Ukrainian regular army and National Guard units on Saturday, March 12, claimed twin defensive victories near the besieged cities Kharkiv and Mariupol. At both locations, according to the claims, Russian Federation (RF) forces were turned back with losses.
Oleh Sinehubov, administrative head of defenses in and around Kharkiv city, in a public statement credited Ukrainian special forces troopers operating behind RF lines for heavy damage inflicted on a column of RF armored vehicles in the vicinity of the town Chuguev.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) infantry destroyed tanks, armored personnel carriers and fuel trucks, and killed and wounded RF soldiers. Some RF vehicle crew escaped to nearby woods, and National Guard units were hunting them down, he said
Sinehubov’s statement did not specify weaponry used by the UAF special forces in the battle. In the past UAF infantry operating behind RF lines has commonly used hand-held anti-tank missiles, or air strikes called in by radio, to attack RF armored columns.
RF armored columns attempted to cut off the major city Kharkiv on the fourth day of the war. See-saw battles have raged in the vicinity since then, as the UAF and RF forces have fought to control supply routes into the city.
In the southern Mariupol sector, information feeds from the Azov National Guard Regiment claimed its combatants used artillery and anti-tank weapons to “annihilate” a battalion from the RF’s 102nd Infantry Regiment. An RF battalion at full strength typically contains around 500 men and 120-150 armored vehicles, including tanks.
Azov posted images of burnt and captured RF combat vehicles into its information feeds. It was not possible to confirm the Azov claims independently.
RF armored columns cut off Mariupol on the fifth day of the war, and since then, according to UAF and independent media accounts, have bombarded the city’s homes and businesses with artillery and air bombs, while blocking civilian escape. Ukraine government officials have estimated at least 200,000 people are trapped in the city without access to water, heat, and electricity.
The Azov Regiment along with the UAF’s 36th Marine Brigade and 76th Mechanized Infantry Brigade are defending the city. Their commanders have said their defenses are strong and they will stop any RF attempt to break into the city.
