Russian "meat assaults" overwhelm Ukrainian defenses in Kharkiv
Ukrainian soldiers face constant attacks from the Russians, who relentlessly aim to capture more positions. They refer to the tactic used by Vladimir Putin's army as "meat assaults," reports the BBC.
Ukrainian soldiers describe in detail the "meat assaults" tactic employed by the Russian troops. It involves sending successive waves of soldiers to Russian defensive positions. This occurs even a dozen times a day. Lieutenant Colonel Anton Bayev from the National Guard of Ukraine indicates that the Russian army can reach frontline positions north of Kharkiv within just a few hours.
The Russians use these units in most cases purely to see where our firing equipment is located, and to constantly exhaust our units, says a Ukrainian soldier quoted by the BBC.
Bayev points out that repelling such attacks is a huge challenge. "Our guys stand in positions and fight, and when four or five waves of the enemy come at you in a day, which you have to destroy without end, it is very difficult - not only physically, but also psychologically," he said.
The adoption of such a tactic by Russia is proof that Putin does not value the lives of his soldiers. The number of Russian casualties has significantly increased since they launched their offensive two months ago. According to Western officials, about 1,200 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded daily in May and June, which is the highest rate since the start of the war.
"Conveyor belt bringing Russians to be killed"
Captain Ivan Sekach of the 110th Brigade of Ukraine, quoted by the BBC, uses another comparison. In his view, the Russian tactic resembles "a conveyor belt bringing Russians to be killed." However, it does benefit the Russian side, allowing them to advance systematically.
Russia does not count losses because it has a much larger population than Ukraine. Many people involved in these attacks are former prisoners. Russia also recruits by making one-time payments, sometimes amounting to thousands of dollars. Even wounded soldiers are used in combat, who, instead of receiving treatment, are ordered to attack.
Ukraine could not match the Russian tactic, even if it had a similar number of soldiers, due to their approach to the lives and health of their people. In recent weeks, a senior general was removed from his post after complaints that he was using tactics often called "Soviet," which involve throwing people to the front line.
We are limited with manpower. We have no other options than thinking of our people, says Ivan Stupak, a former Security Service officer.
