Russian army disaster as Ukraine kills over 400 elite paratroopers | World | News
While the clashes continued around Pokrovsk, the Ukrainian army inflicted heavy losses on a unit of Russian paratroopers. Kiev forces continue to resist Russian attempts to take full control of the city of Donabs.
Pokrovsk is an important logistics and transportation hub on Ukraine’s eastern front, and its capture would be a major blow for Kiev. Russian troops have been trying to capture the city for almost two years but have not been able to take full control of the urban settlement. Putin’s generals have massed some 155,000 troops in the Pokrovsk region as they desperately try to make a breakthrough.
Among them is Russia’s elite 76th Air Assault Division, which has recently been thrust into a grueling war.
However, the paratroopers performed slightly better than other units, suffering high losses over the last seven days.
Ukraine’s 7th Air Assault Corps wrote in its latest battlefield report: “Total enemy personnel losses over the past week reached 446 soldiers, 30% higher than in the previous period.
“The increase in casualties is linked to Russia’s full deployment of its operational reserve of three regiments of the 76th Air Assault Division.”
Ukraine sent reinforcements, including special forces units, to the area to prevent the fall of the city. They successfully prevented further Russian infiltration north of the railway line.
This forced Putin’s army to attack the western flank and advance towards Hryshyne, with the aim of isolating northern Pokrovsk and endangering supply routes.
If successful, Ukrainian troops will have to withdraw, which will allow the Russian command to avoid direct attacks and close-quarters house-to-house fighting.
Russian commanders sent a column of motorcycles and cars in an attempt to outflank the Ukrainian units and reach Hryshyne.
The column was quickly detected by reconnaissance drones and immediately came under fire.
10 vehicles were destroyed and 40 soldiers were martyred. The surviving troops who tried to continue on foot were unable to disperse and were hit by a single FPV.
