Drone footage from Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade in Andriivka, south of Bakhmut. Ukrainian troops wrested the hamlet from enemy and are rounding up Russian soldiers cowering in the smoldering rubble. The original post alleges that the surrendering troops are fired upon on fellow Russians, and that IDF landing in the village is Russian. At one point two Russian soldiers are coaxed from their holes and lay prone in front of their captors, and a shell lands close abord. The footage ends with Ukrainian troops continuing to mop up.

This footage is significant for several reasons. Ukrainian’s success in Zaporizhia and their breach of the first belt of the Surovikin line in Robotyne forced the Russian leadership, lacking an operational reserve, to laterally redeploy forces from the eastern front to cauterize the wound in the south. This weakening of defenses around Bakhmut permitted some success in that area. Since June, Ukrainian forces have been pressing forward both north and south of the city, threatening an envelopment of the Russian forces there. Russia placed invested significant military resources and political capital in taking Bakhmut, and thus feels obligated to retain it at a high cost. Consistent pressure by Ukraine has kept significant Russian forces fixed in place and has significantly atrited Russian units.

One of those units may have ceased to exist. Russia committed the 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade was formed in 2022 of volunteers from Russia’s periphery and suffered in Ukraine’s Kherson offensive in on of its battalions was thrown into fruitless attacks on Vuhledar. The brigade was committed to defensive lines south of Bakhmut and accused by Wagner troops or retreating without orders and leaving them exposed, and in June erstwhile Wagner boss Prigozhin detained the 72nd commander and released a video of his interrogation, accusing him of ordering his troops to fire on Wagner men. The understrength brigade defended Andriivka, and Ukrainian sources claim that in the process of liberating the village, the 72nd was encircled and destroyed. Pro-Ukrainian sources have made multiple unverified claims, including that three battalion commanders were eliminated and that significant portions of the command staff were wiped out. Sources also claim that Russian troops attempting to retreat were cut down by their own comrades and that Russian artillery fired on 72nd Brigade positions as Ukrainian forces closed in. If claims are true and the brigade was eliminated, then Russian losses are in the thousands.

For the Russians, their willingness is indicative of their callousness and desperation, though these measures are likely insufficient. If Klischiivka also falls the T0513 highway will be within reach of Ukrainian forces, another step in the encirclement of Bakhmut. Operationally, this could result in the recall of forces recently dispatched to Zaporizhia to bolster the eastern front. Certainly, it will further stretch Russian resources across the entire theater. Strategically, this will exacerbate existing issues of morale and manpower throughout the Russian Army.

About the Author

Cam

Cam served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps, deploying to the Horn of Africa and participating in combat operations in Iraq. He currently works in the maritime industry and in the defense sector as an instructor of combined arms planning and operations. An avid sailor, Cam founded and directs Triumph Sailing, a nonprofit that supports veterans and first responders through adventure and fellowship on the water. Triumph Sailing is preparing for its big yearly event, an offshore race in the Gulf of Mexico with an all veteran crew. You can support the mission at Tri-Sail.Org.