Forbes magazine published an article on August 16 stating that the Ukrainian airborne forces have deployed their strongest unit into the ongoing counterattack.
It is the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, consisting of 2,000 troops and equipped with Marder and Stryker combat vehicles and Challenger 2 tanks.
The brigade appears to have been operating around the Russian-held town of Robotyne in southern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia province over the past few days.
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"Good news and bad news"
The deployment of the 82nd Brigade is both welcome and bad news for Kyiv's long-awaited counteroffensive, which began on June 4 with a series of coordinated attacks across southern and eastern Ukraine, according to Forbes .
The 82nd and 46th Air Assault Brigades were among the last main units that the Ukrainian General Staff kept in reserve.
By putting these brigades into action, the Ukrainian army could significantly increase its firepower along one of the main axes of the counteroffensive, which stretches about 80 kilometers from Robotyne to the city of Melitopol, also in Zaporizhzhia Oblast and currently controlled by Russian forces.
Ukrainian servicemen driving a BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle in Zaporizhzhia province
However, no brigade can fight without stopping. When the 46th and 82nd Brigades withdraw to rest, reorganize, and repair, there may not be any new brigades of equal strength to replace them. If this happens, the counterattack may lose momentum.
This is not a new problem, nor is it unique to the Robotyne counteroffensive axis. The Ukrainian Marine Corps, which has concentrated its efforts along the Mokri Yaly River Valley, some 80 kilometers to the east, has deployed all four frontline brigades simultaneously along a 16-kilometer wide strip.
The concentration of marines along the Mokri Yaly River has paid off for Kyiv. The division-sized force has recaptured a string of settlements on the way to the Russian-held city of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, 50 miles south of the Black Sea. Most recently this week, Ukrainian marines firing US-made cluster munitions pushed back Russian forces in the village of Urozhaine, also in Donetsk.
But the Ukrainian marines will eventually need a rest, and it is unclear who could replace them. While Ukraine still has territorial and national defense brigades available, they generally lack the firepower and training. As a result, marine brigades are more effective.
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Time is running out?
Time is running out for the 82nd Brigade in the fight for Robotyne, as it regroups outside the town. Earlier this week, Russian forces appeared to have launched a drone attack on one of the 82nd Brigade’s US-made Stryker armored fighting vehicles, putting the unit within a mile of the positions of the Russian 1430th Motorized Rifle Regiment stationed inside Robotyne.
Russian UAVs detected at least one of the 82nd Brigade’s 90 Strykers, as well as one of the 40 German-made Marder infantry fighting vehicles. The Russians apparently failed to locate the 82nd Brigade’s 14 ex-British Challenger 2 tanks.
A Challenger 2 tank of the 82nd Air Assault Brigade of Ukraine.
Screenshot The Forbes
If the Ukrainian marines in Urozhaine have produced such results, the surge of shock troops around Robotyne could also yield quick gains for Kyiv. The Ukrainians have been probing and attempting to flank the Russian garrison in Robotyne. They now have two more brigades, particularly heavily armed ones, to bolster their efforts.
If Russian forces in Robotyne can hold their ground and withstand the increased — but temporary — fighting power of Ukraine, they could eventually strike back at Ukrainian forces, once brigades rotate out of the front line without replacement units, according to Forbes .
There is currently no information about Russia's or Ukraine's reaction to the above information and comments from Forbes .
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