Ukraine moves token with its tanks in Bakhmut

We have seen the Zelensky’s Army tune up civilian drones and turn them into effective weapons of war. They have also been able to develop apps so that each soldier has on his mobile a movement map in real time. And now they are showing that they can adapt weapons designed for a move war and use them in a position war. Besides, successfully.

It is what is happening right now in the fBakhmut’s fighting forcewhere Ukrainian troops are using their T-64 and their T-72 – battle tanks soviet designironies of life – as if they were pieces of mobile artillery.

These armored vehicles, designed to break through in an offensive (advancing alongside stormtroopers), have no clear utility in a war with static fronts. A war like the one that has been installed in Ukraine since January of this year. But far from wasting them, and while the expected counteroffensive arrives, Zelensky is using them to contain the russian cannon shots.

When a column of Kremlin attempts to break through the Ukrainian lines – which happens all the time around the disputed town of Bakhmut – these heavy vehicles rush to those points and halt the advance with relentless force. shell rain.

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Dolly Parton

I check on site in the positions that 17th Tank Brigade are deployed on the front lines. They are not fixed positions, the Ukrainians move these pieces daily to prevent the Russians from locating them and launching an attack. The range of its cannons is up to 10 kilometres and that gives them a lot of leeway. However, they don’t usually rush that much.

Less than six kilometers from the Russian lines, Gleb, Vitaly and Oleg operate a robust T-72, a model that the Americans baptized as “Dolly Parton” for the two bumps that it has in the turret –things from the war–. Although the design is Soviet, this tank model was manufactured in five countries in the 1970s, and is the basis for the current third-generation T-90.

To this day, in USA there is no trace of this model of armored vehicle, but in the countries of Eastern Europe continues to be one of the most widely used -among other things because its manufacturing price is just over one million euroscompared to more than eight million that can cost more modern cars like the Abrams or the leopard–.

Gleb is the commander of the piece, despite the fact that he is the youngest. he has only 21 years, but he has served in the Army for almost three years. Vitaly –the mechanic– and Oleg –the gunner– are twice his age, but they they had no prior military experience to the Russian invasion. One was a driver and the other a crane operator in the civilian world.

“As of today, all the soldiers who mobilized last year have already received sufficient training to function in their unit. The fact that they were not professional soldiers before is no longer a problem,” he adds. Mikitathe deputy chief of staff of the 17th Brigade.

a radio call

Are to a radio call from the front line of combat. As soon as they are notified, they run to the piece, start it up and quickly cover the distance to the point indicated. with his track systemthey can negotiate the mud that has turned this part of Donbas into a swamp, an important advantage at the moment.

The situation is repeated in another position, located at the confluence between the combat front of Bakhmut and that of Soledar. A tremendously active area where Russian troops are constantly trying to advance. There are posted the T-64.

The pieces are protected from the view of Russian drones by a camouflage net, although Mikita assures that a kamikace drone it has no capacity to knock out one of these tanks. “The armor is very strong”he insists, while showing me photos on his mobile of one of these unmanned vehicles crashed into the front of a tank, with no apparent damage to the tank.

Again the crew of the cars – three people for each piece: commander, gunner and mechanic– is listening to the radio to answer any call. They can go out several times a day, to different points. “Normally they go to infantry positions, but they can be called to reinforce any unit,” explains the deputy chief.

In a war of positions, with static fronts, the most valuable thing is artillery. It is these weapons that contain the advance of the enemy – it does not matter which side it is from. Therefore, the fact that the Ukrainians are taking advantage of the cannons of their main battle tanks as mobile artillery is a smart strategy.

Determined, as they are, to stop the Kremlin’s advance on the siege of Bakhmut, they position everything they have on this front – troops and weapons -, rotating staff every month or so. And in this scenario, the mobility of the cars is an added point.

The Spanish Leopards are already on their way

When I start the counteroffensive –something that can be delayed due to the mud that covers everything–, these tanks will change positions. Instead of going to reinforce static points, they will lead offensive operations by opening the way for stormtroopers.

Along with these Soviet models, the Leopard and Abrams tanks that Zelensky has ordered over and over again from his Western allies will break ground. These pieces, more modern and with more attack capacity, are arriving in Ukraine little by little: a total of 230 cars –including the six Spanish Leopard that were sent a few days ago– and 1,500 armored vehicles.

In addition to sending the vehicles, kyiv-supporting countries are training the personnel who will crew them. A total of 20,000 military They have received training outside your country during the last months. Only USA has trained 11,000but Canada, UK, Germany and even Spain they are also training the Ukrainians.