Fighting against the odds!

Elite force bucks trend of Ukrainian losses on eastern front

‘Tavr’ Bohdan Krotevych, the chief of staff of the Azov Brigade, says high morale and a willingness to allow all ranks to be heard has helped the men succeed on the battlefield.

The Azov Brigade, whose leaders say has a culture of ‘mutual respect’, is tasked with repelling relentless russian attacks as the invaders make the most of an artillery mismatch (sometimes the ratio is 10:1 in russia's favour)

Makas, a staff sergeant in the second battalion, says “as many as 100 to 150 glide bombs can be launched into a sector a day”, a statement that suggests official Ukrainian military claims that 3,500 hit the frontlines in the first 77 days of the year may be an underestimate. The weapons can carry 500kg or 1.5 tonnes of explosives, the latter of which can “blow a crater 30 metres wide and 7 to 10 metres deep”, he says.

The larger bombs are understandably feared by soldiers on the frontline – and intercepting them or the aircraft that launch them is the task of air defence – of which Ukraine is short – or possibly F-16 fighter jets armed with long-range missiles, although few expect the western jets to be ready, with trained pilots, much before the end of the year, and their final numbers are uncertain.

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