09 Mar: Nice. Russian Marines Riot and Refuse to Fight - Reporting from Ukraine

[TexasTowelie]

Day 379: March 09

Today the biggest news is coming from the Donetsk region. Here, after losing almost all armor and half the brigades, Russian marines were ordered to launch another offensive on Vuhledar. This order likely was the last straw because Russian marines refused to fight and follow orders from their commanders. Other battalions deployed to Vuhledar started rioting as well and forced the Russian Ministry of Defense to use tough measures and send Rosgvardia in response to the mutiny.

Last time I told you that in the aftermath of the Battle for Vuhledar, almost the entire Russian elite naval brigade was destroyed, and Russia lost 130 units of heavy equipment, including 36 tanks. I also told you that due to the extensive losses of armor, Russians became only capable of attacking with infantry.

The freshest reports suggest that Russians are engaging in low-intensity positional fights. Ukrainian commander, Dmytrashkivskyi, confirmed that Russian forces are increasingly conducting assaults without armored support and that sometimes when they do engage armored personnel carriers, they just drive infantry to the frontline for dismounted assaults and then withdraw.

A Ukrainian soldier fighting in Vuhledar stated that Russian forces conduct assaults in small groups of 10 soldiers or fewer but are largely on the defensive in the area. Ukrainian Intelligence reported that the Russian 155th and 40th Naval Infantry Brigades have merged into one brigade because of significant losses. Ukrainian Intelligence also reported that Russian Defense Minister Shoigu instructed Eastern Military District commander Muradov to take Vuhledar at any cost.

Shortly after that, some information started emerging that the Russian 155th Naval Infantry Brigade refused to conduct offensive operations in the area and that Russian forces had also lost control over an irregular Cossack battalion formation. This information was later confirmed by Ukrainian General Staff.

This is not surprising because this would be the third large-scale suicide operation for them. Russian forces have reportedly reconstituted the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade at least seven times since the start of the invasion, and it was refilled with newly mobilized soldiers several times. The fact that naval brigades were merged suggests that at least half of them are dead, and if we also consider that they were refilled 7 times, then apparently, the number of the remaining elite troops is likely below 10%.

In response to the refusal to fight and in an attempt to prevent other personnel from rioting, Russian forces deployed Rosgvardia in the region. Shortly after that, the Russian Minister of Defense Shoigu visited the regional commander Muradov for the purpose of evaluating the situation around Vuhledar. He likely saw that the use of squad-size assault groups and significant Russian personnel and equipment losses in previous assaults would constrain Russian forces from securing any significant gains in the Vuhledar area because later, he ordered to transfer additional reserves of manpower and equipment for renewed offensive operations.

Several days ago, locals reported that Russians were transferring a lot of equipment through Mariupol and Berdiansk. Ukrainian Mariupol Mayoral Advisor confirmed that Russians moved 28 pieces of equipment, accompanied by 6 civilian cars with luggage and trailers. He said that most of them had the manpower. He added that Russia is also building up forces at barracks and settlements on roads leading to frontline positions and that Russia had brought an extra 10,000–15,000 troops to Mariupol and its outskirts. He noted that Russian forces reportedly have 30,000 troops in the greater Mariupol area.

Two days later, Ukrainians conducted an extensive fire mission, primarily targeting the areas of forces concentrations but also equipment because repelling mechanized assaults from such a small town as Vuhledar is very difficult. Ukrainian Head of Melitopol reported that Ukrainians conducted a HIMARS strike and destroyed Russian bases in the vicinity of the city: one in the northern part and one in the southern. The next day, huge explosions were reported in Berdyansk, which is exactly where Russian columns were headed.

[Vogon_Glory]

1. Is it too much to hope that history repeats itself and

the Russian military goes through something like the French Army’s mutinies in 1917? Even if the mutinies fail, it’s nothing less than what Vladimir Vladimirovich deserves.