Russia destroys 47th Brigade headquarters

Russia's spectacular victory in 'Operation Twin Swords' destroying the 47th Brigade's command post demonstrated its superior military power.

Recently, a rare “dual-sword” attack occurred on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield, when the Russian military (RFAF) used Iskander-M short-range tactical ballistic missiles and Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems launching 9M544 guided missiles, to launch a combined attack on Ukrainian targets in the village of Korovnitsi in Sumy province.

To achieve the purpose and effectiveness of the attack, avoiding detection, the current long-range attacks of the RFAF against the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are all aimed at achieving a quick victory. Generally, a long-range attack is basically enough to destroy a single target. Why was this “dual-purpose” attack carried out this time?

It should be noted that both weapons are expensive and even in life-and-death battles, the RFAF rarely uses them together. This time, they spared no expense, perhaps because the headquarters of the AFU’s 47th Independent Mechanized Infantry Brigade is located in this village, about 100 kilometers from the border.

The 47th Mechanized Infantry Brigade is a mobile reserve unit of the AFU General Staff, equipped to “NATO standards”, and has participated in many major AFU counter-offensive operations since 2023. The areas where the unit appeared were places of major fighting; therefore, this unit was sure to intercept the “priority” RFAF with both ballistic missiles and Tornado-S missiles.

Judging from the drone footage of the on-site attack, the RFAF was a huge success this time. Four or five powerful explosions occurred within a range of about 100 meters, “turning the command post and everything around it into dust.” (The target after the attack was captured by a Russian reconnaissance UAV.)

The Russian Defense Ministry said that as a result of the attack, two communication antennas, a mobile communication center and five vehicles were destroyed; at least 25 Ukrainian soldiers were killed at the command post. There were also reports that the communications unit next to the command post suffered 40 casualties. (The target before the attack was photographed by a Russian reconnaissance UAV).

If these losses are true, the 47th Motorized Rifle Brigade has suffered a major loss this time. The Russian side's information is even more shocking, claiming that this force has been "completely destroyed", including about 1,500 troops of the 47th Brigade, which was on an offensive mission in Belgorod, which was also completely destroyed by the RFAF.

However, the RFAF’s combat report may not be entirely accurate. With the exception of the AFU’s 36th Marine Brigade, which was the only brigade-sized unit to surrender during the 2022 siege of Mariupol, no brigade-sized unit on either side of the Russia-Ukraine conflict has been completely wiped out to date; at least according to public, reliable sources.

Second, if the Russian intelligence information is correct, it would suggest that the 47th AFU Brigade has dispersed its forces; one part is fighting in Sumy Oblast, and the other part, probably at least a motorized infantry battalion and a tank battalion, has been transferred to Belgorod to carry out offensive missions, attempting to repeat the miracle of the AFU's successful advance into Kursk last August. However, from mid-to-early March until the end of April, the AFU failed to capture a single village in Belgorod.

Fighting while the unit is dispersed into parts means that to completely destroy the 47th AFU Brigade, the entire force of this unit must be destroyed simultaneously in at least two different locations. This is very difficult to achieve, so "complete destruction" is certainly not correct. At most, the RFAF can only inflict heavy casualties on a unit of the 47th Brigade, using Iskander-M ballistic missiles and Tornado-S missiles or other long-range strike weapons.

If we just look at this joint attack, it is actually a rather dangerous signal for the AFU. First of all, this is the new tactic of the RFAF, which is to coordinate combat between the tactical missile force and the long-range artillery force.

The Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile has a maximum range of about 500 km and can be equipped with a variety of warheads, including ground-penetrating, high-explosive and cluster warheads. It is suitable for attacking high-value point targets such as command posts and communications centers.

The Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system is a deep modernization of the Soviet-era BM-30 Smerch. The first RFAF brigade was assigned the Tornado-S in 2019. The Tornado-S can launch guided and unguided rockets, suitable for attacking concentrated infantry and light armored forces, causing widespread casualties with a covering fire range.

If the RFAF can combine these two types of long-range strike weapons, it will not only improve the effectiveness of the attack, but also confuse the Ukrainian intelligence and air defense systems. Therefore, even if they detect the launch of a Russian missile or rocket, they will not be able to determine exactly where the target is, which target is a fake attack and which target is the main attack.

The maximum range of the Tornado-S is 120 km; although the latest improved model has a range of 200 km, there is no evidence that the RFAF has used this latest munition. The village of Korovnitsa is nearly 100 km from the Russian-Ukrainian border, suggesting that the RFAF is taking the risk of deploying missile launchers so close to the border, in order to carry out its mission.

At present, the AFU has been basically pushed back from Kursk Oblast, the RFAF has entered Sumy Oblast and has established a bridgehead to establish a border security buffer zone. However, the Russia-Ukraine border area is still a very dangerous area, as Ukrainian FPV UAVs are waiting for the opportunity to “hunt”. It can be said that any Russian weapons and units appearing on the border can be attacked by FPV UAVs at any time.

However, the RFAF is still able to deploy long-range strike weapons to the border to carry out attacks, which not only shows that the RFAF has a way to block reconnaissance and attack activities from Ukrainian UAVs, but the RFAF is also gradually and gradually turning Sumy Oblast into a battlefield; forcing the AFU to further disperse its already “razor-thin” forces away from Donetsk and Kherson.

If this is true, then it is almost certain that this summer the RFAF will be able to push the front line to Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkov Oblasts, and through concentrated attacks, crush the increasingly thinned defenses of the AFU. Then the attack that the 47th Motorized Infantry Brigade has just experienced will continue on all fronts. (photo source Topwar, Sina, Ukrinform).

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/nga-pha-huy-so-chi-huy-lu-doan-47-post1545008.html