Ukrainian soldier says one thing stops Russia taking surrounded city | World | News
Since July 2024, Russia has been launching large quantities of troops, vehicles and ammunition into the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk. The 15-month offensive has cost Vladimir Putin’s army tens of thousands of lives, but it remains in Ukrainian hands.
Just still. Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy admitted that Russian forces were inside the city, and reports indicate violent house-to-house fighting was taking place in the city centre. The Russian flag was even erected on one of the main roads leading into the city.
The Ukrainians, who themselves suffered significant losses, continue to inflict serious losses on the advancing Russian troops. A Ukrainian commander in the field said this was due to a specific weapon in their arsenal; This meant that Pokrovsk was able to hold out for so long: drones.
Mykola Hrytsenko is the chief of staff of the Freedom Force of the 4th Rubizh Brigade, based near Dobropillia, a city just over 25 kilometers from Pokrovsk. Even though he is only 24 years old, he is the second in command of the unit.
He described how much the war had changed in the three years and eight months since Russia’s invasion and how Ukrainians were hanging on by their toes.
“Previously the battle resembled a large trench line with artillery behind and infantry in front, but now it is not like that,” he said. Sky News.
“UAVs are incredibly important because we have limited manpower on our side. The Russians don’t have that problem. They can form hundreds of strike groups. We can’t do that. We can’t sacrifice even a single person.”
The use of drones in the industry is astounding. Many are still used to fire munitions at soldiers, vehicles and buildings, or to detonate by hitting a target.
But it has other uses as well. Some are equipped with loudspeakers to encourage Russian troops to surrender or drive prisoners of war to Ukrainian lines. Mykola uses one of these to return the crew of a destroyed Ukrainian tank to safety.
Others carry fiber optic cables behind them, making them virtually impervious to electronic warfare interference. Both sides often use quadcopters to carry heavier loads for bombing purposes.
Unfortunately for advocates, Russia’s economic superiority appears to mean they have more drones than their Ukrainian counterparts. Bender, the driver of the destroyed tank, said: “I did so (I felt that I was hunted by Russian drones). There were too many FPV drones.
“They were buzzing around us in 360 degrees… there are so many FPV drones you don’t know where to run. I was very lucky… big luck.”
But drones aren’t just in the air. The Freedom Force uses a ground-based drone called Termit 1. It is vital that front-line troops are kept equipped with food and water. It is even used by Mykola’s men to evacuate the wounded.
A soldier named Radjik, who was shot in the chest during the ambush, was evacuated with difficulty. It took eight hours, but the soldier was alive when he was handed over to medical personnel.
Despite all efforts, the battle of Pokrovsk seems to be coming to an end. But judging from Mykola’s experience, drones will continue to play a vital role in Ukraine’s fight for survival.
