The 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Assault Brigade conducts a mechanized assault with supporting armor. They are facing the 72nd Motor Rifle Brigade and Storm Z units situated along the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas Canal. Ukrainian mechanized infantry employ American-supplied M-113 armored personnel carriers, the Dodge Caravan of armored vehicles, and a few clips offer an the view through a vehicle periscope. There are some disjointed edits of tanks on the move, tanks firing, and infantry dismounting from their APCs at the tree line. One section of note shows Ukrainian infantry clearing a lane through a field of Russian TM-62 mines, removing them by hand. The video finished with shots of burned-out Russian vehicles, Russian infantry fleeing, and the aftermath of the battle.

This action occurred on the southern flank of Bakhmut. The 72nd Motor Rifle Brigade, currently defending near Andriivka was formed from volunteers in August 2022 and suffered heavily in the Kherson counter-offensive. One battalion from the brigade was engaged in Vuhledar in February 2023, and the entire brigade committed to the defense of Bakhmut in May. Given that the brigade and its subordinate units have been engaged, mauled, and perhaps partially reconstituted, it is likely not fighting at full strength. This is an issue faced by many Russian units, some of which have been reconstituted several times over and remain on the line without relief.

About the Author

Cam

Cam served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps, deploying to the Horn of Africa and participating in combat operations in Iraq. He currently works in the maritime industry and in the defense sector as an instructor of combined arms planning and operations. An avid sailor, Cam founded and directs a nonprofit that supports veterans and first responders through sailing.