Under cover of darkness Ukrainian forces struck near Uspenivka in Donetsk Oblast, launching sudden night time raids that shocked Russian troops. In one bold manoeuvre, crews in BTR 4E Bucephalus infantry fighting vehicles raced along the Solona river flank, firing their machine guns at high speed to disrupt the enemy’s positions.
Moscow’s aim in this sector was to collapse Ukrainian defences south of Novoserhiivka by severing their supply lines. Had they succeeded in crossing the 50‑metre‑wide Solona river and stabilising defences on its far bank, the Russians would have expanded their bridgehead and safeguarded their logistics. Yet the bridge linking Uspenivka to the rear lay in ruins, forcing Russian infantry to advance on foot across exposed fields and through marshes.
Ukrainian drone operators detected the infiltration early and called in BTR 4E crews just minutes later. Armed with 30 millimetre autocannons firing high explosive rounds, the vehicles decimated Russian infantry and destroyed a small ammunition cache, leaving the attackers unable to sustain a firefight. This action inflicted severe losses and blunted the enemy’s advance.
At first light, additional BTR 4Es arrived with infantry squads that dismounted and engaged the weakened Russian units, who were now short of ammunition. The counterattack cleared the grey zone and forced the invaders to withdraw under heavy fire.
