It was once a much-feared, but elite Russian battalion that was almost extinct. How the Ukrainians destroyed the Arctic regiment – The Observer

was Better weapons, better equipment, better Players. In the Arctic, its mission was to protect the Russian military arsenal at Pechenga, where Vladimir Putin has deposited nuclear weapons and submarines capable of carrying them. The importance of the 200th (Two Hundred) Separate Motor Rifle Regiment was clear. So it became clear to send her to Ukraine. They were on their way before the February 24 invasion date to take part in what the Kremlin insisted were winter exercises.

Now, an investigation by the American press Washington Post, Who had access Secret Force documents, Realized that it was practically extinguished by the Ukrainian army. “It cannot be considered a fighting force”, defended a European military officer, justifying his statements with huge losses on the battlefield.

According to the investigation, citing captured soldiers, it was only in January that two tactical battalions of the brigade traveled to Ukraine by train. By 3 am on February 24, they were advised by an officer that the mission would involve “firing”. The target was Kharkiv, a Ukrainian city that had been the scene of heavy fighting since the first day of the war. The Ukrainian resistance was greater than the Russians expected Many units were attacked and ambushed.

It only took a day for dozens of soldiers to be killed. And most of the equipment ends up destroyed or abandoned. The story of the 200th Regiment is not unique, and since the start of the war, there have been more reports of battalions disappearing altogether. 31st Air Assault Squadron, Or, more recently, A Recruiting Battalion.

Russian special forces in Chechnya are now fighting for survival in Ukraine

Last May, according to documents accessed by The Washington Post, the unit was already in trouble. On the 13th of that month, the Ukrainian army managed to hold off the Russians who attempted to encircle the city, forcing them back across the border and into the Russian border, towards Belgrade. there, A troop count showed that almost half of the troops were either dead or missing.

In addition, morale was low, Finnish officer Bekka Doveri told the newspaper. “They are There are soldiers who refuse to fight The missing soldiers. This shows that the war is going incredibly badly for Russia.

From May, when the forces were already at 60% of their capacity, losses continued to pile up. According to the Post, elite soldiers were replaced by conscripts, Without proper military training. Advanced equipment such as the state-of-the-art T-80BVM tanks are gone.

There were more than 500 men, almost all dead: the Russian battalion would have been destroyed a few days earlier, and the survivors are said to have survived.

In July, at Hrako, they again suffered heavy losses, and in September, the 200th Separate Motor Rifle Regiment was among the casualties during Ukrainian counterattacks in the Kharkiv region.

“The unit is damaged.” Phrase from a soldier taken to the battlefield by partial mobilization on the orders of the Russian president. He was placed in the 200th Regiment and the conditions were not that of an elite force. They wear “1941 painted helmets and vests without plates,” he said, and they don’t even have military training. “They say: ‘You’re a sniper, here’s a machine gun.'”

For Ukrainians, regimental rank is a medal they proudly wear on their chest. “What is there to know about them?” asked Colonel General Oleksandr Chirsky, who fought the 200th Brigade at Kharkov. he asked. “They run well.”