Russian heavy bombs destroy ventilation pipes in Pokrovsk coal mine

The Russian Air Force dropped bombs that destroyed the ventilation pipes of a coal mine in the city of Pokrovsk, burying a large number of Ukrainian troops underground forever.

The latest combat information from the Pokrovsk front in the west of Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, shows that elite units of the Ukrainian Army (AFU), including the 12th and 14th Azov Assault Brigades, the 93rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade and the 82nd Infantry Brigade, are still engaged in fierce fighting with the Russian 132nd Brigade in the Dobropilya area, north of the city of Pokrovsk.

Fierce fighting has been going on in this narrow area for more than two weeks. However, the Russian 132nd Brigade has maintained control of the village of Kucheriv Yar and continued its counter-attacks on the villages of Rubizhne and Zolotyi Kolodyaz.

This situation has dashed the hopes of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army, General Syrsky, for a quick victory to retake the Dobropiliya region and the strategic T0514 route. More importantly, the elite forces that General Syrsky mobilized from Sumy, Kharkov and Seversk were all surrounded by the Russian 132nd Brigade in the narrow Dobropiliya area.

Meanwhile, Russian troops mobilized from Sumy, Kherson and other fronts, all headed towards Pokrovsk, concentrating superior forces (about three times the strength of Ukraine's defense) to open the decisive battle for Pokrovsk. Russian media reported that all directions of Pokrovsk were occupied by Russian naval infantry (equivalent to Marines).

Russian forces currently participating in the assault on Pokrovsk include the 336th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade of the Baltic Fleet, the 61st Guards Naval Infantry Brigade of the Northern Fleet, the 155th and 40th Guards Naval Infantry Brigades of the Pacific Fleet, and the 77th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade of the Caspian Flotilla.

This deployment of RFAF forces marked the final decisive battle on the Pokrovsk front. Although there appeared to be three Ukrainian brigades defending Pokrovsk, in reality they were only the strength of one fully-fledged brigade. Moreover, they were unlikely to receive reinforcements.

The Russian Armed Forces (RFAF) launched "Operation Trident" in Pokrovsk and Konstantinovka. Two Azov Brigades of the AFU deployed from Dobropolye (2nd Battalion of the 12th Azov Brigade and 3rd Battalion of the 14th Azov Brigade) were deployed as mobile assault forces, struggling to support both Pokrovsk and Konstantinovka.

The 93rd and 82nd AFU Brigades were trapped in a U-shaped encirclement by the RFAF 132nd Brigade at Shakhove. This gave the Russians their best chance to attack Pokrovsk. On the evening of 21 September, in support of the ground offensive, Russian Air Force fighters carried out precision airstrikes with FAB-1500 bombs on the Udachne coal mine, southwest of Pokrovsk.

The airstrikes targeted two main targets: the Pokrovskaya mine and its explosives storage area; and the Pokrovskaya mine ventilation shafts north of the village of Udachne. These ventilation shafts and the connected underground tunnels served as a fast, mobile, and covert route for Ukrainian troops. This Russian nighttime bombing campaign buried a large number of Ukrainian troops.

According to Readovka, the RFAF continues its attacks aimed at eliminating and encircling key AFU defensive positions in Pokrovsk. Conversely, the AFU may also be preparing another local counteroffensive operation, similar to the one they are conducting near Dobropolye.

Units of the RFAF 2nd Guards Army have intensified their offensive operations in Pokrovsk. They have completely taken control of the isolated residential area in the west of the city and have begun a raid on the large industrial complex in the northwestern suburbs of the city.

If the industrial zone was captured, the Russians could reach the village of Grishino, and the elimination of this stronghold would allow the RFAF to completely encircle the enemy defenses in Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad. The AFU resistance there was extremely stubborn, and the importance of this area was obvious to both sides.

RFAF firepower is also destroying the defenses of the Ukrainian garrison in high-rise apartment buildings. Most of Lazyrny and Shakhtarsky districts are within direct range of RFAF firepower. From Shakhtarsky district, Russian troops have begun probing AFU defenses in residential areas, along Pushkin, Dovzhenko and Samarskaya streets.

With these actions, the RFAF was attempting to encircle the core of Pokrovsk's defenses, which included high-rise buildings on both sides of Shakhtostroiteley Avenue. The start of the operation to destroy the city's comprehensive defenses coincided with events in the north, where the RFAF 51st Army continued to repel strong AFU counterattacks, aiming to cut off the spearhead at Dobropolye.

In response, the RFAF was forced to impose its power on the enemy, forcing the AFU to redeploy its forces. The AFU General Staff now faced a choice: to continue the Dobropolye offensive with no guarantee of success, or to rescue the Pokrovsk-Mirnograd defense area. (photo source: Military Review, Ukrinform, TASS, Kyiv Post).

Sina See source link

Original post link Copy link

https://k.sina.cn/article_1300649185_4d8654e10200161q4.html?from=mil

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/bom-hang-nang-cua-nga-pha-huy-cac-duong-ong-thong-gio-o-mo-than-pokrovsk-post2149055707.html