A short story about yet another one of the million factors (more precisely, a combination of several circumstances) that influence the fighting near Pokrovsk. It is also about how crucial it is to have the full range of weapons in the necessary quantities to solve all the problems that keep raining down on us.
The russians’ large stockpiles of heavy aerial bombs, missiles, and drones allow them to gradually erode the advantage we have while defending within large industrial facilities and dense urban areas—compared to an enemy that is often forced to advance, at best, through networks of tree lines and ravines.
As soon as the enemy identifies the presence of infantry or UAV crews inside built-up areas, bombs immediately start flying there in such quantities as to either destroy us outright or make operations in those locations impossible, combined with efforts to cut off logistics.
That is why, at times, the decision to try to “disappear” and camouflage within tree lines—at least during the green season—appears to many as a reasonable solution. On the other hand, when the russians take control of an industrial facility (a coke plant, a mine, etc.), it becomes almost an unconditional advantage for them.
We lack both the number of aerial bombs and the aircraft capable of dropping them 24/7 on the enemy wherever he may be, and we cannot afford to compensate for inaccuracy with sheer quantity and density. This, conversely, makes it very convenient for the russians to take shelter at industrial sites and in densely built urban areas.
That is why the loss of every city or settlement, every mine or factory, multiplies our problems many times over. One vivid example was Ocheretyne. When we were holding the defense there—particularly in the central part of the settlement, where there was a concentration of apartment buildings and railway buildings—it proved extremely difficult for us due to the sheer volume of munitions flying into that area.
Meanwhile, once the russians occupied the settlement, they immediately pulled in a huge array of assets—from electronic warfare systems and radar to artillery and drone units. It also became a logistics base. Doing anything substantial against such a concentration was difficult without the ability to level the enemy en masse with heavy weaponry.
At the time, we were able to pick off hidden armored vehicles, artillery pieces, and motorcyclists on the central streets with precision strikes, but breaking the overall situation proved impossible.
In the territory the russians have captured since then, there is an entire chain of cities and settlements, as well as industrial facilities with reinforced concrete structures—so many that it is hard to even count them.
Take Myrnohrad as an example. The map below shows the mines in the city and nearby. This does not even include the closed mines in the northern part of the city (the line of contact is roughly sketched based on DeepState for obvious reasons).
Here are the facilities shown:
• Mine 5/6 – Myrnohrad
• Krasnolymanska – Rodynske
• Kapitalna – Myrnohrad
• Tsentralna – Myrnohrad
• Dymytriva – Myrnohrad
If a mine or plant has a developed network of solid buildings with underground shelters, the russians are very fond of placing UAV crews there. Countering them with drones or even conventional artillery is difficult. It requires the same hundreds of glide bombs that the russians are dropping on us.
The map also does not show potential concentration areas in dense apartment blocks, which are likewise used for drone operators and other needs, including logistics. In such a situation, it is logical that enemy pilots are largely being pulled from the tree lines into cities or mines, where there are countless ways to hide.
Since the enemy is conducting offensive rather than defensive operations, the number of movements and the risk of exposure are higher for them when operating in non-urbanized terrain.
Thus, the imbalance in access to certain types of weaponry allows the russians to use control over built-up areas as a significant advantage. And we are forced to adapt to these circumstances.