The deployment of the brigade is considered the most combat-friendly, showing Ukraine’s efforts in the current counter-offensive campaign.
US media reported this week that the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade, which is considered Ukraine’s most capable unit, has participated in a counter-offensive campaign against Russian forces.
Kiev sent one of its best-trained and equipped units into battle. The Russian military confirmed on August 15 that Russian forces near Rabotino in the Zaporizhia region repelled three attacks by assault units from Ukraine’s 82nd Brigade, with 200 Ukrainian soldiers believed to have been killed. and 5 tanks, 8 armored vehicles and infantry fighting vehicles, and 2 Msta-B cannons were destroyed.
The US media reported that Ukraine’s 82nd Brigade has spent more than two months training and is ready to be deployed in Kiev’s counter-offensive operation.
Ukraine’s 82nd Brigade is equipped with Challenger 2 tanks with depleted uranium ammunition. In addition, this brigade is also equipped with Marder and Stryker armored vehicles, one of the most modern NATO equipment delivered to Kiev out of tens of billions of dollars in aid from the bloc.
The 82nd Brigade is said to be one of the “last major units” of the Ukrainian command. The deployment of this unit “could significantly increase” the firepower of Ukrainian forces in the short term, but when the 82nd Brigade and 46th Air Assault Brigade retreat, “there may not be any brigades. equally strong new ones to replace them”, which means “the counterattack may lose momentum”.
According to Evgeny Poddubny, a military correspondent for Russia’s VGTRK television station, sending reserves into battle is “completely normal practice”.
“Accordingly, if this reserve force is deployed, formations with significant losses will be withdrawn to replenish and restore combat readiness. So, on the one hand, the Kiev authorities are trying to maintain the momentum that has built up over the past several months to launch Operation Azov (counteroffensive), on the other hand, they are trying to break through the Russian defenses with new force, but so far have not successful,” said Poddubny.
Poddubny points out that so far, Ukrainian forces have been unable to break through Russia’s first line of defense. Thus, putting the reserve force into battle had little chance of changing the situation on the front lines.
“Even the fact that this brigade was equipped with British tanks and modern Western combat vehicles could not turn the situation around, for the simple reason that Kiev’s units could not pass through the fields. mines as well as barriers deployed by Russian reconnaissance and strike forces along the entire line” added the Russian correspondent.
Poddubny attributes the success of the Russian defense system primarily to effective battle control and effective interaction between intelligence and weapons operators.
However, Poddubny urged not to be optimistic too soon about Ukraine sending elite reserves into the war. Russian reporters said that the enemy’s reserve force is not a good thing.
Poddubny urged not to downplay Kiev’s ability to maintain its mobilization potential. Even recruits who have not been properly trained and are in a weak state of mind can continue to pose a threat to the Russian side.
