Ukraine’s army has inflicted heavy losses on a crack unit of Russian paratroopers, as fighting rages around Pokrovsk. Kyiv’s forces continue to defy Russian attempts to seize full control of the Donabs city.
Pokrovsk is a key logistics and transport hub on Ukraine’s eastern front, and its capture would be a major blow for Kyiv. Russian troops have been trying to seize the city for almost two years, but have been unable to fully take control of the urban settlement. Putin’s generals have amassed around 155,000 troops in the Pokrovsk sector, as they desperately to try to achieve a breakthrough.
Among them is Russia‘s elite 76th Air Assault Division, which has been recently thrown into the gruelling battle.
However, the paratroopers have fared little better than other units, sustaining high casualties in the last seven days.
In its latest battlefield report, Ukraine‘s 7th Air Assault Corps wrote: « Over the past week, total enemy personnel losses amounted to 446 troops, which is 30% higher than in the previous period.
« The increase in losses is linked to Russia’s full deployment of its operational reserve — three regiments of the 76th Air Assault Division. »
Ukraine has rushed in reinforcements including special force units to try and prevent the fall of the city. They have successfully prevented further Russian penetrations north of the railway line.
This has forced Putin’s army to try and attack the western flank and advance towards Hryshyne, in an attempt to isolate northern Pokrovsk and endanger its supply routes.
If successful, Ukrainian troops would have to withdraw, allowing the Russian command to avoid direct assaults and house-to-house close-quarter fighting.
In an attempt to outflank Ukrainian units and reach Hryshyne, Russian commanders dispatched a motorcycle and buggy column.
The column was quickly detected by reconnaissance drones and came under immediate fire.
10 vehicles were destroyed and 40 soldiers killed. Surviving troops who tried to continue on foot failed to disperse and were hit by a single FPV.
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