Fighting intensity grows in Bakhmut, but Ukrainian Defense Forces hold 1/5 of city. Military expert Serhiy Zgurets

Situation in the Bakhmut direction

Yesterday, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that Russian troops were storming in three directions: Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka. Ukraine repelled 58 Russian attacks. The most fierce fighting is taking place for Bakhmut. Russia continues to advance in and around the city. The intensity of urban fighting has increased significantly. 

The enemy is advancing in several directions, including near the railway station and positions in the city center. They are moving behind the railroad and attacking in the northern and southern Bakhmut. Objects are changing hands in many areas. The enemy is actively using aviation and artillery. There are hits to houses. 

Perhaps they are using 500 kg bombs to completely erase all the buildings where we can defend ourselves. However, Ukrainian troops hold about a fifth of the city and are trying to eliminate Russian forces as actively and as much as possible. 

"If it will help save other Ukrainian cities, we must do what we have to do," is a quote by Pavlo Palisa, commander of the 93rd Brigade, who is heroically defending the fortress city. 

To a large extent, the defense of Bakhmut depends on supply routes. There are two roads leading to the city: through Khromove and through Ivanivske, apart from other roads in this area, but it is quite difficult to move there. Ukrainian units are currently holding back attacks on both transportation arteries. Today, the General Staff reported that Russia conducted a futile offensive near Khromove and Ivanivske.

Oleksandr Yabchanka, a lieutenant with the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a fighter in the Honor group of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion, noted that the video of the battle filmed by the battalion shows a landing that cut off the road to Bakhmut, which connects Chasiv Yar and Khromove. If it had been occupied by the enemy, it would have been impossible to supply our garrison in Bakhmut. This would have complicated the defense. 

At the time of the video of the Ukrainian assault, Russians were about 100 meters away from the road. At first, the Ukrainian Armed Forces spent several days grinding the enemy manpower and tracking their paths, seeing Russians and destroying them with the help of drones.

This was happening around the clock. In other words, first they tracked and weakened the enemy as much as possible, then they launched an assault. The fighters of the Da Vinci battalion conducted them professionally, because we did not suffer any losses during that assault, while the enemy suffered quite significant ones. Most importantly, we drove Russians off the road. Then we consolidated our positions. 

The battle with the video is one of the many assaults the enemy made. Every day there were at least two or three assaults, sometimes as many as six. At first, there was artillery preparation, then Russians attacked with manpower - the very "meat assaults.” In other words, the enemy was climbing over the bodies of their colleagues, trying to advance to our positions. 

Ukrainian soldiers were tracking them on the far outskirts, practicing artillery on him. When he got within 50 to 70 meters, our artillery could not work without being hit by friendly fire. The Ukrainian Armed Forces would come out of the dugout and engage in small arms fire. It's unpleasant because when a soldier is under cover, even a hit from artillery or a mine from above gives a high chance of survival, and in open space the mortal danger increases many times over.

However, if we don't leave, the enemy will launch assault operations against the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Our task is to come out of the protected shelter and engage in small arms fire as soon as the enemy approaches the Ukrainian positions. According to Oleksandr Yabchanka, the enemy does not stop artillery attacks and conducts artillery shelling during its own assaults, although it shifts its fire.

A battle captured on video is an exception, and the Da Vinci Wolves battalion tries to prevent this from happening. There were four people from the core of the Honor group: Tykhyi, Bomba, Vlados and Oleksandr Yabchanka. The platoon commander was nearby and also fired. 

The company commander, Serhiy Filimonov, was in constant contact. Tikhiy took command of the unit. This proves that a warrior must be individual and versatile. Tykhyi is an infantryman, but he took responsibility for the battle and pulled it through. The enemy came close to the dugout. We could no longer leave from the left. Russians controlled the exit from the Da Vinci Wolves' dugout. All that was left for the enemy was to wait for one of the Ukrainian soldiers to come out and use small arms to kill him or throw a grenade at him, which they tried to do. 

However, Russians did not take into account the fact that people would resist after the mine hit the dugout again, and the exit to the right, dug by the Ukrainian military. Tykhyi clung to Oleksandr Yabchanka and fired with him to the left, where the enemy had already approached. Then he jumped out of the dugout, took a comfortable position for combat and killed four enemies, securing our left flank. It was a turning point. 

There were guys for whom this was their first battle. They didn't lose heart and came out afterwards, and the Ukrainian military shifted their fire to the right flank. According to Oleksandr Yabchanka, Tykhyi acted like a commander. Da Vinci acted in the same way: he did not give orders, but was in front and led the way. Then the Ukrainian Armed Forces systematically worked along the trench where the main enemy force was moving, and they attacked with a platoon (at least 20 people). 

The enemy changed, and this became a nuisance that almost led to the loss of positions. The most important thing is interaction within the company, battalion and between brigades. The 3rd Battalion of the 92nd Brigade was standing on the side - fantastic soldiers. However, within the battalion, three scouts went out and stopped 10-15 Russians, forcing them to flee. The Ukrainian Armed Forces then killed most of the enemy.

Supplying Ukraine with Western tanks

Defense Express expert Oleh Katkov noted that no matter how one counts the 230 tanks that Ukraine is supposed to receive, according to the statutes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the US Armed Forces, nine tank brigades will not work out. 

According to American standards, one tank brigade should have 87 Abrams. And 230 tanks are enough for seven mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. After Denmark and the Netherlands announced their plans to provide Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2s, there will be a tank brigade formed with these tanks. 

If we talk about the tanks that have already been transferred, we are talking about 70 Leopard 2s and Challenger 2s. This can also be counted as a separate tank brigade, which, according to NATO parameters, should have 84 vehicles. 

In any case, we continue to receive equipment. There are a huge number of other vehicles, including Bradley. The US has accelerated the delivery of Abrams. The training should start soon and last ten weeks. Perhaps there will be additional ones after that. This suggests that tanks will be delivered in September or October.

 The US is talking about 31 vehicles, but they are training 250 specialists. The proportion between tanks and specialists is about 50 to 50, which is unusual because it is usually different. Perhaps the US will supply more tanks than they have announced. 

There are questions about the use of Western equipment in combat, because the video of them could have been shot at training grounds. Most likely, these tanks will be used later and en masse, so that the enemy does not have time to adapt and accumulate experience.