The 3rd Assault Brigade clears Russian positions south of Bakhmut. The position was pummeled by artillery, and it appears that 3rd Brigade troops are clearing the few remaining holdouts. The cameraman and another soldier stumble across the battered ground firing into holes and dugouts as they pass. A spasm of return fire sends them to defilade, and they return fire with small arms, a 40mm grenade launcher, and hand grenades. As Ukrainians maneuver on the last Russian holdouts, the two sides trade insults and rifle fire. The Ukrainians do a good job at maintaining suppressive fires as they move forward. The camera operator moves forward to hand a grenade to two soldiers taking cover behind a shattered tree stump, and at the 1:35 mark a round skips off the ground to their left. The camera operator continues to whip around the flank and takes cover in a shell crater with another soldier armed with an M-16 (I am a fan of the 20 inch barrel). The squad begins to close in on the Russian holdouts, and the scene cuts to prisoners being rounded up. We are offered a view of a Russian dugout, with two additional prisoners and the usual filth and squalor.

Ukrainian infantry tactics remain solid. The 3rd Brigade has predominantly relied on AKs to this point, so it is interesting to see more western small arms in the mix. The slow and steady pressure on Russian positions around Bakhmut offers Ukraine an opportunity to attack into a region less heavily fortified than the Surovikin Line along the southern front and contributes to both operational and strategic objectives. Operationally, several higher quality Russian units are fixed in place and unable to contribute to defensive operations in Zaporizhia or offensive operations around Advika or further north near Kupiansk. Strategically, these operations place pressure on the Russian Army and Russian society as a whole through steady, grinding attrition.

About the Author

Cam

Cam served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps, deploying to the Horn of Africa and participating in combat operations in Iraq. He currently works in the maritime industry and in the defense sector as an instructor of combined arms planning and operations. An avid sailor, Cam founded and directs a nonprofit that supports veterans and first responders through sailing.