The soldiers of the 47th say the Russian assault in this area began just over a month ago, with the enemy bringing in hundreds of well-trained drone operators and using a new frequency that the Ukrainians’ Chinese-made jamming equipment did not block. The Russians surged forwards after their drones took out vehicles along Ukrainian supply lines until the 47th and neighbouring units realised the new tactic and were able to adapt their electronic warfare systems to deal with it.
In the villages, fields and windbreaks nearby, a thunderous artillery duel is under way, punctuated by precision drone strikes or the thuds of Russian glide bombs. The cramped bowels of the Bradley, tattered by years of wear and tear, seem scant protection from the ferocity and scale of the battle.
When Ukrainian infantry are about to be overrun, the Bradleys are called in to evacuate them from within the Russian gunsights. The vehicle’s armour has proved more resistant to drone strikes than the legendary M1 Abrams, which are now used only sparingly.
Dzvinka’s vehicle has been hit six times: twice with large Lancet drones, three with small FPV drones and once with shrapnel from a mortar round that set off the Bradley’s explosive reactive armour.
he troops of the 47th are exhausted and have become dangerously accustomed to the sound of incoming fire. Although at a forward position, Dzvinka barely noticed the crash of a salvo from a Russian multiple launch rocket system or the splash of cluster munitions exploding nearby. With summer temperatures exceeding 35C, the soldiers wear their helmets and body armour only when they are at the “zero line”, directly facing the enemy.
Their vehicles are also high-priority kills. They are hunted by Russian jets, helicopters and first-person-view suicide drone operators. Oryx, the open-source intelligence website, counts 93 Bradleys damaged, destroyed or captured to date.
The crews say they are desperate for modern, upgraded versions of the fighting vehicles that include 360-degree cameras and Javelin anti-tank missiles. The present anti-tank system requires them to stay static, a sitting duck, while they fire and manually guide the missile to its target. And in order to reverse into a trench to evacuate troops, a Bradley commander has to stick his or her head out of the commander’s hatch to guide the driver, exposing themselves to enemy fire.
https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1817127198458888533
“I understand that there has been a lot of talk lately about exponentially increasing payouts to Russians for signing a death contract. But this morning on Solovyov’s they seem to have another record. Recruits from the Moscow region will receive as much as 5,200,000 rubles for the first year of service. That’s close to £50,000”
Kyllähän tuohon moni tarttuu, jos elää valtipropagandan unessa.
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