Russian Law Enforcement Officers Interrupted for Impromptu Gathering. That's When a Ukrainian HIMARS Unleashed Its Fury.
Russian Law Enforcement Officers Interrupted for Impromptu Gathering. That's When a Ukrainian HIMARS Unleashed Its Fury.
A group of Russian military officials supposedly convened urgently along a highway not far from Tokmak, around 15 miles from the battlefront in the Russian-controlled southern Ukraine, on a Friday. Instead of a swift meeting between commanders, the event turned into a tragedy when Ukrainian intelligence picked up on the gathering-leading to a High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System's attack.
As per the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate's statement, five vehicles were burnt to ashes, and three Russian officers, one each from intelligence, air defense, and infantry corps, lost their lives. This marked the second time in three days that a HIMARS strike focused on Russian officers near the front line of the 34-month-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Over the Christmas holiday, a bombardment of a command center in the Lgov city, situated close to a Ukrainian stronghold in western Russia's Kursk Oblast, reportedly resulted in the death or injury of leaders of the Russian 810th Naval Infantry Brigade. Ukrainian specialists declared, "This fiery image is all part of our plan to undermine our enemy's military strength."
It makes strategic sense for Ukraine's HIMARS, capable of firing precision-guided rockets up to 57 miles, to target the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade. That unit has been instrumental in Russia's expensive counteroffensive aimed at eliminating the 250-square-mile Ukrainian salient in Kursk.
However, the motivation behind targeting Russian captains nearby Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southern Ukraine, known as a less significant area since the fighting shifted to the east and north, is less clear.
It's plausible that Ukrainian strategists are attempting to prevent a Russian offensive in Zaporizhzhia. While such an offensive is unlikely to result in significant territorial gains with Russian forces being scant in the south, it could still divert scarce Ukrainian resources away from the east and north.
Ukrainian operations in the south have followed a consistent pattern. Apart from demolishing the officers' gathering, Ukrainian intelligence and special operations command might have dispatched saboteurs to sabotage a significant railroad through Tokmak on December 15. Reports indicate destroying a fuel train and hindering Russian logistics in the region.
By focusing on dismantling vital command and logistics infrastructure, Ukrainian forces could thwart a potential southern offensive by Russian forces even before it gets underway. With reliable intelligence, it's more practical to disrupt an assault with a few precise strikes rather than confront it head-on on the battlefield.
The Ukrainian military apparently targeted a gathering of Russian officials near Zaporizhzhia Oblast, using a HIMARS system, despite it being considered a less significant area since the fighting shifted. This action could be an attempt by Ukrainian strategists to prevent a potential Russian offensive in Zaporizhzhia, even if significant territorial gains are unlikely.
Following the incident, there have been concerns raised about the safety and operations of Russian military command in the region, particularly in light of the destructive capabilities of the HIMARS system.