The Armed Forces of Ukraine are capable of liberating all the occupied territories of Ukraine, believes tankman with call-sign «Adam», Colonel Yevhen Mezhevikin.
Hero of Ukraine Yevhen Mezhevikin / photo: Oleksandr Klymenko
Yevhen Mezhevikin, call sign «Adam» is a tanker, Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For his participation in battles against Russian terrorist forces in 2014−2015, he received the «Hero of Ukraine» award. After the start of the full-scale invasion he liberated Kyiv region, Kharkiv region, defended Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk region. He is also a commander of the combined tactical group «Adam», formed from military personnel and volunteers to conduct raid and counter-offensive operations.
Events around Bakhmut, Donetsk region, are unfolding rapidly, and the situation is constantly changing.
«In 4 days, we were able to advance 3 km towards Bakhmut, destroying two enemy assault units. Only 30−60 people, including reserves, remained in the positions of the Russians,» Yevhen Mezhevikin, commander of the combined tactical group «Adam», told «Vchasno» journalists. «We inflicted losses on units of 72nd and 4th separate motorized rifle brigades of the Russian Federation, so the enemy had to reinforce these units with fresh battalions, as well as transfer paratroopers of the 106th Parachute Airborne Division and the so-called special units „Storm z“ and „Bars“ to this area».
Thanks to the concerted actions of the Ukrainian «Adam» unit and 3rd separate assault brigade, the Russian units in this area lost their combat capability, and the commanders of the occupying units were injured or killed. According to the estimates of the Ukrainian officer, more than half of the personnel of the Russian units were destroyed. At the same time, the actions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine to capture Bakhmut in a semi-encirclement continue.
«Russian military personnel are unstable neither in defense nor in attack, it is easier to fight with them,» Yevhen Mezhevikin notes, explaining this by the absence of the death penalty in the regular and mobilized Russian troops. «On the other hand, Prigozhyn’s fighters are mostly convicts, whom their command does not consider human. For failure to comply with the order, the mercenaries will be executed. They have no retreat option.»
At the same time, the officer noted that the enemy drew conclusions from the battles of 2014−2015 and made adjustments to the training concept.
«In the ATO phase, the tankmen of the Russian Federation were weak. However, before the full-scale stage, they were well-trained. Currently, near Bakhmut, they work mainly on T-80 and T-90. We have already destroyed not one such machine,» Yevhen Mezhevikin stated. «We have seen both modernized T-72s and old unpreserved models from the middle of the last century.»
The key difference from the previous phase of the confrontation is the use of the entire range of weapons that the Russian Federation has, the Hero of Ukraine emphasized.
«Earlier there was no aviation, no missile strikes. Mechanized units were not involved massively, but the more the enemy gathers against us in one area, the bigger the losses are».
The motivation of the soldiers and the understanding of the necessity and lack of alternative to this struggle help the Ukrainians to repel the enemy attack, the front-line soldier shared his observation.
«The training of personnel and competent leadership also play a big role,» the Colonel outlined. «Of course, we need more modern equipment and weapons. However, it is not technology that turns the tide of war. The party is able to seize the initiative on the battlefield if the command competently uses all forces and means. Infantry equipped with armored fighting vehicles must be supported by missile forces, artillery, and tanks, and all types of intelligence must also be developed and provided».
The defense forces of Ukraine are capable of liberating the entire occupied part of the territory, Yevhen Mezhevikin believes. But it is necessary to remember the reserves of the enemy, which the Kremlin will use to repel the offensive of Ukraine.
«On all fronts, it is necessary to test the enemy’s defenses, to watch the reaction, to disturb him and force to constantly move reserves over a long distance, without giving the opportunity to rest,» Yevhen Mezhevikin says. «Reinforcement units are needed in several directions, which will force the enemy to flee without equipment and ammunition, abandoning personnel, as at Kharkiv. It will be enough to develop the offensive, inflicting maximum damage. Despite the large number of weapons, the Russians are weak, victory will be ours.»