Ukrainian Army Repels Russian Attack in Robotyne
A Ukrainian drone seconds before striking Russian infantry outside Robotyne
After a long and intense four-month defense, the Ukrainian army’s 110th Mechanized Brigade has reluctantly vacated Avdiivka, a city in eastern Ukraine, after encountering a Russian force ten times its size. This marks the first significant Ukrainian city to fall to the Russians in nearly a year. The crawl towards Avdiivka’s capitulation can be attributed to the ramped-up efforts of Russia-aligned Republicans in the U.S. Congress to hinder the supply of aid to Ukraine, disrupting the support once provided by the Americans.
The 110th Brigade exhausted its ammunition resources before succumbing to the relentless Russian onslaught. Seizing this window of perceived weakness, the Russian army launched simultaneous attacks along the vast 600-mile front in their two-year-long war with Ukraine. However, unlike their beleaguered counterparts in the 110th Brigade, other Ukrainian forces demonstrated a display of resilience and tactical acumen, robustly pushing back Russian brigades and regiments. Notably, the 65th Mechanized Brigade bravely defended its position in Robotyne, a large liberated settlement gained by the Ukrainians in the preceding summer.
The 65th Brigade fiercely engaged a Russian assault group comprising un-upgraded, 70-year-old T-55 tanks, 13-ton MT-LB armored tractors, and 13-ton BMP fighting vehicles. Through the use of cluster shells, anti-tank missiles, and first-person-view drones with explosive payloads, the Ukrainian forces succeeded in repelling the attack and extracting retribution in honor of the fallen defenders of Avdiivka.
During the confrontation, one Ukrainian drone delivered a precise strike on top of a BMP, intercepting several Russian soldiers in close proximity. Another drone targeted the space behind the driver in an MT-LB, resulting in a significant blow. This Russian offensive also saw a T-55 tank being demolished by an anti-tank missile. Additionally, Russian infantry briefly infiltrated a trench system, where they were confronted by the devastating firepower of cluster shell explosions.
Open-source analyst Andrew Perpetua’s assessment included a tally of 28 damaged, destroyed, or abandoned Russian tanks and fighting vehicles along the front line, in comparison to only six Ukrainian tank casualties. Most of the Russian losses could be attributed to the failed attack on Robotyne, which inflicted devastating damage to the Russian assault group, resulting in the destruction of 18 vehicles and causing 70 casualties.
Surprisingly, the Russian forces failed to exploit their firepower superiority after the fall of Avdiivka. They initially committed 40,000 troops against the Avdiivka garrison, albeit composed of only a few thousand defenders. Throughout the early stages of the conflict, the Russian force suffered losses of approximately 13,000 dead or wounded soldiers. As December drew to a close, the Kremlin strategically reinforced the 2nd and 41st Combined Arms Armies surrounding Avdiivka, which further depleted their ranks, culminating in the loss of thousands of additional soldiers, including 1,300 in a single day.
The Russian troops currently deployed in Ukraine number 470,000, with infantry and vehicle crews accounting for a quarter percent of the total force. Shockingly, the Avdiivka offensive resulted in the deaths of one out of four Russian combat troops, amounting to six percent of their entire force. To make up for these losses, the Kremlin is mobilizing more troops and resuscitating previously stored vehicles, specifically MT-LBs and T-55s. Although analysts forecast that the Russian army possesses sufficient human resources and equipment to continue the conflict until 2025, maintaining the monumental effort demonstrated in the capture of Avdiivka remains doubtful.
Nevertheless, while Russia’s winter offensive is expected to pace down as field armies recover and the Kremlin rebuilds their offensive combat capabilities, it is far from halted. The Ukrainian army, though, faces a severe ammunition shortage, with the obstruction of U.S. aid by Russia-aligned Republicans exacerbating the situation. As Ukrainian brigades are forced to carefully ration every missile, shell, and drone, Russian regiments continually receive an uninterrupted supply of ammunition from accomplice nations like Iran and North Korea, allowing them to maintain the current momentum.
