06 January 2025. Today, there are a lot of updates from the direction of Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast.
Here, after the previous failed Russian assault, Ukrainians prepared for a swift and decisive counterattack to exploit the disarray among the retreating Russian forces. With Russian survivors left scattered and unsupported, the stage was set for the Ukrainian Azov brigade to dismantle their positions and prevent any chance of renewed offensives.
Ukrainian counterattack near Toretsk
The main Ukrainian goal was to conduct a follow-up counterattack to eliminate the remaining Russian forces scattered throughout the settlements, as remnants after their latest failed assault. Despite being in an unorganized state, these Russian survivors posed a continued threat to the Ukrainians, as at any time, they could reorganize themselves for a renewed attack on the southern flank of Toretsk. To prevent the Russian forces from launching such a follow-up operation, Ukrainian commanders decided to launch direct assaults, to clear the enemy out while they were still unprepared.
To achieve their goal, Ukrainians conducted a series of clearing operations with infantry, because even though tank raids can deal significant damage, they may leave some survivors hiding in the basements, who can communicate with each other and accumulate. Ukrainians achieved this by deploying soldiers to conduct close-quarters combat to discover and eliminate Russian positions in narrow residential areas and basements.
Ukrainian infantry clearing operations in residential areas
The residential area Russians took up positions in, allowed the Russian forces around three hundred houses, allowing them to disperse their stormtroopers widely. The concealment provided by the houses and their basements hampers Ukrainian drone reconnaissance, making it difficult to detect and track the troops once scattered. The primary danger lies in the Russians using these basements as concealed positions to ambush Ukrainian infantry from unexpected locations during clearing operations.
However, Russian forces were largely left in a disorganized state, due to the heavy losses suffered during their latest attack on the southern flank. With Ukrainians deploying skilled sniper teams to deny the Russians free movement in between the houses, Russian soldiers knew that venturing into the open would almost certainly result in death. The suppression and disarray of the Russian forces allowed the Ukrainians to establish effective fire control over the area, with Ukrainian snipers and drone operators systematically eliminating any Russian soldiers who exposed themselves out in the open, picking them off one by one.
This enabled the Ukrainian 12th special purpose brigade Azov to launch well-coordinated counterattacks toward Nelipivka, deploying infantry squads to target isolated Russian units entrenched in houses and basements. Combat footage highlights the elite brigade’s soldiers’ methodical approach, advancing cautiously to neutralize Russian positions. They effectively suppressed and disoriented the Russian defenders by throwing hand grenades into the basements and buildings they were hiding in, creating opportunities to breach their strongholds. Capitalizing on the ensuing chaos, the Ukrainian troops swiftly raided the basements, successfully eliminating resistance and capturing the remaining Russian fighters.
Russian logistical struggles and improvised supply transport
Furthermore, the Russian forces in this sector lacked adequate transport vehicles, further compounding the plight of their isolated units, as they could not receive essential ammunition and supplies. Ukrainian fire control, reinforced by precision drone strikes, not only disrupted resupply efforts but also prevented any attempts to reinforce the village with additional resources. This exacerbated the already dire logistical challenges faced by the Russians, leaving their units increasingly vulnerable and under-equipped.
Combat footage released by Russian fighters in the area shows the state of Russian logistics is extremely dire, to the point where the Russian soldiers are forced to improvise by attaching bathtubs to their motorcycles to carry supplies in.
Furthermore, another geolocated video shows how Russians were using golf carts and even electric scooters to transport their soldiers and supplies to the village, which were, of course, instantly destroyed by Ukrainian kamikaze drones.
Strategic impact of Ukrainian counterattack on Russian operations
Overall, the failure of the previous Russian attacks and a lack of logistics vehicles and reinforcements established perfect conditions for a successful Ukrainian counterattack that cleared the Russian presence from the settlements.
The Russian use of improvised civilian vehicles is a stark sign of the rising issues, as armored vehicles are becoming fewer and more scarce among Russian forces due to high losses in suicidal assaults in the past. This development gradually renders them incapable of conducting large offensive maneuvers and exposes further weaknesses for Ukrainians to exploit.
In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Related:
- Russian forces capture three villages in eastern Ukraine, DeepState reports
- Historic first: Ukrainian sea drone launches FPV strike on Russian Pantsir-S1 system
- Russians shift to civilian fuel trucks for military logistics amid Ukrainian strikes
- Russian troops advance in Toretsk and near five other Donetsk settlements, DeepState says
- ISW: Russia uses less armor on frontlines as Ukraine reports destruction of some 13,000 armored units over year
- Most intense fighting continues in Pokrovsk and Toretsk areas – National Guard
- Frontline report: Ukrainian deep strikes inside Russia cripple logistics and military command
