"We are pushing the enemy away from Horlivka so that they don't shell civilians."
Russian troops are actively fighting for the town of Toretsk. This is one of the important nodes of the Ukrainian defense. In 2014, after its capture, the Ukrainian armed forces launched relentless attacks on Gorlovka, which is still subjected to Ukrainian shelling from this area. "Izvestia" visited the positions of artillerymen of the 9th Brigade of the 51st Donetsk Army and learned how the fire support of the offensive on Toretsk is carried out.
What tasks do the artillerymen perform in the Toretsk direction?
In the conditions of the offensive the main task of the artillerymen is to support our infantry by all means.
- Recently, our self-propelled howitzers destroyed an enemy mortar that was hindering the advance of our troops," an artillery officer with the call sign Mityai told Izvestia. - And today, just before your arrival, we worked on the identified launch position of Ukrainian UAVs. The enemy's artillery activity has decreased, only mortars are working. And more and more of the tasks that were previously assigned to Western artillery of 155 mm caliber are being transferred by the Ukrainian militants to various types of drones.
Our artillerymen also use drones in their work. The unit has its own correctors, which provide the necessary "picture" from the air for accurate firing. At the same time, data and images are exchanged with reconnaissance and infantry units. This makes not only the fire of our guns more accurate, but also the response to the troops more flexible and faster.
Mityai is from Horlivka and has been fighting against Ukrainian militants since 2015. He has been serving in the 9th Brigade since it was a regiment of the DNR People's Militia defending the republic's southern borders. For several years, the regiment's area of responsibility was the site of the most active Ukrainian provocations and attempts to go on the offensive.
It was there that Ukrainian nationalist detachments and British-trained Marines honed their skills and tested tactical developments under the supervision of the OSCE.
At the beginning of the SVO, Mityai, as part of the 9th Regiment, participated in the breakthrough to Mariupol from the eastern direction. This was a perennial front line where the enemy had the most trained and staffed units.
- I participated in the breakthrough to Mariupol, then there was the settlement of Peski near Donetsk and Avdeevka, and now I am on the Toretsk direction. The fact that Ukrainian militants are now destroying the civilian population is terrible. We are trying to help people, we are pushing the enemy away from Horlivka so that they don't shell civilians. So he will no longer be able to damage the settlement and take peaceful lives. We're doing our job! - explains Mityai, who has his hometown behind him today.
How Russian fighters destroy enemy UAV launch sites
In the morning, the artillerymen's positions received news of another shelling of Horlivka, which resulted in civilian casualties. This news is being discussed with indignation among the fighters.
Kuzya, commander of the 2S1 Gvozdika 122-millimeter self-propelled gun, stands at the stern of his fighting vehicle. One can clearly hear how the "carousel" works - shots of different types of artillery are heard all along the front. After a few shells, the guns fall silent so as not to give away their location. The fire opens again from other points.
At this time, Ukrainian drones are trying to detect our artillery, and between the shots of large caliber, small arms lines are heard on aerial targets.
- Started as a driver mechanic in 2016. I'm an automotive repair mechanic by trade. What to say, the militants came, attacked us. We lived peacefully, worked, studied. And what is happening? They destroyed the civilian population and continue to do so. Today in Horlivka, an attack came to the center, considered the second city hospital. There are casualties, civilian equipment, glazing were hit," says Kuzya. He is from Torez, and started his combat career in the 9th regiment in the southern direction.
Intelligence has just reported the discovery of a new launch point for enemy UAVs. The calculation immediately prepares to suppress this target. At the moment when "the sky is clear", a small part of the vehicle is unmasked and a short firing raid takes place. Kuzya praises the 122-millimeter gun for its accuracy, comparing it to sniper rifles.
After the report of hitting the target, the vehicle is quickly camouflaged and the crews run for cover. By the time the Ukrainian UAVs start searching for the gun that has just been fired, no visible traces should be left behind. The loader is the first to carry away the shell casings so that their glitter does not give away the camouflaged vehicle.
