"
Commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi said on September 23 that Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces struck 38 additional energy nodes on Russian and occupied territory as part of operation "Crimean Switch off." The reported strikes include gas distribution stations in occupied Crimea, substations in occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, and a facility on Russian territory. Since July 6, the operation has hit 412 energy nodes in total.
Key points
- On September 23, Commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi reported 38 energy nodes struck under operation "Crimean Switch off."
- The 38 strikes break down as 10 in Crimea, 9 in occupied Donetsk Oblast, 13 in occupied Luhansk Oblast, 4 in Russia, 1 in occupied Kharkiv Oblast, and 1 in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
- Since July 6, the operation has disabled 412 energy nodes on Russian and occupied territory.
- In Crimea, eight gas distribution stations and the Tasunove compressor station were hit.
- Electrical substations were hit in occupied settlements including Mykhailivka, Svatove, Volodymyrivka, and Tokmak, as well as Artilne in Russia.
- The parallel operation "MoLoChKa" has struck 300 vessels of Russia's shadow fleet in the Black and Azov Seas since July 6.
- Brovdi reported the figures on his Facebook page.
Why it matters
The cumulative figure of 412 energy nodes struck since July 6 shows that what began as discrete drone hits has grown into a sustained, scaled campaign against energy infrastructure supporting Russian occupation forces. Hitting gas distribution stations and compressor stations in Crimea targets supply infrastructure on which occupation forces and the local administration depend, while the parallel "MoLoChKa" operation against Russia's shadow fleet extends the pressure to logistics at sea.
What happened
On September 23, Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, reported that his forces struck 38 additional energy nodes during the second decade of September as part of operation "Crimean Switch off," which has run since July 6. The reported breakdown is 10 facilities in Crimea, 9 in occupied Donetsk Oblast, 13 in occupied Luhansk Oblast, 4 in Russia proper, 1 in occupied Kharkiv Oblast, and 1 in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast. In Crimea, eight gas distribution stations — Orlivka, Bakhchysarai-2, Bilohirsk, Kyr-Bailar, Kholmivka, Hornostaivka, Klepynine (or Klepinine), and Isliam-Terek (or Islam-Terek) — and the Tasunove compressor station were hit. In occupied Donetsk Oblast, substations at Mykhailivka, Zemlianky, Sukhivske, Stizhkivske (or Stizhivske) and Khrestivka (or Khrestivtsi) were hit. In occupied Luhansk Oblast, strikes landed at Honcharivka, Tarasivka, Svatove, Volodymyrivka (twice), Zaporizke, Tymonove, and Lisna Dacha, along with the Rodakove gas distribution station. Additional substations were hit at Hrakovе in occupied Kharkiv Oblast, Tokmak in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and Artilne in Russia, where the Kreidynka (or Kreidyanka) gas distribution station was also struck. Brovdi reported the figures on his Facebook page. The Unmanned Systems Forces are also running the parallel operation "MoLoChKa" against Russia's shadow fleet in the Black and Azov Seas, claiming 300 vessels struck since July 6.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The three supplied Ukrainian-language outlets (Ukrinform, NV, ZN.UA) uniformly present the operation as an official Ukrainian military campaign, citing Brovdi directly. Coverage frames "Crimean Switch off" and "MoLoChKa" as coordinated pressure on Russian logistics — one targeting energy infrastructure on land, the other vessels at sea — and highlights that most targets lie in occupied Ukrainian territory (Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts) alongside strikes on Russian soil, framing the campaign as hitting both occupation forces and Russian rear areas.
Where reporting differs
The three source articles vary in spelling for several struck locations. In Donetsk Oblast, one set writes "Stizhkivske" and "Khrestivtsi" while the other writes "Stizhivske" and "Khrestivka." In Crimea, "Klepinine" and "Islam-Terek" appear in one set against "Klepynine" and "Isliam-Terek" in the other. The Russian gas distribution station is given as "Kreidyanka" in one set and "Kreidynka" in the other.
Background
"Crimean Switch off" has been running since July 6, 2025, under the Unmanned Systems Forces led by Brovdi. On August 22, Brovdi reported 27 energy nodes struck in six days in occupied Crimea and the south of mainland occupied territory. On September 22, drone manufacturer Fire Point reported that its FP-2 drones had hit more than 100 Russian military objects in occupied Crimea over three months, including energy infrastructure, warehouses, troop deployment locations, and bridges. The Unmanned Systems Forces are also running operation "MoLoChKa" against Russia's shadow fleet in the Black and Azov Seas.