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Today, there is a lot of news from the Siversk direction.
Here, under mounting pressure to achieve promised results, Russian commanders launched a desperate final wave of armored vehicles to breach the Ukrainian stronghold around Ivano-Darivka. However, this move ended in such a disaster, that the Russian generals were arrested and the whole Russian Siversk offensive was completely canceled.
After initial Russian attempts to storm the Ukrainian defensive positions on the hill ridge above Ivano-Darivka from the south led to heavy losses, Russian forces changed the vector of their attack to the north-east of the village, using the Lysychansk Oil Refinery as an operational base to gather forces but again with no success. This renewed failure caused a backlash in Russian media with prominent military analysts putting local commanders under heavy criticism and requesting their dismissal.
With everything on the line, the responsible Russian command staff in the region launched another wave of assaults in a desperate attempt to achieve some results, save their public image, and rescue their military careers. The new assault wave consisted of a turtle tank, multiple tanks equipped with smaller cages against FPV drones, and multiple infantry fighting vehicles. These vehicles used again the dirt road from the oil refinery to reach Ukrainian positions quickly, shortening reaction time for the defenders.
Drone operators from the 4th Rapid Reaction Brigade Rubizh of the National Guard of Ukraine have released a video showcasing the strength and preparedness of their regional defenses. The footage emphasizes the critical role of early detection in successfully repelling enemy assaults. Typically, drone reconnaissance units conduct continuous day and night surveillance across every sector of the frontline. This persistent monitoring prevents surprise attacks and ensures swift, decisive reactions, an essential factor in maintaining effective defense.
Leading the Russian column was a heavily fortified "turtle tank," outfitted with solid metal plating, additional protective cages, and electronic warfare systems, all designed to ensure its progress to breach Ukrainian defenses. Images reveal the moment a Ukrainian FPV drone struck the tank; despite being shrouded in smoke from the explosion, it pressed onward. The footage then shifts to the perspective of a kamikaze drone, bypassing the next tank in the column to focus on targeting the third vehicle. This tactic aimed to maximize disruption and chaos within the Russian assault group, effectively hindering their advance.
The turtle tank and the second tank pressed forward alone, leaving the rest of the convoy behind. Ukrainian drone operators quickly deployed additional FPV drones, inflicting further damage on the turtle tank and eventually bringing it to a halt. This forced the crew of the second tank to change direction, turning it sideways—a risky maneuver that soon proved disastrous as Ukrainian forces enhanced the dense minefields in the area. As a result, the second tank struck a mine and erupted in a spectacular explosion. Moments later, another tank advancing from the rear met a similar fate, exploding after being hit by a drone strike.
The Ukrainians then focused on the rear of the column, launching simultaneous drone strikes that highlighted their operators' skill and the Russian convoy's unpreparedness. In the video’s final moments, they showcased the destruction of the remaining enemy vehicles, including the abandoned turtle tank.
Following this third major setback, outcries from Russian military bloggers grew so intense that the Russian Ministry of Defense was compelled to arrest and remove several high-ranking officers within the 3rd Combined Arms Army overseeing this sector of the frontline. Among those dismissed were the army's commander, the chief of staff, and the commander of the 7th Motorized Rifle Brigade. They were charged with submitting false reports to their superiors and orchestrating poorly conceived assaults near Siversk. This series of failures resulted in hundreds of Russian casualties, with many wounded soldiers dying on the battlefield without evacuation, while Ukrainian strongholds remained intact and their defenders with no losses.
Sources within the Russian military revealed that authorities also removed the commanders of several unnamed battalions and are investigating the...
