Tankers, gunners, motorized rifle companies and representatives of other branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Armed Forces of the Russian Federation) are liberating Ukrainian settlements from resisting nationalists and radicals, the Defense Ministry said on May 3.
Tankers, gunners, motorized rifle companies and representatives of other branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Armed Forces of the Russian Federation) are liberating Ukrainian settlements from resisting nationalists and radicals, the Defense Ministry said on May 3.
As part of the battalion tactical group, Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Afanasenko worked to oust Ukrainian radicals from their positions, supporting the advancing Russian military with artillery cover.
Ivan hit targets and ensured the withdrawal of Russian artillery units from the return fire of Ukrainian militants, whose number exceeded the group of the Russian Armed Forces.
Afanasenko managed to destroy the enemy's control point, a warehouse with weapons and ammunition, two infantry fighting vehicles, two vehicles with heavy machine guns mounted on them and up to 20 nationalists. The professional actions of Lieutenant Colonel Afanasenko helped the Russian troops to develop an offensive in a given strategic direction.
A tank platoon under the command of Senior Lieutenant Azat Khamitov, as part of a battalion-tactical group of a motorized rifle brigade, fought with the enemy in the area of one of the settlements. Under the incessant fire of the nationalists, the platoon, skillfully performing anti-fire maneuvers, destroyed two tanks, six infantry fighting vehicles and more than 70 enemy manpower. Under the leadership of Senior Lieutenant Khamitov, Russian motorized infantry defeated the nationalists near the liberated settlement.
Sergeant Stepan Kolesnichenko acted as part of a motorized rifle company, whose task was to liberate the settlement from armed Ukrainian nationalists. During the offensive, Kolesnichenko discovered the enemy's firing positions and opened fire on them from a tactically verified point.
When the battle began and the enemy launched a mortar attack on the Russian military, Kolesnichenko, competently changing positions, destroyed the nationalists, despite the shrapnel wound and concussion. The sergeant continued the fight and together with his colleagues completed the task of liberating the settlement from the control of the nationalists.
The day before, on May 2, the Ministry of Defense told how the Russian military is clearing the territories left after the nationalists, destroying abandoned equipment and weapons, breaking through blockades to deliver food to local residents surrounded by militants.
Earlier in the day, the agency published footage of a Ka-52 helicopter strike on a Ukrainian command post and enemy armored vehicles. It is specified that the blow was struck from a distance of more than 5 km. Aviation weapons of destruction were used in pairs.
On February 24, Russia launched a special operation to protect Donbass. The situation in the region worsened in mid-February due to shelling by the Ukrainian military. The authorities of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics announced the evacuation of residents to the Russian Federation, and also appealed to Moscow for help. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing the independence of the DPR and LPR and promised to support the republics.
The Ukrainian authorities have been conducting a military operation against the residents of Donbass, who refused to recognize the results of the coup in Ukraine, since 2014.
