The battle at Ugledar became the largest tank battle of the war: NYT - about the painful failure of the Russian Federation
Date: 2023-03-01 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WAR
The three-week battle on the plain near the mining town of Ugledar became the largest tank battle in the entire war with the Russian Federation and a complete failure for the Russians.
This is stated in the article The New York Times
RF repeated last year's mistake
Russia not only failed to capture Ugledar, but also made the same mistake that cost Moscow hundreds of tanks at the beginning of the war. The Russians again advanced in columns of equipment, which the Ukrainian military destroyed from pre-prepared ambushes.
Exploded by mines, hit by artillery or destroyed by anti-tank missiles, the charred hulls of Russian armored vehicles are now littered in the fields near Vugledar.
According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian army lost at least 130 tanks and armored personnel carriers during the attack on Ugledar.
The Russian troops lack experience as many elite units have been wiped out from previous battles. Made up for the losses mobilized. One sign that Russia lacks experienced tank commanders is that Ukrainian soldiers have said they have captured a medic who the Russians have reassigned to operate the tank.
Instead of tanks now - infantry
The Russian army mythologised tank warfare for decades because of the memory of the victory over the Nazis in World War II. Factories in the Ural Mountains produced thousands of tanks. In Ugledar last week, Russia has lost so much equipment that it has changed tactics and resorts only to infantry attacks.
How Ukrainian defenders burned Russian equipment
Lieutenant Vladislav Bayak, commander of the 1st mechanized battalion of the 72nd brigade named after. Chernykh Zaporozhtsev, told the publication about how the Armed Forces of Ukraine were able to inflict such heavy losses on the invaders.
Ambushes have been Ukraine's signature tactic against Russian armored columns since the early days of the war, he said. The Ukrainian Armed Forces studied the roads and then waited for Russian tanks.
Bayak spotted the first approaching convoy of about 15 tanks and APCs in a drone video.
"We were ready," he said. "We knew something like this would happen."
Anti-tank groups armed with American Javelins and Ukrainian Stugna-P ATGMs hid in plantations along the fields.
The dirt road was left clear of mines, while the fields nearby were mined to encourage the Russians to advance, preventing the tanks from turning when the trap was set.
The most vulnerable column of tanks, according to Lieutenant Bayak, becomes after the shooting starts and the drivers in a panic try to turn around - leaving the mined roadside. The blown up vehicles then become a hindrance, slowing down or stopping the convoy. At this moment, the Ukrainian artillery opens fire and destroys the rest of the equipment.
In one case, the Ukrainian command struck HIMARS. They are usually used against fixed targets such as ammunition depots or barracks, but have also proven effective against a tank column. The Ukrainians also fired from American M777 howitzers and French CAESAR self-propelled guns, as well as other Western weapons.
“We destroyed a lot of Russian equipment. What did they do wrong? This is what they came to Ukraine,” says a Ukrainian tanker who also participated in the ambush.
