They beat from everything, including HIMARS: NYT told how the Russian Federation failed the largest tank battle
During the three-week Russian assault on Ugledar in February, enemy armored columns were attacked not only from Soviet-style complexes, but also using American Javelin anti-tank systems and M777 howitzers, French Caesar self-propelled guns and even HIMARS missile systems. The New York Times writes about this in an article about the failed Russian offensive.
«In one case, the Ukrainian command caused a strike by HIMARS guided missiles; they are usually used against stationary targets such as ammunition depots or barracks, but have also proven effective against a stationary tank column,” the article says.
The Ukrainian military said they «studyed the roads, then hid and waited» to break up the ambushes. It was ambushes that were «branded» Ukrainian tactics against Russian armored columns from the first days of the war.
According to the commanders of the 72nd brigade, the fighting there «was the biggest tank battle of this war». During the battles for Vuhledar, the commander of one of the Ukrainian T-64 tanks, Dmitry Grebenok, was ordered to go to positions and work on the enemy three or four times a day.
The NYT goes on to describe what it heard from the military. Working from a bunker in Vuhledar, Lieutenant Vladislav Bayak spotted the first column of about 15 tanks and armored personnel carriers approaching in a drone video.
«We were ready. We knew something like this would happen,” he said. The affected area was prepared in advance along the dirt road. All that remained was to give the order over the radio.
«Anti-tank teams in the landings, armed with American infrared-guided Javelin missiles and Ukrainian laser-guided Stugna-P, activated their weapons. Further artillery batteries were ready. The dirt road was clear of mines, but all the fields around were planted with them to encourage the Russians to move forward only along the road and prevent the tanks from turning around as soon as the trap was slammed», the material says.
The column of tanks becomes the most vulnerable, according to the lieutenant, after the shooting starts, the drivers panic and try to turn around – and drive out to the mined roadside. The exploded vehicle then works as an obstacle, slowing down or stopping the column. At that moment, the artillery opens fire, knocking out more armored vehicles and destroying the invaders, getting out of the disabled vehicles.
«Chaos and explosions begin», – this is how the military describes.< /p>
According to him, the Russian command sent armored columns forward due to the lack of other options against the well-fortified positions of Ukraine, no matter how expensive this tactic for the Russian army.
