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A mistake by Ukrainian troops appears to have allowed Russian troops to advance and capture large parts of a village.
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The incident occurred during a rotation between Ukraine’s 47th and 115th Mechanized Brigades.
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It is the second time in recent weeks that a Ukrainian unit has failed on the Eastern Front.
A mistake by Ukrainian troops appears to have allowed Russian forces to advance unhindered and capture large parts of a village.
Russian troops were able to capture most of Ocheretyne, northwest of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, after an apparent rotation error between Ukraine’s elite 47th Mechanized Brigade and its 115th Mechanized Brigade.
The 47th Mechanized Brigade was to be relieved by the 115th along the front line east of Ocheretyne.
But as the 47th Brigade withdrew, Russia’s 30th Motor Rifle Brigade attacked, taking advantage of a gap created by the impending arrival of the 115th Brigade.
The commander of the 47th Brigade, Mykola Melnyk, who is known for having lost a leg during the summer offensive, wrote on Facebook: “The drastic Russian advance was possible because certain units simply screwed up.”
“I hope they will be retrained as attack troops,” he added.
Vadym Chornyy, a spokesman for the 115th Brigade, told the Financial Times that the claims were “not true.”
“The unit did not abandon its position,” he said.
Melnyk said Russia was unable to continue its advance only because the 47th Brigade rejoined the fight.
“The holes were plugged by those who wanted to take a break,” he said. “The 47th Brigade is back in action. Another month and then it will be a year without rotation.”
An update on the Ukrainian Deep State website, which tracks changes on the battlefield, showed that Russian forces had captured large parts of the village.
Images shared on Telegram also reportedly showed a Russian flag flying over a building in the war-torn village.
Earlier this week, the Institute for the Study of War think tank said Russian forces appeared to be “aiming at a wide penetration of Ukrainian lines northwest of Avdiivka,” but added that their efforts would likely be hampered by impending shipments of weapons aid from the U.S and the West.
The ISW said the attack on Ocheretyne was part of Russia’s “operational objective to reach the administrative border of Donetsk Oblast via Pokrovsk.”
This comes after part of Ukraine’s 67th Mechanized Brigade was disbanded by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry while defending Chasiv Yar, a town north of Avdiivka and near Bakhmut.
David Ax, a military correspondent and blogger, wrote in an article for Forbes that the 67th was disbanded due to disputes between its commanders, many of whom he said were members of far-right political groups.
Khasiv Yar is a crucial city in the battle for Ukraine’s Donetsk region, and its capture would put Russian forces within striking distance of Ukrainian operations and supply centers in the region.
The commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces said earlier this month that Russian troops had been tasked with taking Khasiv Yar by May 9.
Read the original article on Business Insider