“We must stop the Russians”

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Situation briefing in a small forest in eastern Ukraine: Crouching on the ground, the commander explains to the fighters of his special unit how they will act next against the Russian attackers north of Bakhmut. The men are tasked with defending the village of Grygorivka, recently targeted by enemy artillery.

“Our job is to stop the attack,” says the commander, who would not give his name. When the Russian soldiers and the mercenaries of the Wagner group manage to take the village, they are one step closer to encircling Bakhmut. The city has been fiercely fought over since the summer in the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.

‘We are defending the positions on the hills near the village’, the commander explains the procedure. The commando’s elite soldiers are hooded and wear camouflage helmets and backpacks. They are armed with anti-tank missiles and TAR-21 assault rifles – an Israeli weapon manufactured under Ukrainian license.

“We suffer casualties because of their artillery”

The Ukrainian artillery fire crackled incessantly, interspersed with the dull, heavy booms of Russian shelling. Rarely is it silent for more than ten seconds. Grygorivka is located a few kilometers west of the villages of Orikhovo-Vasilyvka and Bogdanivka, where the Ukrainian army “repulsed numerous enemy attacks”, according to the General Staff.

“The situation is difficult, but we have it under control,” assures the 45-year-old commander between the hiss of exploding shells a few hundred meters away. ‘We are able to fight, that’s for sure, but the enemy has the artillery advantage. We take casualties because of the sheer volume of their artillery. That’s why we have to pull back, but sometimes we move forward.”

“They are trying to take Bogdanivka and then Chasiv Yar to close the pocket around Bakhmut,” the commander explains Russian strategy. Russia this week bombed the small town of Chasiv Yar just west of Bakhmut, using phosphorus grenades to set fire to an uninhabited area.

‘They are pushing towards Bachmut’

In the small town of Pryvillia, about two kilometers from the front, Ukrainian soldiers are also trying to defend the position. The Russians have “been moving forward for about a week now. They are pushing towards Bachmut,” says a soldier with the combat name “Romeo”.

The artillery is quieter here and drones are mainly used here. Max is alone in a truck, remote control in hand, staring at a screen. He just launched a small drone equipped with a hand grenade. The target is a forest about four miles away where Russian soldiers are staying.

“Then the drone goes down”

The flight is easy to follow on the screen: the drone reaches the forest and hovers about 20 meters above the ground. But shortly before the finish Max loses control. The drone drops the grenade, but misses. The Russians “disturb the signal between the drone and the remote control”, Max explains. “Then the drone starts to descend and the Russians fire at them.”

Max still manages to save the drone, the traces of the Russian bullets are clearly visible. However, the day before he lost three drones and since the beginning of the Russian invasion there have been 62, says the 40-year-old. Nevertheless, Max is satisfied with his service in the war. “I feel good because I see the results of my work,” he says. The goal is to kill ten Russians every day with the drones. “I can use my time and ammunition very efficiently. That makes me happy.” (AFP)

Source: Blick