While large-scale and complex manoeuvres are taking place on Ukraine’s southern front, small-group tactics are sometimes little noticed, The Washington Post reports.
According to the officer, who agreed to an interview on condition of anonymity, the slow and gradual delivery of obsolete equipment creates a sense that the West has created a video game in which power-ups must be earned. He said:
“Every successful mission allows us to receive a bit more and opens new skills. It’s difficult for us. Our citizens are dying every day.”
Russian troops have built a powerful line of defence on the Bakhmut direction, fortified with mines, artillery and endless drone sorties. Ukrainian soldiers can barely get through it all, often engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy. An assault platoon commander with the call sign Percent said:
“The enemy bites, fight back, they have a big advantage, one against five.”
Percent’s unit, the 3rd Independent Assault Brigade, took an active part in the fighting for Andreevka in mid-September. He said:
“We’ve suffered big losses.”
According to Ukrainian servicemen, Russian soldiers learn quickly and Ukrainian commanders underestimate them.
Percent said that the Ukrainian military had to go into battle relying only on its heroism and bravery, not sparing itself and its life, which was due to the lack of modern Western weapons. He noted that if the Ukrainian army had more of certain weapons, such as long-range rocket artillery, “we wouldn’t need such heroism of soldiers and we wouldn’t have such high casualties.” Percent said:
“Every fighter counts, every projectile counts, every bullet counts.”
Commanders of other assault units echoed this opinion, citing Western military assistance as one of the most important components of mission fulfilment.
Evacuating soldiers from the front line is often dangerous. Russian drones lurk along roads used to transport the wounded, often delaying evacuation until after dark.
