One Of Ukraine’s Toughest And Fastest Brigades Has Joined The Invasion Of Russia
David Axe | Aug 8, 2024 | 03:52pm EDTA column of armored vehicles rolling into southern Russia’s Kursk Oblast on the third day of Ukraine’s surprise attack into Russia confirms the involvement of one of Ukraine’s best-equipped and fastest-moving brigades: the 80th Air Assault Brigade.
The Ukrainian 80th Air Assault Brigade in training.
The Ukrainian 80th Air Assault Brigade in training.80th Air Assault Brigade
A column of armored vehicles rolling into southern Russia’s Kursk Oblast on the third day of Ukraine’s surprise attack into Russia confirms the involvement of one of Ukraine’s best-equipped and fastest-moving brigades: the 80th Air Assault Brigade.
A video that circulated on social media on Thursday depicts a T-64BV or T-80BV tank, a UR-77 mine-clearing vehicles, an IMR-2 engineering vehicle plus BTR-80 and U.S.-made Stryker wheeled armored personnel carriers rolling past a busy Ukrainian mortar crew. All the vehicles are up-armored with anti-drone cages. Infantry crowd the top of the BTR-80.
An 82-millimeter mortar lobs a bomb at most a couple of miles. It’s clear from the context that the video captures the early moments of a serious Ukrainian assault on Russian positions.
Only the 80th Air Assault Brigade operates that mix of ex-Soviet and ex-American vehicles. Further confirmation is found in a separate video—shot by a Russian drone—depicting strikes on ex-German Marder tracked fighting vehicles in Kursk Oblast.
The 80th Air Assault Brigade, like its sister unit the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, apparently operates Marders alongside its Strykers. The Marders are heavy. The Strykers are fast. They suit the Ukrainian air assault forces’ preference for swift but powerful attacks.
The participation of the 80th Air Assault Brigade—one of the better Ukrainian brigades—underscores the scale of the Ukrainian operation just north of Ukraine’s northern border with Russia. . .
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2024/08/08/one-of-ukraines-toughest-and-fastest-brigades-has-joined-the-invasion-of-russia/