Russian assault units increasingly hit by friendly fire near Pokrovsk — partisans

Near Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, Russian drone operators are increasingly striking their own assault units. At the tactical level, friendly fire has become a common occurrence, happening not only at night but also during the daytime.

This was reported on Telegram by the ATESH partisan movement, citing their agents in the 110th Motorized Rifle Brigade, part of the 51st Combined Arms Army of the Russian Armed Forces, according to Ukrinform.

Friendly fire most often affects enemy assault units using infiltration tactics during combat missions. Due to the lack of identification markings and general confusion, drone operators frequently mistake them for the enemy.

The chaos is partly caused by the command’s haste, which demands the capture of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad by the end of November. Other factors include heavy casualties among Russian personnel, replacement by undertrained fighters, and problems with coordination, communication, and interaction between units.

According to ATESH agents, losses from friendly fire are already measured in dozens.

Against this backdrop, open confrontation is growing between Russian assault units and drone operators, with incidents of gunfire between them.

The assault troops increasingly accuse drone operators of allegedly “working for the Ukrainians.”

Due to losses from friendly fire, the Russian offensive in the Pokrovsk direction has noticeably slowed.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, the Pokrovsk direction remains a primary focus of the Russian offensive. This sector of the front sees the highest number of daily assault operations by Russian forces.