(DONETSK OBLAST, UKRAINE) – A new Russian active protection system designed to intercept drones has proven effective in its first combat test but remains insufficient against mass drone attacks, according to footage released by Preston Stewart on 15th August 2026.
The Arena M system reportedly intercepted seven Ukrainian FPV drones targeting a Russian tank during an assault in the Donetsk region. However, the tank was ultimately destroyed after being struck by between 15 and 20 drones, according to accounts from Ukrainian units involved in the engagement.
The assault took place on 22nd July in a sector held by the First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine. Forces from the Russian 8th and 41st Armies, along with the 90th Tank Division, attempted a mechanised assault involving dozens of armoured and light vehicles.
Ukrainian forces reported destroying seven tanks, six armoured combat vehicles, one BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system, one Tornado multiple launch rocket system, three units of special equipment and 47 light vehicles. A total of 123 Russian soldiers were killed and 29 wounded. The mechanised assault was repelled.
Speaking about the Arena M system, Ukrainian marine Dmytro Putiato said that one tank destroyed seven FPV drones before being overwhelmed. In general, it took 15 to 20 FPV drones to destroy a tank equipped with the system. That represents a significant increase in survivability compared to standard armoured vehicles.
The Arena M is an active protection system, or APS. Unlike passive armour, which absorbs blows like a bulletproof vest, an active protection system detects incoming munitions and shoots them down before they strike the vehicle. The Israeli Trophy system operates on a similar principle.
According to Russian state media outlet Sputnik, the Arena M first detects an object flying towards the tank, then analyses its speed and size to determine whether it is a projectile, a rocket or a bird. If the object is identified as a munition, the system calculates the point of impact and fires an interceptor projectile upwards. Using impulse engines, the interceptor turns towards the threat and neutralises it with a stream of fragments.
A significant problem has been posed by kamikaze drones, which have paradoxically proven too slow to intercept effectively.
Russian military blogger Swodki stated: “Arena is not bad, but there is room for improvement. The limited number of countermeasures, only 12 in the APS, makes armoured vehicles vulnerable in the face of mass drone attacks on a single target. Therefore, Arena requires significant improvements at a minimum to increase the number of countermeasures.”
Work is reportedly underway to increase the number of countermeasures to 30. Another Russian military blogger, Military Informant, said: “Unfortunately, in its current configuration, the Arena M would have been extremely useful in 2023 to 2025 but now requires a significantly larger number of countermeasures, which is unlikely to be feasible due to the size of the system and the limited space available on the tank.”
Swodki added: “The main drawback of Arena and similar systems is that the main tests are conducted in a controlled environment and do not account for the realities of the conflict. Launching a few drones at a test range and reporting success is not the same as facing 20 FPV drones attacking a single vehicle.”
The deployment of the Arena M represents a continuation of the turtle tank concept seen earlier in the war, where Russian tanks were fitted with extensive additional armour to absorb drone strikes. Some turtle tanks reportedly required between 20 and 30 drones to destroy. However, those vehicles suffered from severely limited situational awareness and restricted firing capability, effectively reducing them to expensive troop transports.
Ukrainian forces are likely to adapt by sending decoy drones to exhaust the Arena M’s limited countermeasures before launching strike drones to destroy the target.
The issue of drone saturation is not unique to Russia and Ukraine. Israel has faced similar challenges in Lebanon, where Hezbollah FPV drones bypassed the Trophy system and struck armoured vehicles. Multiple countries are working on solutions to protect armoured vehicles in drone saturated environments.
The footage was released by Preston Stewart, citing the First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
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