Russian forces on the Kramatorsk front have transformed their tactical approach following a unit rotation several months ago, a Ukrainian military officer told Army TV. Russia’s 70th Motor Rifle Division replaced the battered 98th Airborne Division, and the enemy began experimenting with tactics after the rotation. Instead of following fixed patterns, Russian troops now constantly adapt their methods, using everything from armored vehicles to horses.
New unit abandons the old playbook
The enemy now operates very differently compared to last summer, said Oleh Petrasiuk, press officer of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo. Russian forces constantly experiment with both assault tactics and logistics. They employ a wide spectrum of heavy and light transport and do not shy away from using horses.
"It's funny on one hand, but on the other hand it's a plus for the enemy," Petrasiuk said. "Because they try to somehow adapt to modern conditions. They use everything at hand. There's no clearly defined algorithm they follow. They make mistakes, learn, make mistakes again, learn again, act again."
Contrast with previous Russian unit
The experimental approach began immediately after a Russian rotation several months ago. The 70th Motor Rifle Division now faces the Ukrainian "royal infantry" after replacing the mauled 98th Airborne Division. The two units fight in starkly different ways.
"The difference in their actions is very large," Petrasiuk noted. "The 98th Division very actively conducted assault operations with large amounts of armored vehicles. Moreover, often it was very expensive and new armor — these were airborne infantry vehicles. They lost them, came again, lost them again. Apparently, it didn't matter critically to them."
