Russian Armored Column Attacks Near Avdiivka, Immediately Flees in Face of Devastating Ukrainian Fire

Drone operators have recorded a Russian armored column driving toward Ukrainian Armed Forces positions near Avdiivka, only to come under punishing fire and then attempt to flee the battlefield.

The video shows a long line of Russian vehicles approaching a treeline, with one already in flames.

As they edge closer, Ukrainian fire increases and the column performs a swift about turn.

Some of the vehicles stop and Russian soldiers dismount. Some are hit while the others run back to where they came from.

The clip was posted on social media by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense which credited the 31st Mechanized Brigade, one of the Ukrainian brigades currently defending Avdiivka.

A report on the attack by the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said: "Thanks to coordinated actions, we have managed to smash the occupiers’ convoy, trying to break through our defenses near the village of Krasnohorivka."

The huge losses being suffered by Russian forces as they attempt to take Avdiivka are being well-documented and are likely at rate that’s higher than at any point of the war so far.

This is being confirmed by Russian, Ukrainian and independent sources with only the Kremlin attempting to suggest otherwise.

Numerous videos also support the assessments with a similar drone video to that above last week showing a Russian armored column being obliterated by Ukrainian artillery fire.

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A growing number of ad hoc units in the Russian army that have reduced available infantry personnel for assault operations could be why Moscow is throwing drone operators into the grinder.

The video shows at least 14 Russian armored vehicles apparently forced to drive in single file to pass through minefields behind a mine-clearing tank attempting to make their way through high explosive and cluster munition strikes.

The majority of the force is BTRs (Soviet/post-Soviet military armored personnel carriers): half are shown to be knocked out or disabled and smoking at the end of the attack, and Ukrainian positions seem intact.

A close-up in the two-minute edited video shows at least five Russian infantrymen jumping off a BTR near Ukrainian positions. A Ukrainian anti-tank rocket fired at close range hits the BTR in seconds.

A significant number of ex-Wagner fighters are taking part on the ongoing and hugely costly Russian assault of on the town of Avdiivka but their situation is “good but not great” due to heavy losses, according to reports.

You can read that story in full here.