Ukrainian drone operators have reported that the Russian army has begun using the "Arena-M" active protection system on tanks in combat in Ukraine. While footage of the system had been published previously, there had been no confirmation of its operational performance. According to the drone operators, a Russian T-72B3A tank equipped with the "Arena" system destroyed seven Ukrainian FPV drones. Due to the tank being fitted with both "Mangal" armor and the "Arena-M" active protection system, it took approximately 15 FPV drones to successfully destroy a single tank. It can now be stated that, unlike the Israeli "Trophy" protection system, the Russian "Arena-M" active protection system is functional and has been combat-proven.
The crew of a Ukrainian Humvee released footage showing a strike by a Russian FPV drone. One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the attack. The Humvee was equipped with improvised "barbecue-grill" armor, which saved the crew. The location of the incident was not disclosed.