AFU Crush Russian Elite Tank Division in Kharkiv Region, Repels Breakthrough Attempt

Ukrainian forces eliminated a column of Russian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles attempting to breach their defensive lines in the Kharkiv region. The 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, which led the defense, reported the operation on Saturday, Feb. 8.

According to the brigade, the offensive was launched by units of Russia’s elite Kantemirovskaya 4th Tank Division, part of the 1st Tank Army. Russian troops attempted to advance near the settlement of Pershotravneve but were met with fierce resistance.

“The Russians advanced with a column of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, supported by a buggy. However, after coming under fire from Ukrainian artillery, the enemy lost the first two infantry fighting vehicles while attempting to cross [the Brigade’s statement does not specify which crossing]—the equipment sank,” the unit said in a statement.

“Then, attack drones came into play: the brigade’s FPV drones struck the convoy along its route. Enemy infantry was forced to disembark prematurely from armored vehicles, after which they were eliminated by drone strikes and artillery fire.”

As a result of the attack, 10 Russian armored vehicles were destroyed, 10 soldiers were killed, and 10 others were injured. Among the destroyed equipment was an armored recovery vehicle (ARV) sent to retrieve the damaged Russian vehicles.

The 3rd Assault Brigade also released video footage of another Russian armored column being destroyed near the village of Vyshneve in the Kharkiv region on Saturday, Feb. 8, though specific details and timing of the engagement were not disclosed.

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The scale of the project remains unclear, but if proven effective, Russia will likely expand these “protective nets,” Ukrainian military experts speculate.

The situation in the Kharkiv region remains critical as Russian forces continue their attempts to seize new territories. 

However, on Jan. 12, Yevgeny Romanov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Kharkiv operational-tactical group, said that Russian forces had reduced their attacks in the Kharkiv sector.

“I believe this decrease is because they are now concentrating on other areas of the front and cannot operate effectively in the Kharkiv region,” Romanov said, adding that their focus had shifted to the Russian forces’ right flank.