AFU: Russians in south begin using column breakthrough tactics

Russian troops in the south have begun to use tactics involving breakthroughs by columns of armored vehicles with large numbers of infantry attempting to gain a foothold in populated areas, which makes it significantly more difficult to dislodge them.

This was reported on television by Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.

"The enemy has already used tactics other than small assault groups and infiltration tactics several times. They have tried to break through several times - this is an enemy column, one or two armored vehicles, accompanied by one or two trucks with full bodies, carrying 25-30 enemy infantrymen," Voloshyn said.

According to the spokesman, the Russians are deliberately sacrificing equipment in order to push their infantry forward.

"They are trying to break through to the settlement and then disperse. They sacrifice armored vehicles and trucks, but the infantry breaks into the settlement, hides in nearby buildings, and from there it is very difficult to dislodge them," he explained.

Voloshyn stressed that Russian troops tried to use this tactic again today near Verbove.

“Two tanks, two combat vehicles, and two or three trucks tried to enter this settlement, but our forces stopped and destroyed them. However, the infantry still dispersed, and we are conducting mop-up operations,” the spokesman said.

He stressed that destroying such scattered groups is a difficult task, as the enemy tries to hide in local buildings and fire from cover.

As reported by Ukrinform, there were 174 combat clashes between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian invaders over the past day. The enemy exerted the most pressure in the Pokrovsk direction, with intense fighting ongoing in the Lyman, Kostiantynivka, Oleksandrivka, Huliaypole, and Orikhiv directions.

Photo: Ministry of Defense