Thread by @doctoradmiral

𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 '𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻'
Ten Years Ago.

Hours after the ceasefire agreement in Minsk, a total of 44 Ukrainian servicemen were ambushed and killed by Russian forces, including the neo-nazi unit “Rusich”, which were flying a Ukrainian flag

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Starting in July, Ukrainian forces were on the offensive throughout the Donbas. Near Luhansk, the besieged Ukrainian garrison at the Luhansk Airport was relieved as Ukrainian forces surrounded the city to the west, north and south.

By the middle of August, Ukrainian forces cut off Luhansk from the “Prizrak” terrorist group to the west in Alchevsk. The garrison in Luhansk itself was tiny and disorganized.
Frustrated Ukrainian soldiers say the city could be taken right now if an order was given.

On August 24th, after months of cross-border rocket attacks at Ukrainian troops, Russian regular forces crossed the border all along the front. Ukrainian command did not believe it to be possible and did not prepare for this eventuality. Russian army advanced nearly unimpeded.

To the south, Russian forces surrounded a large Ukrainian grouping in Ilovaisk. It would be completely destroyed in the retreat on the 29th. Near Luhansk, fighting ramped up and Ukrainian forces found themselves on the back foot.

With constant Russian cross-border rocket strikes, to which Ukrainian troops could not respond, and with fresh Russian regulars and militants entering the fight, disorganized ATO forces were being pushed back north. On September 1st, Luhansk Airport was abandoned.

Most Ukrainian retreat routes passed through a large Ukrainian checkpoint at ‘Vesela Hora’ (Happy Mountain) on the highway north of the city. On the 4th, however, its garrison was ordered to abandon their crucial position under unclear circumstances.

Ukrainian troops south of the checkpoint were not informed of it's abandonment, which effectively left them surrounded. In the meantime, a ceasefire agreement was signed in Minsk. Fighting was set to cease on the 5th.

At 14:30, a retreating platoon from the “Aidar” Territorial Defence Battalion, in nothing but unarmored trucks, arrived at the checkpoint at Vesela Hora - which was flying a Ukrainian flag. Russian forces at the checkpoint opened fire, killing 20 servicemen with only 3 escaping

Russian forces at the checkpoint consisted of militiamen from the neo-nazi “Rusich” formation, led by an open neo-nazi Alexei Milchakov. According to Milchakov, 6 wounded soldiers were killed on the spot.
Various highly graphic photos, including a cut-off ear, were taken.

Two hours later, a column of around 120 Ukrainian soldiers from 80th Airborne came under fire near the same spot. According to the military, the enemy force that ambushed them numbered over 200. The column breaks through however, but at the cost of another 23 dead or missing.

On the 8th, Ukrainian government manages to recover the bodies of servicemen killed near Vesela Hora and Tsvitni Pisky. Many show signs of severe torture, which Milchakov would later brag about.

As a result of the invasion on the 24th of August, Ukrainian troops were pushed back all along the frontline. Disorganised militiamen in Donetsk and Luhansk, both of which were about to be surrounded, are ‘saved’ by the Russian regulars and a great increase in supplies.

In effect, the Russian invasion “froze” a war which could've ended within a month.But that is a story for another thread. Thank you for reading this. I'm working on multiple larger threads on how the war began and evolved, and on the men responsible.

If you appreciate my work of covering these crucial yet little known events, please share the thread and consider throwing me a coin on . Also consider reading my other threads - links are in the pinned post. Again, thank you for reading!buymeacoffee.com/desiderius