Ukrainian Armored Convoy Destroyed in Russian Ambush, and Other Developments in the Conflict with Russia

Ukrainian forces admitted that a convoy of their American-made armored vehicles was destroyed in a Russian ambush last week near Zaporizhia (in the east of the country), while Moscow announced repelling a Ukrainian speedboat attack on one of its fleet ships in the Black Sea.

A group of Ukrainian “Bradley” combat vehicles, supported by German-made “Leopard” tanks, was bombed last Wednesday when the 47th Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian army was launching an offensive in the southeast of Zaporizhia.

Footage of the ambush – captured by drones and broadcast on Russian channels – showed several damaged vehicles belonging to the 47th Brigade, which is one of the newly established units equipped with equipment provided by the West.

Among the nine vehicles attached to the motorized infantry unit of the group – and it was not the only one participating in the attack – 6 vehicles were destroyed, and 3 of them were damaged, but they are repairable, according to the group, which said it was confident that the Russian forces were informed of the imminent attack, indicating that it suspected in the presence of an informant.

The burning remains of a NATO lend-lease near Zaporozhye. In the footage we can see at least four dead Bradley BMPs, a Polish BREM with a mine trawl and the lauded and extremely rare Leopard-2A6 – Ukraine was only given a few of them.#source
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— Zlatti71 (@djuric_zlatko) June 9, 2023

When asked if the attack succeeded, a Ukrainian soldier indicated that his battalion had regained very little ground. Another Ukrainian soldier confirmed that “when our vehicles are repaired, we will return.”

So far, Kiev has not officially announced the start of its counterattack, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed last Saturday that there are “counter-offensive and defensive measures” being implemented along the front line with Russia.

Boat attack

In the opposite camp, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that it had repulsed a Ukrainian speedboat attack on one of its fleet ships in the Black Sea.

Bloomberg news agency reported that the ministry said – via the Telegram application – that the “Veshnya”-class intelligence ship was attacked at about 1:30 am local time, 300 km southeast of Sevastopol in Crimea.

The ministry added that the boats, which Russia said were armed with weapons and grenade launchers, were destroyed, explaining that there were no human losses or material damage to the ship.

In another field development, the governor of the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson said that 3 people were killed and 10 others wounded on Sunday when Russian forces bombed a boat carrying evacuees from flooded areas to the city.

The region was subjected to catastrophic floods after the Nova Kakhovka Dam was destroyed, which Kiev and Moscow accused of deliberately detonating it a few days ago.

“Three people were killed and 10 others were injured, including two law enforcement officials,” said the governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin.

Prisoner exchange

Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine announced in simultaneous statements on Sunday the return of about 100 captured soldiers from each side.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said on Telegram that the negotiations resulted in the release of 94 Russians who were captured in Ukraine, adding that they will be transferred to a medical facility to undergo a medical examination.

Andrei Yermak, director of the Ukrainian President’s Office, said that 95 Ukrainian soldiers returned to their country after being captured by Russia, adding that there were wounded among them. Among them were soldiers from the National Guard and border guards.

Yermak added that the released soldiers were performing their duties near the city of Mariupol, which remained under Russian siege for weeks last year, and the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which Russian forces seized for a short time last year as well.