2023-05-13 21:55:00
KIEV.– The bombardments began at dawn. Under the cover of morning mist and under the cover of their own artillery, small groups of Ukrainian soldiers advanced on the Russian position in the suburbs of the disputed town of Bakhmut: drone footage had already identified an avenue of attack against the lines. russian.
Intelligence data suggested the Russians were so focused on intense street battles inside the city that they did not expect an attack from that direction, according to two battalion commanders of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade who helped plan and execute. the operation.
Bloody fighting for every inch of that eastern Ukrainian city has now been going on for nine months, with massive casualties on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, had promised to take the city by May 9, when the Victory Day, of enormous importance in Russia, was celebrated. By the end of April, he said that virtually the entire city was under the control of his forces.
But instead of handing over a victory that President Vladimir Putin might announce in his speech outside the Kremlin last Tuesday, Ukrainian forces made a rare advance south of the city this week and established a foothold in the center. The two Ukrainian commanders shared details of the surprise offensive, the success of which was confirmed by the commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, Oleksandr Syrsky. On May 6, dozens of Ukrainian troops advanced on the Russian trenches. “They knew they had to fight for every inch,” says Rollo, nom de guerre for the 29-year-old commander of the brigade’s first assault battalion.
The battle raged on for 12 grueling hours, but by sunset, the troops of the Wagner group were in disarray, leaving five dead on the spot.
“They tried to resist. They responded. Some escaped and others died,” says Rollo. But in the end, those who were alive ran away.”
Two days later, after withstanding a counter-attack by Russian artillery on the newly taken position, the Ukrainians advanced again, passing through farmland in three columns of tanks and armored personnel carriers. When they got to the point where the enemy could hear them, they spent hours negotiating with dozens of Russian soldiers to urge them to surrender.
Some accepted, but others opened fire or ran to hide in a nearby forest. In the afternoon there were already dozens of dead Russians. Five others were taken prisoner, Rollo says, and two of them had to be treated by Ukrainian doctors. Most of the soldiers belonged to the Russian 72nd Motor Rifle Brigade.
“We were taking down Russian positions and connecting our liberated areas,” says Slip, 32, commander of the brigade’s second assault battalion. After some Russian soldiers were killed, others “became demoralized and fled,” Slip says. No Ukrainian commander wanted to reveal his own casualties.
By May 9 – the same day that Prigozhin had promised to seize Bakhmut – the Ukrainians had recaptured more than a square kilometer of territory south of the city.
“It makes me happy to know that that day the enemy could not claim victory,” says Rollo.
Announcements of successful battlefield operations keep coming as the world awaits signs that Ukraine has launched its much-heralded counter-offensive, made possible only by weapons donated by its Western allies. Prigozhin, who traded his confidence in taking Bakhmut for furious accusations of treason against the Russian Defense Ministry, assured that the counteroffensive “is in full swing.” Prigozhin, who maintains that he is not being given enough ammunition to complete the conquest of Bakhmut, invited the Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, to visit the city and see for himself “how difficult the situation is.” At one point he even threatened to withdraw the forces from him.
But analysts say he’s probably faking it, in part to justify breaking his promise. “She’s acting, and of course she’s also watching her back,” says Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Ukraine’s former defense minister.
Syrsky, commander of the infantry forces, says that the Russian soldiers who faced the 3rd Assault Brigade “could not withstand the onslaught of the defenders of Ukraine.”
President Volodimir Zelensky indicated that Ukraine is still preparing its counterattack – whose plans are secret – but the day before yesterday he indicated that troops had advanced against Russian forces in parts of the east. This Saturday, both armies reported progress in the area. Analysts expect the operation to focus on liberating occupied areas of southern Ukraine, though Ukrainian forces may launch a diversionary campaign in Bakhmut, or even turn around and send surprise reinforcements to the disputed city.
Some senior Ukrainian officials are trying to downplay expectations of the counteroffensive, saying it could result in less significant victories than last year’s counterattacks, which allowed them to wrest part of occupied territory from unsuspecting Russian troops.
Siobhán O’Grady, Kamila Hrabchuk and Kostiantyn Khudov
The Washington Post
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