In an attempt now described by many as a desperate move, Russian forces blew up an oil pipeline near Rusin Yar, releasing a toxic cloud in the direction of Ukrainian lines. The goal? Try to break the siege near Pokrovsk and rescue your trapped troops. But the result was quite the opposite: they neither saved anyone nor managed to advance. The gas only served to slow down reinforcements, while the Ukrainian drones continued doing their job as if nothing had happened.
The Russian plan seemed like something out of a war movie: a huge offensive with tanks, armored vehicles, motorcycles and hundreds of soldiers. But what promised to be a big breakup turned into a massacre, and fast.
It all started when Ukrainian units detected the first groups of Russian motorcyclists heading towards Volodymyrivka. FPV drones didn’t take long to appear. In the videos you can see how the Ukrainian operators hunted them down one by one, while they tried to zigzag along muddy roads. Some skidded, others flew through the air. The route became a death trap full of burning motorcycles.
The armored vehicles came behind, but seeing the chaos ahead, they began to brake. Serious mistake. From the sky, Ukrainian drones descended like hawks, targeting weak spots: wheels, rear compartments. One after another they were exploding. The infantry tried to escape on foot, seeking refuge among the ruins, but the drones followed them, launching explosives into trenches, craters and even into semi-ruined houses.
The Russian offensive included six tanks —among them one of those “turtle tanks”— more than 40 armored vehicles, as many motorcycles and several hundred soldiers. Even with such a display, what was left was a scene that was more reminiscent of a route from hell: destroyed vehicles, stopped columns and aimless soldiers.
When the rear vehicles attempted to retreat, they formed a monumental traffic jam, ideal for artillery and drones to finish the job. According to Ukrainian reconnaissance, by nightfall they had already destroyed at least three tanks, sixteen armored vehicles, forty-one motorcycles and two more cars. The human casualties were also devastating: more than a hundred Russian soldiers dead and fifty wounded.
All this, while the toxic gas advanced. The ammonia cloud effectively prevented him from sending ground reinforcements immediately, but it did not affect the drones or artillery, which were already in position. The Russians were also hoping that bad weather would work in their favor, preventing the use of drones. But not. The images show how the Ukrainian brigades worked together, coordinating precise attacks from the air. If one drone failed, another was already on its way.
In short, the Russian attack near Volodymyrivka ended up being one of their most notorious failures near Pokrovsk. Neither with poison gas nor tanks did they manage to advance. Quite the opposite: the offensive was literally buried in the mud, the craters and charred remains of his own army.
