“The battles took place in ruins” Ukraine Loses 2 Villages As Russian Soldiers Continue The Invasion

In a recent development, Ukrainian Soldiers have lost hold of 2 crucial villages in the Southeastern region. Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine continues more than 2 years after they initiated the attack. 

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a significant escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The war began in 2014. This invasion is the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. It has resulted in hundreds of thousands of military casualties and tens of thousands of civilian casualties in Ukraine.

Russia takes control of Urozhaine and Staromaiorske

Ukrainian soldiers in southeastern Ukraine successfully repelled Russian assaults for months. This happened despite artillery shell shortages in the region. The 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade defended their gains from the previous year’s counteroffensive, endured casualties, and thwarted repeated Russian attacks, including one by an elite marine brigade. 

However, by late March, Russian forces shifted their focus to the villages of Urozhaine and Staromaiorske. After a three-month siege, they captured Staromaiorske in June and Urozhaine on July 14. Ukrainian soldiers and Russian social media posts confirmed the fierce defense and subsequent loss.

Words of the Ukrainian soldiers in the area

We now have accounts of the Ukraine soldiers who were a part of the infantry responsive to defend the 2 villages. With ruins all around and no Ukrainians to protect, these soldiers admit to have given up, as they saw it fruitless to engage in a fight that was thawing away at their artillery.

“The battles took place in ruins, from basements,” said Karay, 43, an army major who was inside Urozhaine and saw some of the earlier fighting. “There were a few trenches, but there were no defensive structures, and it was impossible to build them.” He asked that he only be identified by his call sign, Karay, according to military protocol.

“For a month and a half, it was like a fight between two packs of dogs, So much was flying around, the wounded could only be evacuated at night,” he said. “So there came a moment when it made no sense to keep people there.” He added. 

Ukrainian soldiers got trapped and underwent shelling after losing

Within a few hours after the Ukrainian soldiers admitted defeat in the 2 villages, their troops had to run away for their lives. Initially, the unit were ordered to withdraw through the fields because the road was under Russian control. However, the soon faced a blocked path and severe shelling.

“Enemy drones were constantly hovering over the retreating groups, adjusting enemy artillery,” Mark, member of the Ukrainian National Guard wrote. An hour later he was caught in an explosion and wounded in both legs. “I could not go on,” he wrote. “There was another wounded man with me.”

“The only thing I really feared was that I wouldn’t be able to see my family again,” Mark wrote. “That was my main motivation as I had to crawl across the hot earth and stubble of the Donetsk steppe under the scorching sun and not give up.”