Charging Into Nowhere: Russia’s ‘Banzai’ Tactics as a Cover for Failure in Pokrovsk

After their failure near Kupyansk, Russian forces are attempting to shift tactics by resorting to mass ‘banzai-style’ assaults around Pokrovsk.

However, Ukraine’s Defence Forces continue to control a significant part of the city and inflict catastrophic losses on the enemy — a clear sign of a growing crisis in the combat effectiveness of Russian units.

Russian commanders understand that after the failure near Kupyansk — a failure not only military, but also political and informational — developments around Pokrovsk will further strengthen the agency and credibility of Ukraine’s Defence Forces. As was the case with both Kupyansk and Pokrovsk, premature Russian claims about the capture of these cities ultimately backfired. The world saw that the so-called “tactical successes” of the occupiers existed only in the reports of Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov.

In an effort to avoid another informational, political, and military debacle, the Russian command opted to change tactics, shifting from infiltration operations to so-called “banzai-style” assaults.

These attacks are not limited to the use of ATVs, motorcycles, or civilian vehicles.  According to Ukrainian defenders, Russian forces have also attempted breakthroughs using armoured equipment.

Paratroopers of the 46th Separate Airmobile Podilska Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, together with adjacent units, successfully destroyed a mechanized Russian column attempting an assault in the Pokrovsk direction.

“Under the cover of fog, the enemy attempted to attack our brigade’s positions, using up to ten armoured vehicles and several dozen infantry personnel. However, the enemy’s movement was detected in advance,” the Airborne Assault Forces of Ukraine reported.

During the engagement, Ukrainian forces destroyed two tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, one MT-LB, and two ATVs. One armoured combat vehicle and one enemy vehicle were damaged. In addition, 49 Russian soldiers were killed, and another five were wounded.

It is worth noting that the occupiers are fully aware of the lethal nature of such assaults. However, there appears to be a political decision to attempt to seize at least a significant part of Pokrovsk, if not the entire city. According to Ukrainian military sources, enemy activity is currently most intense on the western outskirts.

As a reminder, according to Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukraine’s Defence Forces control approximately 13 square kilometres of residential areas in Pokrovsk, with the total area of the city amounting to approximately 29 square kilometres.

In other words, there is no basis for claims that Pokrovsk has been captured.

On the contrary, it is precisely the successful defensive actions of Ukraine’s Defence Forces in Pokrovsk that are provoking these assaults. Moreover, Russian losses are catastrophic. Current estimates put Russian casualties in the Pokrovsk sector, including within the city itself, at approximately 500 personnel per day.
I emphasize that we are talking about the most combat-ready units of the Russian occupation army.

Most importantly, the ‘banzai-style’ assault was carried out by units of the 76th Airborne Division, which were urgently redeployed from the Zaporizhzhia sector to Pokrovsk. This indicates that Russia lacks combat-ready units capable of conducting active combat operations in the urban environment of Pokrovsk

At present, Russian occupation forces are attempting to break through toward Hryshyne, northwest of Pokrovsk, in an effort to cut off the Pokrovsk–Pavlohrad highway — a key logistical artery for Ukraine’s Defence Forces. However, thanks to successful operations by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence, logistical supply to Ukrainian units in Pokrovsk has been mostly restored
It should be noted that at this time, the area of presence of the Ukrainian Defence Forces is expanding precisely through the possibility of controlling logistics. The Ukrainian military is announcing an operation to provide air cover for land logistics routes on the approaches to the Pokrovsk agglomeration.

However, the logistical situation in the Myrnograd sector remains extremely challenging. Supplies are primarily delivered using heavy drones and ground-based robotic systems.

The enemy is increasing pressure on the southeastern areas of Myrnograd. There have been isolated attempts at enemy infiltration on the approaches to Upper Myrnograd. However, Ukrainian forces — notably fighters from the 38th Separate Marine Brigade named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachny — are detecting and neutralizing the intruders
According to the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of Ukraine’s Airborne Assault Forces, the Defence Forces continue efforts to stabilize and expand the logistics corridor to Myrnograd. In the Svitly and Rivne areas, isolated enemy groups have been spotted and are being promptly neutralized.

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