The 47th Ukrainian Brigade lost almost all of its M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles during the offensive in Zaporizhzhia, forcing them to retreat to the rear to consolidate their forces.
The 47th Independent Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian army on June 8 took part in a large-scale attack on Russian defense lines near the village of Malaya Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhia province. However, Ukrainian armored vehicles ran into a dense minefield, while Russian helicopter gunships and artillery also fired heavily at the formation, causing heavy losses to the 47th Brigade.
A soldier told AFP that they were assigned nine Bradley vehicles, of which six were destroyed and three were damaged but could be repaired. The brigade had to retreat to the city of Orekhov in the rear to stabilize its forces, but insisted it would soon return to the front.
"As soon as the Bradley fleet is restored, we will continue to fight," another said.
M2A2 Bradley armored vehicles of the 47th Brigade and Leopard 2A6 tanks were disabled in the battle on June 8. Photo: Telegram/Voin_Dv
Soldiers from the 47th Brigade said the Russian forces had been warned in advance and repeatedly provoked them over the radio the night before the counterattack. Some soldiers also suspected that someone had leaked the unit’s operational information.
47th Brigade officers admitted that no significant progress had been made in the offensive, but stressed that the casualty figure was lower than initially thought, as the armoured vehicles were still able to protect the lives of their soldiers even after being disabled.
"No one is happy to receive the order to 'attack Russian fortified positions', but we will still fight because we have no choice but to succeed," said an unnamed senior officer of the brigade.
The 47th Independent Mechanized Brigade is one of nine new brigades created by Ukraine according to Western standards, trained abroad and equipped with NATO-standard equipment. It is considered one of Ukraine's modern, battle-hardened and well-coordinated "iron fist" units, playing a leading role in the long-awaited counter-offensive campaign.
Location Zaporizhzhia. Graphics: Washington Post
Moscow said Kiev's large-scale counteroffensive began on June 6 on the Zaporizhzhia front, stressing that the Ukrainian army had suffered heavy losses and had not achieved any of its objectives. The Russian Defense Ministry also released videos showing Ukraine's loss of advanced equipment, including IRIS-T medium-range air defense systems, Leopard 2A6 tanks and M2A2 Bradley armored vehicles.
Two senior US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on June 8 that Ukrainian forces had suffered casualties and lost heavy equipment in their efforts to break through Russian defense lines in the east in recent days. “The losses are quite significant,” one official described the situation.
"Russian forces put up a strong resistance. They were equipped with many types of firepower, deployed in a multi-layered defense system and protected by dense minefields, causing heavy losses to Ukrainian armored units," the other person commented.
Ukrainian armored tank convoy attacked by Russia on June 8. Video : Telegram/Voin_Dv
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 10 that a counteroffensive was underway in Ukraine, but declined to provide details. He later praised the military in a video address on the night of June 11.
Ukrainian authorities have imposed a strict policy of secrecy on their operations and have urged the public not to divulge any information that could compromise the offensive plans. With information trickling out of Kiev and few independent reports from the front lines, it is difficult to assess the situation on the battlefield.
Vu Anh (According to AFP )
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