What I did to destroy Russian pantonne bridge over Siverskyi Donets - a thread 🧵
Here you go -> -> ->
The context:
I am UA military engineering + EOD officer. I have served one turn in Donbas prior to the recent invasion.
Recently, I have accomplished a mission which made huge impact on Russian losses and completely screwed up their plans to encircle Lysychansk.
Initially, there was intelligence from frontline units that there are Russians on the other side of the river and they gather various vehicles. So, my commander asked on 6th May me as one of the best military engineers to do engineering reconnaissance on Siverskyi Donets river
Together with recon units for backup, I went to explore the area of Hryhorivka and Bilohorivka on 7th May.
Frontline units in Bilohorivka reported multiple RU vehicles gathering on the other side of the river.
I explored the area and suggested a location where Russians might attempt to mount a pontone bridge to get to the other side. And, used rangefinders to figure out river is 80m wide, thus Russians would need 8 parts (10m each) of the bridge connected to get to the other side.
With that flow of the river, I knew they would need motorized boats to arrange such a bridge, and it would take them at least two hours of work.
Took me a day to check everything. And I had to do it on 8th of May as well.
So, reported this information I had to my commanders.
Also, I told the unit who observed that part of the river that they need to be on the look out for sound of motor boats.
Visibility was shit in the area because Russians put fields & forests on fire, and were throwing a lot of smoke grenades. On top of that, it was foggy.
They had to hear the sound. And they did on May 8th early morning. Right at the place I said. I was there to check it as well - and I have seen with my drone as Russians do the pontonne bridge. Reported immediately to commanders.
Looking back, I think my recon + hints to the river unit made the biggest impact. I outplayed RU mil engineers.
Russians attempted to place a bridge RIGHT in the place where I guessed.
River unit didn’t see RU units, but was able to hear motor boats and report it immediately
Artillery was ready.
We have been able to confirm Russians mounted 7 parts of the bridge out of 8. Russians have even succeeded to move some troops and vehicles over the river. Combats started.
8. In ~20 minutes after recon unit confirmed Russian bridge being mounted, HEAVY ARTILLERY engaged against Russian forces, and then aviation chipped in as well.
I was still in the area, and I have never seen / heard such heavy combat in my life.
After one day of combats, 9th May morning the bridge was down. Some Russian forces (~30-50 vehicles + infantry) were stuck on Ukrainian side of the river with no way back. They tried to run away using broken bridge. Then they tried to arrange a new bridge.
Then, Aviation started heavy bombing of the area and it destroyed all the remains of Russians there, and other bridge they tried to make.
Rumors say it’s ~1500 RU dead.
Their strategic objective was to cross the river and then encircle Lysychansk. They miserably failed.
10th May pontonne bridge was completely down. That’s about time when you started to get all the pictures from the area.
I was on the ground, doing the work there, alongside with other Ukrainian heroes.
I did my part and it had significant impact.
Proud to serve Ukraine!
I do the work here and my friend @dim0kq from Lviv supplies me & my unit with drones, rangefinders, EOD equipment, cigarettes and sweets.
I have already received many useful things from Dimko funded with donations so keep it up please! It’s very useful here, it allows us to be effective and make impact.
If you want to my support what I do and supply me with the right equipment, please donate to PayPal d1mnewz@gmail.com - @dim0kq PayPal account with a note ‘To Max - for work’.
If you want to support me financially so I can come back to peaceful life after the war is over, please donate to Dimko PayPal d1mnewz@gmail.com but add a note ‘To Max - for life’
I am happy to report on the missions I am able to disclose - so follow me on Twitter @kms_d4k
With more equipment, we can blow up more bridges and humiliate more Russians!
Thanks for your support!
Please RT for reach!
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I want to say thanks to my friend Dimko today. Maybe, the equipment he sent saved my life a couple of times. 🧵
Our friendship with Dimko started a long time ago.
We went to high school together and used to hang out a lot, as usual teenagers. Then we both moved to Lviv, Dimko went to Polytechnic University and I started my studies at Military school there.
We always kept in touch and saw each other from time to time.
Dimko started working in IT and I was serving in the army.
We even started a business together - an apartment for rent on Airbnb. This business was pretty successful but we didn`t have much time to develop it.
What our unit did for Kharkiv offensive to succeed 🧵
We prepared for this operation several weeks and trained years before this moment. Now, I can disclose some details.
Weeks before the operation, we captured Russian TMM-3m2. These Russian bridge deploying vehicles were used in this operation. They are now effectively serving Ukrainian army needs.
We did our work fast and we were successful.
We arranged this bridge over Siverskiy Donets in Izium region which united two major UAF groups, and this allowed us to counterattack Kharkiv region successfully by enabling logistics to go through that bridge.
How can we win the war with the Russians despite RU having unlimited armor and resources? Here are some key differences between UA and RU armies:
• Manpower and army composition
• Command structure - Centralized vs decentralized
• Usage of the combined arms
🧵🧵🧵
Both UA and RU armies have common roots in the giant Soviet military. The Soviets had many conscripts and armor but lacked skilled soldiers and had incompetent command. It was incapable of rapid deployment and wasn't combat-ready.
Modern post-soviet RU army got its first combat experience in bloody Chechen wars. It suffered heavy losses combating a small group of motivated Chechen fighters fighting for their freedom.
It's crazy, sometimes I forget what it's like to live without war. When I see ruined cities, corpses, when I sleep on the floor in ruined houses or in the woods, I think it's normal.
When I see photos from cities where life is bustling and there is no war, I understood I forget life before war. This is not normal, but it is real. It is extremely difficult for me to imagine how children who survived the horrors of war feel.
I have been in the army since I was 17, before the war I took part in an operation in eastern Ukraine, I was as ready as possible for the war, but what I see now in the occupied cities hurt my soul.