The Russian attempt to encircle Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast was foiled when Ukrainians deployed Bradley vehicles and Abrams tank supplied by the West, which helped advance.
Today, there are many updates from the Kursk Direction, Russia.
After consolidating their control over Zeleni Shlyakh, they used paved roads to amass troops at the strategic intersection in Zeleni Shlyakh. This allowed them to extend the advance towards Malaya Lokhnya by a direct attack.
The plan called for a rapid push of BTR-82 armored vehicles along the 7-kilometer-long road. They could cover the distance within five minutes. Once in position, Russian Stormtroopers would dismount to engage in close combat in order to seize control over the outskirts. This maneuver, if successful, would encircle Ukrainian troops in Pogrebki north of Malaya Lokhnya and cut them off, trapping them into a pocket.
Combat footage shows that the Russians launched an assault with three BTR 82 vehicles, each carrying a platoon. They were on the road to Malaya Lokhnya. The first BTR was destroyed by a drone strike in FPV, followed by the destruction the second vehicle. This resulted in the death of two-thirds the assault unit.
The Ukrainians also positioned a T64BV tank along the road. This tank engaged and destroyed the final BTR, effectively neutralizing and stopping the assault.
The Russian assault was stopped and destroyed only 1.5 kilometers outside of Malaya Lokhnya. Any survivors fled back to their starting place.
The Ukrainians, now aware of the Russian plan to attack the staging area in Zeleni Shlyakh, decided to launch decisive strikes as well as counterattacks. The Ukrainians concentrated their efforts on this area to prevent the Russians for massing additional forces in preparation for future assaults. This strategy would neutralize earlier Russian gains and render their offensive momentum ineffective.
Six armored vehicles were used by Ukrainian marines of the 36th Marine Brigade in a counterattack on Russian forces south-west of Zeleni Shlyakh. In the assault they destroyed several Russian vehicles and forced the enemy infantry on foot to retreat under heavy fire from FPV drones and cluster munitions.
Unaware of Ukrainian presence, Russians deployed a column south of Zeleni Shlyakh to attack, only to be ambushed by the Ukrainian assault team and destroyed. The Russian forces that survived were forced to crawl into safety and take cover while Ukrainian tanks suppressed the main positions near the town. This allowed the Ukrainian infantry dismount and secure an area.
The Ukrainian marines eventually pushed the Russians by more than 2 kilometers, positioning themselves outside Zeleni Shlyakh to prevent the Russians from assembling forces for future assaults.
To take advantage of Russian weaknesses in the area, and weaken the Russian operational base, Ukrainian Command deployed the elite 47th Mechanized Brigade, using Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and Abrams tank, to dislodge Russian troops from Novoivanivka.
The Bradleys suppressed Russian infantry positions within the treeline, while the Abrams tanks destroyed fortified positions inside houses that were used by Russian troops to fire. The Russians did not retaliate, which suggests that they were overpowered and rendered the combat ineffective by high losses.
This allowed Ukrainian infantry secure the area. The Ukrainians were able to advance another kilometer and retake Novoivanivka. They also intensified the pressure on Russian forces in Zeleni Shlyakh.
The failure of the Russian attack on Malaya Lokhnya exposed their plans, leading to several Ukrainian Counterattacks, and their suppression of Russian tactical bridgeheads at Zeleni Shlyakh. This prevented any further Russian attacks.
Apti Aladinov of the Akhmat forces, who commanded the Chechen forces in the area at the time, called it the most difficult area of the front. The Kremlin then postponed their plans for operation in Kursk and pushed back the deadline for the Ukrainian forces to leave Kursk from 15 October to 1 Febraury.
In our regular frontline reports, we team up with the military blog Reporting from Ukraine in order to keep you updated on what’s happening on the battlefield during the Russo Ukrainian war.
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