2023-06-23 10:34:00
“Everything is under surveillance,” one of the defenders from the 24th Ajdar assault battalion told the press, referring to the Russian surveillance drones that observe and monitor movement on the Bakhmut front with the main task of locating Ukrainian positions, especially their headquarters there. And on the other hand, Ukraine also has its own drones in the air, both observation and attack. “We monitor the streams from the drones and adjust the positions of our artillery according to them, we fire according to them,” explained Denys (34), also known by the identification call sign “Maják”.
What are defenders all about?
Denys’ mortars cover multiple defensive lines, some only 50 meters away from the enemy. After months of offensive, it was time for localized counterstrikes, especially on the flanks near Bachmut. Denys leads a unit of 50 men and has been operating in the area since October 2022. The Ukrainian campaign was successful in the south of Bakhmut, where there are more villages such as Ivanivske, in the north on the open plain they are not doing so well.
Although there were reports in May that Russia was holding Bakhmut, the Ukrainians believe that their mission with the city, that is to eliminate Russian offensive capabilities that could do more damage elsewhere, was successful. According to the defenders, the occupiers concentrated an enormous amount of men and equipment here, which helped Kyiv launch a counter-offensive in Ukraine’s southeast.
But the Ukrainians also paid a high price for the protracted defense of Bakhmut. Although Russian losses were higher, the Ukrainians also lost hundreds of soldiers. Although Kiev does not release figures for its casualties – whether killed or wounded – it is estimated to have lost between 400 and 1,000 men. And that’s just an estimate from the most brutal days of this conflict. The actual number may be extremely high. According to the accounts of the soldiers, the battle for Bachmut cost thousands of lives
“It’s like a vicious cycle, a never-ending scary game,” Denys commented, after all he knows what he’s talking about, his unit has been here for 8 months. Sergeant Maksym (32) and his fellow soldier Oleksandr (26) also belong to the Ajdar battalion, both of whom are well aware of the destructiveness of the Russian army, and come from Lysyčany and Severodonetsk. Fierce battles were fought for these cities as well, they were the last bastions of Ukrainian resistance in the Luhansk region, but in July they were taken under Moscow’s control.
The Russians also used the same brutal tactics – i.e. complete destruction – during the siege of Bakhmut. Currently, the occupiers are not showing any effort to penetrate deeper into the area. Denys stated, that for a long time they expected that the enemy would capture the city. They concentrated on fortifying the defenses around him. A makeshift bunker near Bakhmut was dug in winter in anticipation of the retreat, explained Maxim and Oleksandr.
Destructive tactics of the Russians
Soldiers from Ajdar are stationed around the village of Ivanivske, which is located on the road between Bachmut and the town of Časov Jar. In order to get there, the Russians would have to conquer Ivanivsk, but the Ukrainians have more advantageous positions in its hills. “Same tactics as always, the Russians are shelling both places heavily, they want to raze them to the ground,” added Denys. But regardless of the bombardment, Ukrainian mortarmen fearlessly resist the pressure of the enemy.
“It’s scary, yes, but if our line falls, the infantry will be left without artillery support. And they wouldn’t last long without us, just like we wouldn’t last long without them. They are like our shield,” stated Maksym. Black humor keeps the morale of the defenders high. “None of us are soldiers by origin, we all have civilian occupations. It’s not about heroism, take it this way: When someone breaks into your house, you defend yourself, don’t you?” outlined Maksym. He also mentioned that their repeated fire on Russian positions is not always successful, sometimes the weather is to blame, sometimes Russian sabotage of radio communications.
Both Maksym and Oleksandr dream of liberating their hometowns. “I joined the army with that, to end up in liberated North Donetsk,” Oleksandr confided. The commander of the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, Denys, 42, from Odesa, with the identification call sign “Forest”, said that, although not yet officially recognized by Kiev, the Russians captured Bakhmut on May 20. “A thousand of us were sent here in January, a hundred of us are still active,” recounted Denys, his men had the opportunity to withdraw and regroup in May. Anatoly (56) from the 93rd Brigade added that most of the soldiers were wounded, killed or missing. This is a tragic picture of the defense of Bachmut.
Dear readers, that’s all for today, have a good night.
Prigozhin faces up to 20 years in prison, according to TASS, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office said. According to the FSB, his actions are an invitation to civil conflict.
Russia’s FSB secret service opened a criminal prosecution in connection with statements disseminated in Prigozhin’s name and on suspicion of incitement to armed rebellion, the Russian state agency also reported. The Moscow headquarters of the FSB is on alert, the BBC reported, citing its sources.
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“If at least 20 percent of the deployed soldiers come back from here, it will be a miracle.” Denys responded. Mykola from the 57th Motorized Brigade serves at Časova Jar, his training lasted only a week, then he had to go to the front, he explained that long training would not even be worth it, because the only effective training he can get is only at the front alongside experienced soldiers. “The two months here have been extremely brutal, only 8 of the 71 we arrived here are still fighting,” he explained. Another soldier added testimony that sometimes the situation is so “miserable” that they drink water from puddles. “Sometimes it’s water mixed with blood. But there is no other option,” told the press.
The soldiers at Bakhmut wonder if the high command really realizes how bloody Bakhmut’s defenses are. They pointed out that not all stress on this battle line will last. They also noted that “something is in the air” lately, suggesting that the Russians are planning a major attack. Vitaly from the 93rd Brigade, known as Tarzan, sleeps badly, he has had problems since the first encounter he went through here. He is afraid that he will die during the shelling. But he worries about his comrades even more than himself.
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