3rd Company, 1st Mechanized Battalion, 3rd Assault Brigade clears Russian trenches near Bakhmut with extreme prejudice and lots of ammo. The video opens with Ukrainian soldiers firing intermittently from cover, and the magazines littering the ground and the smoke rising from the camera operator’s rifle are indicative if the volume of fire in the engagement. The camera operator pauses to toss a grenade to a comrade, who tosses it into a hole adjacent his position and then scoots for cover before it detonates. The Ukrainians advance through trenches littered with discarded rifles, boots, ammunition cans, and refuse, peeking around corners to dump a few rounds and then send a frag after them. At one point progress through the trench system takes the camera past some of the former occupants, now deceased. The assault is systematic and relentless, and the liberal application of small arms fire and grenades reminds be of words of wisdom offered by a former commanding officer, who always reminded us to never send a Marine where you can send a bullet. 3rd Assault Brigade seems to have figured that out.

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.