A unit of the 82nd separate air assault brigade, part of the 7th rapid reaction corps, made an unexpected counter-maneuver against the spring offensive of the aggressor country of the Russian Federation. Two months ago, the unit was transferred from the Pokrovsky direction to stop the advance of the Russians near Gulyai-Polye. A breakthrough in this area threatened the strategic cities of Zaporozhye and Pavlograd.
Journalists from The Times visited the battalion's command post, located in a deep underground labyrinth. From here, officers direct operations in real time by monitoring targets through the drones' thermal cameras.
The success of the operation was ensured by several factors. In particular, these are drones with artificial intelligence. To eliminate priority targets, they use the Linza combat drone, a joint German-Ukrainian development. It is resistant to electronic warfare and has artificial intelligence support.
Additionally, unlike previous years, artillery is no longer limited in fire. Thanks to our own production of 155 mm shells and European initiatives, paratroopers can cover even single targets.
The Ukrainians also took advantage of the collapse of the Russian communications system after the introduction of new Starlink registration rules, which cut off the smuggling occupiers’ terminals from the network.
The battalion commander, a 23-year-old major with the call sign Lev, explains the success, in particular, to infiltration tactics: Ukrainian groups bypass enemy positions, attack them with drones and hit them from the rear. Often, the occupiers, fearing punishment, do not report to the leadership about the loss of positions, which allows the Ukrainian Armed Forces to launch strikes from unexpected directions.
According to intelligence data, coordination in the Russian army has fallen to a critical level: numerous cases of “friendly fire” have been recorded. The publication states that Ukrainian troops are killing Russians “at incredible speed” and precision drone strikes are making the battlefield deadlier than ever. Over the two months of the offensive, the 82nd Brigade claims 1,100 killed, 30 wounded and three captured. Western intelligence agencies believe that for the first time since the beginning of the war, the mortality rate among Russian military personnel exceeded the rate of mobilization. The Commander of the Armed Forces of the Unmanned Systems of the Armed Forces, Robert Brovdi, said that in certain periods, Russian losses exceed the rate of replenishment.
Despite the successes, Ukrainian forces are also experiencing a shortage of personnel, the publication notes. The once fully professional corps is now largely composed of conscripts.
In one of the episodes of the battle described by the publication, a Ukrainian fighter with the call sign Dolya was injured as a result of a Russian drone strike, but he was evacuated and survived. The Russian military man, against whom the operation was carried out, as well as the occupiers who were next to him, according to the Ukrainian side, were destroyed.
