On Wednesday, November 13, Russian forces, including soldiers disguised as Ukrainian soldiers, launched four waves of attacks to penetrate the outskirts of the city of Kupiansk in northeastern Ukraine. The city, considered a vital bastion to control, has already changed hands twice since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Captain Andriï Kovalyov, spokesperson for the Ukrainian army, denounces this act: “Russian soldiers wore uniforms resembling those of the Ukrainian armed forces. This violates the laws and rules of war and constitutes a war crime.” The Telegraph takes stock of the challenges of this assault.
Kupiansk lies on the northern edge of the front line on the banks of the Oskil River, a natural defensive line. Before the war, the town had around 26,000 inhabitants and was an important railway hub. Analysts say if Russian forces capture Kupiansk, they could use it as a launching pad to advance further west into the Kharkiv region, already under attack from the north.
Andriy Kovalyov insisted that kyiv soldiers were able to maintain control of the city and had “successfully repelled” all Russian attacks, but several military bloggers reported that Kremlin forces had breached its defenses. According to the pro-Moscow Telegram channel Two Majors, two columns of Russian soldiers entered the city overnight, marking the “the battle for the city begins”.
Pressure on Ukraine increased
John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, also said Russian forces had “penetrated quite deeply” in the eastern part of Kupiansk. “The Russians attacked in four waves, using a total of fifteen vehicles, including an UR-77 mine clearance vehicle, tanks and other armored vehicles”he described.
Andriy Besedin, a city official, said Russian troops who entered Kupiansk on Wednesday failed to hold their positions. Asked whether Russian soldiers who had hidden in local houses had been neutralized, he replied: “They were eliminated.”
In recent months, Kremlin forces have advanced slowly on the Donbass front line, accelerating their attacks in October. Elsewhere on the front, reports have indicated that Russian forces are putting pressure on Ukrainian forces in Kurakhove in the south, while heavy fighting continues in Russia’s Kursk region.
The Russian military has not commented on accusations that its soldiers donned Ukrainian uniforms, but military law says any disguise must be limited to escape or infiltration, not combat. . In fact, Russian and Ukrainian soldiers wear combat uniforms with different patterns and different colored masking tape around one arm or their helmet.
Nevertheless, from the Trojan horse in Greek mythology to Nazi soldiers wearing American uniforms during the Battle of the Bulgethis would not be the first time that soldiers have disguised themselves to deceive enemy forces.
Source: www.slate.fr
