A Ukrainian commander has shed light on a disturbing new tactic Russia is using as it continues its attritional offensive in Donetsk Oblast.
The commander, who went by the codename Bobruk, had just returned from an intense 90-day posting in Novoekonomichne, just a handful of miles east from the besieged city of Pokrovsk. Speaking to Neil Hauer, a journalist who has written for the likes of the Guardian and CNN, he described the changing nature of warfare, which has altered almost beyond recognition since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Bobruk – a member of the 14th National Guard Brigade – explained that the massed armoured formations of the first years of the war have disappeared, to be replaced by drones and Russia’s favoured method of attack: small clusters of motorbikes.
But he also described more disturbing aspects of the front. He said that many of the few civilians left in the area actually support the Russians, offering them shelter and aid.
“Many, many cases of this,” Bobruk said. “Everyone still left in these places (near the front) are pro-Russian – many actively help them. We are constantly endangered by them.”
Worryingly, he also said Russians were dressing as civilians to try and catch Ukrainian soldiers out. He claimed that it was not uncommon to see small groups of Russians walking around in casual clothing.
He said this had even led to his men being ambushed by people they thought were civilians. Describing the situation at the front, he said that his men mostly fight in pairs to avoid attracting the attention of drones.
He said: “Even three soldiers together is already enough to almost guarantee a drone strike.”
Talking about the lack of armoured vehicles now seen at the front, he continued: “We saw enemy armour literally three times total in 90 days. It’s only men now – just meat.”
And on the subject of massed Russian motorbike attacks, he described one incident which saw 112 bikes, each with two soldiers on board: “Barely ten of these 224 Russians survived.”
However, he was at least optimistic about one thing. Bobruk believes there is no major Russian offensive due any time soon. He said: “They are already doing all that they can, throwing meat constantly. They don’t have the forces, and armoured vehicles don’t have the same effect as they did earlier in the war.”