WATCH: Intense Fighting Continues In Bakhmut – Intense video footage released by the Ukrainian military shows tanks from Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade conducting assaults in the Bakhmut region against Russian forces.
Tanks from the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade working on Russian positions in the Bakhmut area pic.twitter.com/sqnw1BPRl3
— Ukraine War (@Ukraine_WarNews) April 22, 2023
The video, recorded from the perspective of drones and tank operators, shows Ukrainian tanks traversing rural fields in the Bakhmut region and exchanging fire with Russian forces in the distance.
As is the case for both the Russian and Ukrainian sides, the video was released by the Ukrainian military to show Ukrainian resistance and strength on the battlefield.
Other videos reveal that Russian Wagner forces are just as capable as Ukrainian troops in the region – and may even be better equipped.
In a video shared on Telegram, Wagner forces can be seen firing the 9K115-2 Metis-m1 anti-tank guided missile system (ATGM) at Ukrainian positions. The video shows Russian fighters effortlessly launching the missiles from the ground and striking Ukrainian positions in the distance. The launchers can be operated by a single troop, but in the video, an additional troop steps in to reload the launcher and continue the assault.
In another clip shared by the official Facebook page of the 45th Separate Artillery Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a Russian T-80BV tank is destroyed by Ukrainian artillery fire. The clip, recorded from the air, shows the moment of the strike, with large explosions leaving the tank completely destroyed. The tank appeared to have been abandoned by its crew before Ukrainian forces disabled it completely.
Is Russia On the Verge of Taking Bakhmut?
While Ukrainian forces have yet to retreat fully in Bakhmut, the Institute for the Study of War noted over the weekend that Russian forces are doing all they can to take control of the city ahead of a planned Ukrainian counteroffensive.
“The current Russian pattern of commitment around Bakhmut suggests that the Russian military leadership is increasingly prioritizing the completion of the capture of the city before the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive if possible,” the think tank reported on Sunday, adding that the Wagner Group “continues to take heavy losses.”
Reports suggest that Kyiv is preparing a counteroffensive in the city, adding to its arsenals and training fighters as quickly as it can. Ukraine is said to have used a Black Hawk helicopter in the region recently and is working to secure more for a renewed effort to take control of the city and reverse recent Russian gains.
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
