Ukrainian defenders are observing a change in the nature of combat operations in the Pokrovsk direction. The enemy has temporarily abandoned massive mechanized assaults, instead intensifying the activity of infantry groups operating in small teams or even individually.
Yulia Stepaniuk, head of the communications department of the 117th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade, spoke about the new tactical methods of Russian troops on Army TV.
New Tactics: Small Groups Instead of Columns
"The picture has changed this week — there are significantly fewer mechanized assaults. Instead, infantry is working predominantly, and they are attacking in very small groups," the servicewoman explained.
According to her, the occupiers sometimes deploy infantrymen one or two at a time. For camouflage, they use so-called "kikimoras" — camouflage suits — and ponchos, trying to blend in with the terrain and hide from detection.
Calm Before the Storm
However, the brigade is not relaxing and does not perceive the reduction in attack intensity as a long-term trend. The military is preparing for the resumption of massive assaults involving armored vehicles.
"Probably, we should expect the resumption of mechanized offensives. The weather is now changeable, and our previous experience shows that they try to accumulate forces precisely during changes in weather conditions — when there is more fog, rain, and so on," Yulia Stepaniuk warned.
This tactic allows Russian forces to use deteriorated visibility for covert accumulation of forces and equipment before the next wave of assaults.
Aviation as the Main Threat
The greatest danger now comes not from ground activity but from enemy aviation. Russians routinely use heavy bombers that drop guided aerial bombs (KABs) "quite abundantly," according to the brigade representative.
"They shower KABs everywhere. And directly before assaults, when they try to deploy equipment, they also blanket the area with bombs," Stepaniuk described the situation.
Russians Strike Their Own
The intensity and chaotic nature of aviation use leads to tragicomic situations for the occupiers. The servicewoman spoke about cases when Russian aviation struck its own troops.
"There were cases when KABs hit their own — they launched their equipment into an offensive, and from above they showered bombs. That was interesting — they helped us themselves," noted the representative of the 117th Brigade.
These facts indicate problems with coordination between different branches of the military in the Russian army and the general disorganization of their actions.
The change in tactics in the Pokrovsk direction may be either a temporary pause for force accumulation or an attempt to find new approaches after failures of massive mechanized assaults. Ukrainian defenders remain on alert, understanding that the reduction in ground activity may only be preparation for a new wave of attacks.
At the same time, massive use of aviation remains the main threat that Ukrainian military personnel have to deal with daily.