As a result of an attempt to break through the Ukrainian defense line, Russian troops lost a significant amount of armored vehicles. It happened on March 30 near the village of Tonenke near Avdiivka in Donetsk region.
Ukrainian sources report that the Russian troops advanced in a column consisting of 36 tanks and 12 infantry fighting vehicles, and that the losses amounted to 12 tanks and eight infantry fighting vehicles.
This is a significant one-day loss, the Russian army has not lost so much armored vehicles in a day for a long time.
Photos of broken armored vehicles and a video of the battle taken from a drone appeared on social networks. Such losses probably mean that for Russia this direction is very important, and that is why the command took such a risk to break through the Ukrainian defenses.
One of the pro-Russian commentators, Svyatoslav Golikov, analyzing the battle, wrote that it was most likely not a single attack, but several waves of armored vehicles during the day. Other Russian military bloggers also recognize the failure of the tank attack.
PHOTO AUTHOR, GETTY IMAGES Photo caption FPV drones have become an important weapon of both the Russian and Ukrainian armies
Judging by the comments of various sources, FPV drones have become the main, although not the only, means of defeating equipment, which may indirectly indicate the insufficient provision of equipment with EW means.
At this stage, the war in Ukraine has entered a stage where any offensive requires a very large force advantage. Modern means of reconnaissance make it possible to detect a strike group at the stage of deployment and even transfer to the place of attack. This gives a gain in time and the opportunity to prepare for the return of the blow.
At the same time, the Armed Forces have recently increased the possibilities of using FPV drones - small devices that are controlled by operators - with the help of a screen or special glasses. Such drones are effective against armored vehicles.
You can fight them with the help of radio-electronic warfare, blocking the signal from the control station or physically knocking it down. However, attack drones are also constantly being upgraded, and both armies are devising different ways to circumvent EW countermeasures.
In addition, Ukrainian anti-tankers also successfully used the Javelin ATGM.
In particular, to the soldiers of the 68th separate hunting brigade named after Oleksy Dovbush, as they claim and prove in the video, managed to hit four enemy tanks with the help of two "Javelins" calculations and a trophy "Cornet".
AUTHOR OF THE PHOTO, REUTERS Caption of the photo, Technika ZSU
The direction in which the Russian army attempted this attack is very important indeed.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine deployed defenses along the line of the villages of Berdychi — Semenivka — Orlivka — Tonenke, as it was convenient to do so there due to the relief of the area and the presence of water bodies. However, with the loss of Tonenko, the line of defense changed, and the village of Umanske became especially important.
Judging from the location of the battle, Russian armored vehicles tried to break through between Umansky and Semenivka, located to the east.
Fierce defense
Forbes also reported that on March 30, Ukraine repelled one of the largest Russian tank attacks during the Great War, referring to interlocutors in the Ukrainian army.
According to the publication, the Russians lost a third of their tanks on the road west of the ruins of Avdiyivka, but never advanced.
Forbes points out that in the weeks leading up to Saturday's assault, Russian forces were mostly using infantry to attack because of a lack of vehicles.
But in recent days the situation has changed. In the Avdiiv direction, they again used armored vehicles, in particular tanks.
The day after the assault, the Center for Defense Strategies described the fighting around Tonenko as "positional," meaning that neither side had advanced significantly.
However, the authors of the article believe that, despite the problem with the supply of basic ammunition, the Ukrainian brigades are still capable of "organizing a fierce defense using mines, artillery, anti-tank missiles and attack drones."
Earlier, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also reported that on March 30, the Ukrainian military probably repelled a Russian battalion mechanized attack near Avdiivka. This, in their opinion, may indicate that the operational reserve of the Russian Federation in this area is not capable of ensuring progress in the near future.
