Ukrainian Military Provided Extra Scrutiny Towards a Russian Combat Squad Journeying in Pickup Vehicles and Displaying the Soviet Banner
In an attempt to compensate for the loss of numerous armored vehicles, the Russian military has often resorted to utilizing unarmored vehicles like motorbikes, all-terrain vehicles, vans, and trucks to transport troops into combat zones.
However, a recent incident outside the fortified city of Pokrovsk might signal a shift in strategy. This attack, observed by a Ukrainian drone, might have been one of the first significant Russian assaults where all participating vehicles were civilian models – trucks and sedans.
This development could be concerning for Russia, but it may not be a game-changer.
As the Ukrainian drone surveyed the scene, a group of Russian troops, estimated to be a platoon or company in size, climbed into at least seven civilian vehicles and advanced towards Ukrainian positions. One of the vehicles displayed an old Soviet flag.
Given the harsh terrain outside Pokrovsk, marked by shell holes, landmines, and drone patrols, Russia's best armored vehicles are susceptible to damage. Its least-protected vehicles – the unarmored ones – would be even more vulnerable.
The Ukrainian military blogger Officer+ reported that the attack was successfully repelled. The vehicle bearing the Soviet flag received special attention, according to the report.
Capturing Pokrovsk is a significant objective for the Russians, as their ongoing conflict with Ukraine enters its fourth year. A substantial Russian force has been advancing towards Pokrovsk since ousting the under-equipped Ukrainian garrison from Avdiivka, located 37 miles to the east, back in February.
The Ukrainian garrison in Pokrovsk, backed by three Jaeger and airborne brigades, is substantially outnumbered by a Russian army comprising eight to nine brigades and regiments. However, the Ukrainians have been able to damage around 2,000 Russian vehicles while sustaining only 500 losses of their own.
The Kremlin is struggling to rapidly produce enough replacement vehicles for their losses on the Pokrovsk front. Russian industry manufactures fewer than a thousand new infantry fighting vehicles a year. Meanwhile, aging Cold War vehicles are dwindling in supply. A major storage base in Kostroma Oblast, western Russia, is nearly depleted of these Cold War relics.
Consequently, civilians vehicles like pickup trucks and sedans are being utilized, as evidenced by the recent attack.
However, not all Russian assault groups are similarly under-equipped. Some have managed to bypass Ukrainian defenses through persistent, smaller attacks, exploiting weak points and racking up substantial losses in the process. According to Tatarigami, founder of the Frontelligence Insight analysis group, this approach may not be sustainable in the long term but has been effective in the short to medium term.
The failure of the recent pickup-and-sedan assault doesn't necessarily mean the Russian offensive will fail. The Russians are racing against the depletion of their vehicle reserves to capture as much of Ukraine as possible. Ukraine may ultimately be saved by time and attrition, but Pokrovsk might not be so fortunate.
The attack outside Pokrovsk, a city in Ukraine, was reportedly led by Russian troops using civilian vehicles, including trucks and sedans. This shift in strategy, if sustained, could potentially strain the Russian forces, given the city's challenging terrain and Ukrainian drone patrols.
Despite the recent failed attack outside Pokrovsk, Russia is pressuring their advance towards the city to capture it, as it's a significant objective in their ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The city is currently defended by a smaller Ukrainian garrison, but they've managed to inflict significant damage on the Russian vehicles, with the Kremlin struggling to replace the losses due to a limited supply of infantry fighting vehicles.
