Russians fail to oust defenders from under Antonivka Bridge
Russian troops have been unable to oust the Ukrainians, numbering up to 70 people, from their fortified positions under the eastern span of the Antonivka Bridge.
Source: ISW
Quote: "The milbloggers complained that the Russian military command blindly ordered Russian forces to retake the area under a span of the Antonivka Bridge on the east bank, resulting in significant losses among Russian personnel and armoured vehicles due to Ukrainian artillery fire and remotely laid mines."
Details: The Russians hit the eastern span of the Antonivka Bridge with Iskander ballistic missiles on 30 June, although the extent of the damage is still unknown.
Some milbloggers claimed that the strike had damaged enough of the bridge's span to prevent Ukrainian troops from using it as cover, while others complained that the impact had damaged the bridge only partially and that Russian infantry had renewed their attempts to clear Ukrainian positions at other locations in the area.
The spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yuri Ihnat, said that Russian troops are preserving Iskander missiles because of a shortage, emphasising the strangeness of the fact that Russian troops used one of them against a light infantry unit of 70 people on the outskirts of the already destroyed bridge.
In addition, some of the milbloggers claimed that Russian forces used TOS-1A thermobaric artillery systems – a scarce asset at military district level – to strike the Ukrainian positions under the bridge after the Iskander strike
One blogger complained that the Russian 8th Artillery Regiment (22nd Army Corps of the Black Sea Fleet) did not have enough ammunition to strike Ukrainian positions.
On 30 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded the honorary title of "guards" to the 8th Artillery Regiment, although this will not help the regiment displace the Ukrainian forces.
Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
