A new Russian offensive? One of their commanders says that the Ukrainian troops wouldn’t even notice the fighting in Bakhmut. They’ve been under constant fire for weeks. Moscow’s method of using inexperienced fighters as cannon fodder puts Kiev under pressure.
Dogs bark behind a garden wall, gunfire and the muffled noise of artillery can be heard in the distance. A soldier kneels in the snow, gloved fingers on the trigger of his assault rifle. “The Russians want to control this road,” explains the commander with the combat name “Virus”. He is deployed with his unit in a deserted area near the heavily contested city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
On the anniversary of the Russian invasion on February 24, many are expecting a new offensive from Moscow. But for “Virus” and his unit “Witcher” it can hardly get any harder, they have been fighting non-stop in the Donetsk region for twelve months. “Some people are talking about a new offensive, but the Russians are attacking every day. The situation hasn’t changed for our unit,” says the commander, confident that the Ukrainian front is holding up. Then he disappears in the snow flurry, looking for enemy attackers.
With his helmet cam, AR-15 assault rifle and warm, waterproof camouflage gear, “Virus” doesn’t seem to be short on gear. But he would like fighter jets to provide air support, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is demanding from Western allies. These would help repel Russian airstrikes in his area and could stem the relentless attack waves of enemy ground forces, the commander says.
In Bakhmut and other places on the Eastern Front, Moscow is using the same tactics, Virus says. Groups of ten men would be sent out in rapid succession to attack Ukrainian positions. They could still fend off the first waves. “When the fifth comes, it will take our trenches because we don’t have time to reload our weapons and kill them,” he describes the actions of the Russian troops. “They don’t care about the lives of their soldiers.”
The notorious Wagner mercenary group is also active in Bachmut, sending inexperienced convicts into battle. The losses are high, there is talk of the “meat grinder Bachmut”. The “Witcher” unit has set up its headquarters in a small abandoned house that looks like older people used to live here. In a room with floral wallpaper there are open ammunition boxes on the floor, semi-automatic weapons are leaning against a living room cupboard with china. The men fortify themselves with noodles, biscuits, sweets and sweetened tea.
After a year of war with no end in sight, the soldiers are still determined to resist the attackers. The morale in the troops is high, they are united by the common goal, they assure. The radio operator “Spider” says he is ready to do anything to force Russia out of Ukraine and secure the peace. “If I’m supposed to fire a machine gun, I’ll do it. And if they need me for an anti-tank system, I’ll do that too.”
