59th Separate Assault Brigade of Unmanned Systems
The 59th Separate Assault Brigade of Unmanned Systems is a unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces established to conduct combat operations employing unmanned aerial systems. It is commanded by Major Serhiy Fitsak (callsign "Fitsa"). The brigade has gained wide recognition for its extensive use of strike FPV drones and other UAVs across multiple sectors of the front, including during operations in the Kursk region and the defense of Pokrovsk.
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Zelenskyy says Ukraine holds more territory than Russia has taken since autumn, pushes back on Gerasimov's Zaporizhzhia claims
In his evening address on October 18, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces have liberated more territory since the start of autumn than Russia has captured, and that the same trend has held in other periods of 2025. He pushed back on claims by Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, asserting that Russian forces are being engaged about 20 km from Zaporizhzhia, not 5 km as Russia claims, and that several named settlements remain under Ukrainian control.