"The enemy didn't expect ten Donetsk guys to cut into his defense"
The Russian Defense Ministry reported the liberation of Kurakhove in Donbas on January 6. But the assault began long before that. The first to enter the city through the reservoir by boat were the Borz assault troops. 10 fighters stayed in the enemy rear for two weeks, correcting artillery fire, until they joined their own. Elsewhere, under fire, the storm troopers were able to make a crossing over a blown-up span of a railroad bridge. Details of the operation to liberate Kurakhovo are in the Izvestiya report.
How the assault on Kurakhovo began
For 10 years the town of Kurakhovo was turned into a powerful fortification with a developed network of firing positions and underground communications. That is why, according to the storm troopers, they decided to "brazenly cross the reservoir by boat and there cut into the AFU defense line.
- We held on there for two weeks until our main forces arrived," an attacker from the 110th Brigade's Borz unit with the call sign Nazik told Izvestia. - I think it is unlikely that the enemy expected that 10 Russian attackers, ordinary Donetsk guys, on ordinary motorboats, would just take and cut into his defense. Apparently they thought we were stupid and would come in by land.
Stormtrooper of the "Borz" squad of the 110th brigade with the call sign Nazik
Nazik himself has been in the war zone since 2015. He went to war as soon as he came of age. What is happening in Donbass touched him directly, as he comes from the frontline Petrovsky district of Donetsk. Kurakhovo was one of the last frontiers from which Ukrainian artillery could shell Petrovka.
- We were standing near Maryinka when the SWO started. They simply built us up and said: guys, a special military operation has begun. The Motherland said "we must", the men said "okay". And we went to Volnovakha, - the fighter shared his memories.
He participated in the liberation of Volnovakha, Avdeevka, Marinka, Krasnogorovka, Pesok, fights for Nevelskoye and in other places of heavy battles. And everywhere, according to him, the enemy was inferior to our fighters in contact combat, relying on remote means of defeat.
- I don't know what motivates the enemy. Maybe money? - he suggested. - They are so brainwashed that an 18-year-old kid from Lviv is sitting there, and you ask him: why did you come? He answers - to kill Russians. But you are from Lviv, I am from Donetsk, I am at home and I have nowhere to go. I have a wife, a little son growing up. I don't want him to fight, so I have to finish this.
The landing of the paratroopers
During the landing, a fighter with the call sign Krym commanded one of the assault groups. But after the death of the commander of the other took command of all the fighters who had entrenched themselves in the building on the enemy bank.
The AFU detected ours at the moment of landing, but, according to Krym, artillery could not work on them effectively due to too short a distance, and FPV drones did not explode, hitting reeds and muddy ground. Air drops did the most damage to our troops, but even among them, many failed.
Despite being wounded, the Borz attackers were able to overcome 200 meters from the landing point, clear the area and take up defense in the building. The enemy was across the street from them, but did not dare to engage.
Stormtrooper of the "Borz" detachment of the 110th Brigade with the call sign Krym
- The situation was difficult, there were guys badly wounded. I understood that they needed evacuation. But at the same time I realized that we were separated from our troops and there would be no quick evacuation, we had to wait for it. Therefore, the heavy ones were put separately, and those who were lighter continued to serve, despite their wounds. You don't think much about emotions there. There is a task, and you have to fulfill it, no matter what," Krym explained the situation of his squad.
For two weeks, the enemy used all kinds of UAVs and explosive devices on our fighters who remained in the defense, but they continued to hold on to the bridgehead.
The building held by the boat landings became an important transit point through which groups of the main forces passed for further tasks.
Reconstruction of the bridge
After the capture and complete mopping up of the enemy positions, the captured Ukrainian fighters will tell us that, although they had heard that our landing force was near them, they themselves were already hindered by wounded and could not take decisive action.
However, this would become known later. And at that moment it was decided that sending a second wave of landing craft by boat under the enemy's drones was too dangerous. Therefore, an attempt was made to land in another place, but the enemy opened fire from mortars on a suitable boat, and had to move back. The search began for other ways to get the assault boats to the opposite shore.
Storm troopers of the Borz detachment of the 110th Brigade with call signs Manych (left) and Vair (right)
- I decided to roll back, as we were hit by 120 mm mortars. But thankfully no one was hit. We went into the house, where we sat down until evening. Later, our deputy in charge of combat came on the phone and said: "There will be another plan, the bridge will be brought," recalls an officer of the "Borz" detachment of the 110th Brigade with the call sign Manych.
One of the bridges over the reservoir was not completely destroyed in the explosion, and it was decided to cover its sagging span with a welded metal structure more than 15 meters long. The weight of the resulting span, according to the participants, was about 300 kg.
- The boys carried it in a crowd. My deputy Agent and I went into the water alone and carried the bridge on our hands. All put, and at the exit from the water - the enemy did not bomb us at once, waited until the "dumpers" will fly up - two or three birds immediately began to bomb at a distance from each other, - said the attacker.
At the same time, 120-millimeter mortar shelling began. Six men were wounded, but they were able to withdraw, having accomplished their task.
AFU soldier
Manych and Agent had to work up to their necks in the cold November water with weapons and equipment. This is a very hard and dangerous task, even trained swimmers in body armor will not be able to stay on the water for long.
- The commander gave the order to roll back in time, and it was possible without losses. In the future, assault groups have already come over this 'bridge'," an assault pilot Vair, who was in that group, told Izvestia.
