Thrifty Banker
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Investing

Thrifty Banker

World

Exclusive: Inside Ukraine’s offensive in the East

by September 27, 2023
September 27, 2023
Exclusive: Inside Ukraine’s offensive in the East

Two Ukrainian soldiers huddle around a drone controller in darkness, their faces illuminated only by its screen.

“Oh, something is burning,” one says. They’ve just dropped a bomb on a Russian target.

“We will be hitting their first line and our guys will be advancing on the enemy,” says one of the drone pilots, who goes by his call sign “Groove.”

Ukrainian ground troops are equipped with Western night-vision equipment and have an advantage in night-time operations, but Kyiv’s ground attack aircraft are not suited for the dark, so this drone unit nicknamed “Code 9.2” is stepping up.

“The drones see in the night like in daylight,” ‘Groove explains. “We see the infantry, we hit the vehicles, cannons, everything we need to destroy.”

They are using Ukrainian-made ‘Vampire’ unmanned aerial vehicles, a hexacopter procured by the government in Kyiv, part of an initiative led by the Ministry for Digital Transformation to supply Ukrainian forces with technology on the battlefield.

“Each drone is equipped with a thermal imager, so it can operate effectively at night. They can carry up to 15 kilograms [33 pounds] of payload,” Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov said in a Telegram video last August, as he announced 270 of these machines would be sent to the front lines.

“The military will use them to destroy both armored cars and tanks, as well as enemy defense structures, fortifications, or ammunition depots.”

That’s what Groove and his unit have been doing.

“Sometimes there are a lot of them,” Groove says, searching the area with his drone, trying to scope out Russian forces. They chase a few Russian vehicles, dropping bombs on them as they go.

“At the moment we don’t see many. There was some vehicle there but we didn’t hit it,” he adds.

As the drone attack picks up pace, other units join the battlefield: powerful artillery makes itself heard, showering the moonlit Russian positions with US-donated cluster munitions at a fast pace.

Grad multiple launch rocket systems fill the sky with their rapid hissing projectiles, mortar units join in, zeroing in on Moscow’s armies with the help of flares, and infantry fighting vehicles race to the front to storm Russian lines.

It’s a comprehensive assault and, at their headquarters, Code 9.2 commander call sign ‘Flint’ says this operation has been weeks in the making.

“We’ve been setting it up for more than a month” he says, as his men prepare the ammunition they will be dropping on Russian positions.

“It’s a combined assault,” he adds, explaining the push south of Bakhmut is designed to build up on recent gains in the area, where Ukraine was able to regain important territory from Russian control.

An offensive in the South, gains in the East

Kyiv has concentrated a large portion of the Western equipment it received in the South where Ukrainian forces have been advancing along two axes: from Orikhiv towards Melitopol and from Velyka Novosilka towards Berdiansk.

German-made Leopard 2 tanks, American Bradley infantry fighting vehicles among others were sent to the area to support Ukrainian forces as they stormed Russian positions. The ultimate goal is to reach the Black Sea and cut off Russia’s supply route to Crimea. Gains so far have been slow and modest, with Ukraine retaking only a few small villages in the South.

Much less talked about have been operations in the Eastern part of the country, where Kyiv’s forces have slowly but surely retaken dozens of square kilometers, since Russia’s brutal assault on Bakhmut last winter.

“We are breaking through their line of defense here and we are hitting them well,” Groove says. He says the Russian mercenary group Wagner, responsible for much of Russia’s gains during the winter, has returned to the area.

“Yes, Wagner is here too,” he says. “They came back, they swiftly changed their commanders and returned here.”

Groove believes that the group’s presence is in part intended to compensate for personnel shortages on the Russian side. “[Russia] gathered troops from surrounding areas and brought them here,” he says. “They don’t have much personnel left here.”

Nevertheless, it is a slow grind – a war of attrition – and with less of the advanced Western equipment than their countrymen on the Southern frontline, Ukrainian forces here are forced to rely more on brains than brawn.

“We change tactics constantly,” commander ‘Flint’ explains. “It’s like boxing. We go for the body and then switch for the head.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Russia seeks to rejoin UN Human Rights Council despite its war on Ukraine
next post
China has poured billions into Africa’s infrastructure. Is it now tightening the tap?

Related Posts

UN says fuel shortages will halt Gaza aid...

October 26, 2023

Iceland volcano erupts, prompting evacuation of Blue Lagoon,...

March 17, 2024

‘He understood me’: Death of China’s former premier...

November 1, 2023

Court orders millions in compensation for survivors of...

March 2, 2024

Why NASA is launching rockets into the solar...

April 4, 2024

Iraq bans media from using term ‘homosexuality,’ says...

August 12, 2023

‘Almost naked’ celebrity party at Moscow nightclub sparks...

December 29, 2023

Moscow blames Ukraine for strikes that killed at...

January 22, 2024

King Charles acknowledges Kenya’s colonial-era suffering but stops...

November 1, 2023

Wildfires that are turning neighborhoods to ash are...

February 7, 2024

    Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest insights, updates, and exclusive content straight to your inbox! Whether it's industry news, expert advice, or inspiring stories, we bring you valuable information that you won't find anywhere else. Stay connected with us!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Popular

    • 1

      Top 10 Countries for Natural Gas Production (Updated 2024)

      April 6, 2024
    • 2

      Understanding Lithium Mineralogy from an Investment Perspective

      September 12, 2023
    • 3

      US Capital Global Facilitates $50MM Financing to Accelerate Charbone Hydrogen’s North American Expansion

      June 6, 2025
    • 4

      Israel confirms it is arming Hamas rivals in operation opposition calls ‘complete madness’

      June 6, 2025
    • 5

      A GOP operative accused a monastery of voter fraud. Nuns fought back.

      January 3, 2025
    • 6

      Crypto Market Recap: Strategy Eyes US$1B Raise for Bitcoin Push, UK Regulator Reverses ETN Ban

      June 6, 2025
    • 7

      China’s aircraft carriers send message in the open Pacific for the first time – and bigger and more powerful ships are coming

      June 16, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (1,053)
    • Investing (2,079)
    • Politics (2,977)
    • Uncategorized (20)
    • World (3,387)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: thriftybanker.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 thriftybanker.com | All Rights Reserved