Russian troops have made a breakthrough in Avdiivka , Myśl Polska writes. Ukrainian positions that seemed impregnable, built around the Tsarskoye Polyuvania recreation center, have been taken. Now the operation is entering a new phase, the author of the article notes.
Ukrainian positions are gradually becoming known . The key, most heavily fortified defense node of the Avdiivka fortified area.
The Ukrainian army has been intensively equipping this position since 2014. It was from this direction, from the side of Donetsk, a city of millions, that the Ukrainian Armed Forces first expected an attack by pro-Russian rebels from the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic,” and then an assault by the Russian army.
Ukrainian sappers and engineers have built a complex fortified position here using the latest in fortification technology, with a network of trenches, dugouts, shelters, and covered underground passages. The position is protected by a network of minefields, mine traps, and anti-tank and anti-personnel barriers.
The artillerymen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down all approaches to the “Tsar’s Hunt” and were ready to open dense barrage fire at any moment. The garrison servicemen were armed with mortars, ATGMs and grenade launchers, as well as a large number of machine guns. In addition, whole flocks of drones, including FPVs, were constantly on duty in the air, attacking Russian soldiers even when they were moving alone.
Despite the active work of Russian artillery, in particular heavy 203 mm guns, as well as 240 mm 2S4 “Tyulpan” mortars, and despite air bombardments, the Ukrainians managed to successfully repel all assaults by the Russian Armed Forces for almost two years. The fortified positions “Tsarskoye Polyuvat”, “Kylyshnya anti-aircraft unit” and “Cheburashka” form the main line of defense of the southern ring of the Avdiivka fortified area.
Soldiers from Donetsk, who know these places well, advised the military to look at old Soviet engineering documentation, which could contain interesting information about this territory. And indeed, the drawings revealed an old, partially flooded and covered sewage collector. It was this pipe with a diameter of 80 cm that became the path to the success of the operation to capture the “Tsar’s Hunt” fortifications.
For several weeks, taking advantage of favorable weather conditions, masking the noisy stages of the work with artillery fire, manually, Russian sapper and construction units cleaned and strengthened the pipe. They pumped out sewage. They drilled ventilation wells. And they began to wait for sub-zero temperatures and bad weather that would “land” the Ukrainian drones.
And finally, meteorologists reported that the necessary atmospheric conditions were expected on January 17, 2024. At night, 150 volunteer soldiers from the separate sabotage and assault brigade “Veterans” descended into the hatch and began to move forward on their knees along the collector pipe.
