Russian forces have managed to wedge between Ukrainian positions near the village of Zelenyi Shlya, but their advance has stalled for a week, facing intense Ukrainian counterattacks.
Littered With Destroyed Vehicles
'Holding the flanks, Ukrainian forces have been targeting the only two roads available to the Russians, now especially difficult to traverse during the rainy season.
Ukrainian artillery, drones, and M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles from the 47th Mechanized Brigade are constantly targeting the route, according to WP.
The result: the road is now littered with destroyed military vehicles, reportedly worth tens of millions of dollars. The Russian 155th Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet appears to have sustained the heaviest losses.
Among the destroyed vehicles are numerous BMP infantry fighting vehicles and lighter BMD airborne armored vehicles. Older BMP/BMD-1 models, equipped with 73 mm low-pressure guns, provide limited defense, firing fragmentation and shaped-charge rounds.
GAZ Tigr Armored Vehicles Destroyed
Newer BMP/BMD-2 models are equipped with a 30 mm automatic cannon, which offers better versatility and often comes with anti-tank missile launchers.
While these vehicles typically support tank operations, they are vulnerable from the sides, where only the front armor can withstand heavy machine gun fire.
The BMP’s steel armor offers more resistance than the aluminum alloys used in the BMDs. With each vehicle costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, losses are adding up rapidly.
Footage also shows GAZ Tigr armored vehicles, first produced in 2005, which are designed to protect primarily against small arms fire. Additionally, several 3-STS Achmat vehicles, made exclusively for Chechen troops and based on the Ural-4320 truck chassis, were spotted.
These vehicles have been modified to withstand fire from heavy machine guns and some anti-tank mines, similar to MRAP-class vehicles like the Typhoon.
