A battalion commander was racing down a road with his men in pursuit of retreating Russian soldiers when he came across an abandoned Russian armored vehicle. There was a lot of stuff inside, including a rifle, grenade, helmet, and belongings. The men were nowhere to be found.
The commander said that they dropped everything, including personal care. I believe it was a special unit that was panicked. They dropped everything and moved because the road was bad.
After months of static fighting and holding the line under withering Russian bombardments, Ukrainian soldiers are rejoicing over their smashing of Russian lines in the northeast three weeks ago. The whole of Kharkiv province, as well as territory in each of the four regions that Putin claims to have annexed for Russia, are almost back to normal.
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With little time for reflection, the Ukrainians have focused on keeping the pressure on the Russians to prevent them from regrouping. After months in the trenches, the Ukrainian soldiers and commanders have been able to see the faces of their opponent.
He said that they have the strength to do it. They are in a state of panic.
After his predecessor was killed in battle near Izium, a 58-year-old career soldier came out of retirement to take over command.
In the last few weeks, the battalion has provided flanking support in battles for the important cities of Izium and Lyman. Four days ago, the battalion seized another town farther east, helping to secure a series of dams and settlements in the north of the country.
In the flight from Izium, there was a lot of panic on the Russian side. The unit pursued Russian troops for 15 miles down the road after they captured Izium. A few more days and Ukrainian troops were at the gates of Lyman, 30 miles south of Izium, and the group moved east to block the Russians from sending reinforcements.
One of his battalions was attacking another town when he died. He requested that the location not be made public. Nine soldiers were wounded when his units captured the town. After securing the town, they handed it over to another group so they could take a break.
The battalion lost five men in a Russian missile strike and one of their friends when their car hit a mine after three weeks of success. The driver survived with a head injury.
He asked the reporter not to sugarcoat the events of the war with only success stories.
He said that in the battle for Izium, he saw the Russians fall back. Russian troops had their supply lines cut by the Ukrainian brigades when they took a main highway.
The unit raced in from the south after moving up the timing of their assault.
Russian armored vehicles were firing weapons. He said that people were so excited that they didn't stop. I was carrying a gun. It feels like a small win. You feel it inside and you are happy.
He said that everyone was happy when they got this hill.
The men were not listening when he told them to stop shooting. The capture of Izium gave the Russians a huge boost of confidence despite the small firefight. He said it was a good feeling to know that for three months they were fighting for their lives.
They captured some enemy soldiers who were asleep in a camp in the forest as they raced south from Izium. Seven of them were surprised. We advanced on a forest line after lunch.
He said that some of the Russians were ready to give up. Some people believed that the Ukrainians would torture and kill them if they allowed themselves to be caught.
One time a Russian soldier killed himself by pulling the pin of a grenade and saying he wouldn't let himself be taken prisoner. He said that they were too late to jump to him. They are also afraid.
He said his battalion took more than 30 Russians prisoner in seven months of fighting. He said that they just get information from them and send them to a higher level.
It has been difficult for his men to learn how to survive. One of the most intense moments of the war was when a platoon commander named Boris held a cup of water for a prisoner of war.
The fighting units didn't have much time to chase deserters.
In some places local residents told them they were hiding Russian soldiers who had either fled their posts or been left behind. He said that in the past few days, his units were too tied up to pursue the Russian units so he used good military tactics but they were too far away.
Boris, the platoon commander, said their units had carried out several assaults on Izium from the southwest in the weeks leading up to the counteroffensive. They weren't expecting the full force of the attack from the north.
It doesn't mean there wasn't resistance.
Several Ukrainian commanders and soldiers said that the Russians were often set up in machine gun bases. There can be heavy bombardment from Russian planes once Russian troops leave. Five of his men were killed when a former Russian command post was destroyed.
The shower was cold and wet. He was referring to the five people who died. They were young men.
He doesn't believe that the Russian army is broken. He said that they would fight. The mentality is to fight for your friends. They have friends who have passed away.
The new strength it would bring to the Russian side was something he and his men were worried about.
The Ukrainian army is not where it needs to be. The last seven months of the war were very difficult for him. We are not there yet but we are slowly recovering. Russia has a lot of power and is able to use it in many ways.
The sound of the Russian bombardment of settlements to the east was so loud that soldiers and civilians stopped talking and listening.
The commanders and soldiers agreed that Ukrainian troops should push until the Russians could regroup.
There is only one month left to do this, and they are in a state of panic. The winter was coming to an end. We have to get winter clothes and we are going to have mud.
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