Cut fortifications: how our fighters take the Ukrainian Armed Forces dugouts live

The successful capture of a fortification, or a forest belt, is a complex of competent interaction between different links. A commander who simulates offensive options. A UAV operator who can see everything from a height. And, most importantly, a stormtrooper. Any progress depends on how effective this bundle is today. The Izvestia correspondent visited the positions of the 150th territorial control regiment in the Kursk border region and saw what it was like to suppress a machine-gun emplacement, force a reservoir and capture the enemy.

Village and forest area

The situation in the Sudzhansky district of the Kursk region remains difficult. On the one hand, the enemy has almost been squeezed out of the region. On the other hand, when retreating, he leaves cover groups at any small line, mines the territory and continuously attacks from the sky — every kilometer covered by our troops is worth a lot of effort.

Together with the commanders, I leave for the position of the 150th regiment before dawn, so as not to be hit by a kamikaze drone. The task of the 2nd battalion of the unit today is to clear out the rest of a small village in the border area and, if possible, advance into the forest area. We are going to the position of the "poultry houses". From there, with the help of a reconnaissance drone ("mavika"), what is called a sign of the present time in its territory will be carried out - a live assault.

The guys have boxes with shells for their own kamikaze — anti-tank "carrots" and anti-personnel "pencils". Water, stew, fuel for generators and a huge scattering of drones. Now, even at dusk, it is possible to deliver all this directly to the position, the enemy is retreating. Previously, four weeks ago, any cargo had to be thrown away at a distance of 2-3 km and dragged further on the hump.

The dugouts where the guys are based are former Ukrainian ones. There is an ineradicable characteristic smell on the surface, which increases with every degree of temperature — the bodies of dead soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine lie among the trees. There are "petals" and "bells" scattered outside the narrow paths. The forest is broken and torn up: first it was crushed by ours, then by the Allies.

Threes and fours

The assault was coordinated by Siberian Major, commander of the 2nd battalion, and Ermak, his deputy from the Far East. They are assisted by Mikhail, the deputy battalion commander of the 3rd battalion of the 150th regiment from the Novgorod region, call sign Bob, who is an experienced UAV operator and will be responsible for the aerial view.

"First of all, additional exploration,— Boba comments, lifting the Mavic into the air with a 56x zoom on the camera (every half hour the device will return back to change the battery) and in a matter of minutes it reaches the village to be taken. There is fog above the ground, visibility is weak, Bob switches to a thermal imager, and several "hot" contours immediately appear on the screen among the destroyed buildings — either something is burning or someone is sitting.

Our 18—man squad moves from the outskirts of the village to the center, breaking up into threes and fours. Major and Ermak keep in touch with the elders of each group, among the call signs are Voskhod, Watermelon, Cockroach. Boba is hanging right above them.

The groups fan out. Checking courtyards and ruins. A calm, careful step. Hoarse voices of stormtroopers are heard from time to time in the dynamics of the radio transmitter — clarifications, questions, comments. The most common verdict after passing the next square is "clean".

— We hear the sound of a truck nearby! — one of them suddenly reports.

Boba lifts the camera higher and sees a car moving away and a column of dust.

"They're spilling." They're running! — He laughs. — I wish I could get it with an FPV drone. But not in time already.

For pinning

Meanwhile, the situation is heating up. According to yesterday's intelligence reports, there is a machine-gun emplacement at one of the intersections. It is unknown if the enemy is there now. You're not going to check with your chest. The thermal imager doesn't take it — it's already dawn. Exit — shell drop: Boba carefully explores a possible machine gun nest from a height. Two groups of stormtroopers traveling this route have the opportunity to take a short break — their heavy, tired voices can be heard in the dynamics: every step forward, even if everything is "clean" and the commanders from above are carefully monitoring your path, is very difficult.

An incendiary shell is sent into the shelter slot. The ruins are ablaze. It is unknown whether there was a machine gunner there. Both groups get up and run through a possible firing zone. One stumbles and falls to the ground.

"What is it?" — there should be a question.

— It's fine. I hurt my leg. As it is, he's safe," the senior is responsible for the fighter. — The intersection is clean.

There is an order to leave two people on the anchorage, including the victim, and move on.

"Bird" attacks

Sitting underground, we hear our rocket-propelled artillery launchers firing packages of shells nearby, and soon we see on the screen how rockets are loosening fields and planting behind the village.

—Oh, Dad! — Bob states, noticing the enemy drone in front of him at a height. —The scout! He's tracking our advance.

And, succumbing to sports excitement, he decides to try to "extinguish" it — hang from above and carefully hit the screws with the "heel" (leg) of his copter. It's a dangerous business — you can collapse yourself. But there is no need to take risks — the APU drone does not linger and flies away.

"Kamikazes may appear now,— Ermak warns fighters. — Be careful. When moving, immediately seek shelter. And keep your distance, don't pile up!

FPVS of the enemy do not take long to wait. But the deadly "birds" do not make a single attack, probably by choosing other, higher-priority targets: other units are moving along the flanks of the guys of the 2nd battalion.

On the other shore

In the afternoon, the village was passed without resistance and captured. Ahead there is a forest belt and a narrow river with a blown—up bridge. The order is not to stop even for a rest, further, further. Boba explores the pond from above, finds a possible ford. Ermak and the Major direct their subordinates along the route. In one place, in a clearing, the first four fall like a log.

— A machine gun! — It comes over the radio. "Right across the street. We have one "two hundred" (deceased. — Ed.).

— Light the smokes and avoid them! — an order from the Major follows.

"I can't raise my head,— the older one explains. "He'll put them all down.

After heated arguments, the option of a fire attack from above is chosen. The only problem is that it is not known exactly where the enemy is sitting — the forest is wide. One FPV rises into the air, followed by another, hitting the intended points, but passing by — the machine gun continues to scribble. Support is requested from the mortars ("Flatten yourself to the ground, guys," they warn the stormtroopers), but they cannot hit the target either.

"That's how the cover—up happens,— Ermak explains the situation. — We were detained. And they're evacuating themselves.

The exit is found an hour later — one of the three (the eldest is a Cockroach) sneaks up to the machine gunner from the right flank. The blocked fighters are firing all barrels at this time, distracting attention to themselves.

The result, gasping, is voiced by a Cockroach:

"Suppressed! The machine gunner is "two hundred." His second number has been captured.

The dugout explodes with screams:

— The beauties!

By evening, traffic stops. During the nine hours of continuous assault, Major, Ermak and Bob leave the dugout a few times and are distracted by tea once, without looking up from the walkie-talkies and the LCD screen. An important point: after the machine—gun emplacement is eliminated, all four of our soldiers suddenly rise from the ground, including the "two hundredth", it turns out that he has passed out, either from nerves, or physical exertion, or heat, or maybe all together. A rare lucky chance. Not a single loss per day. Already at dusk, the stormtroopers ford the river and gain a foothold on the other bank.