Given how transparent the battlespace in eastern Ukraine has become, such helicopter commando raids are rare—and remarkable when successful.
The Russian military is pushing hard to capture the Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk by the middle of November.
Russian forces are in the vicinity and around the key Ukrainian logistics hub. The Ukrainian military is putting up a fierce defense. As part of the effort to keep Pokrovsk in Ukrainian hands, Ukrainian forces launched a special operations air assault against the Russian forces’ rear.
Ukraine’s Helicopter Raid Behind Enemy Lines
On the last day of October, the Ukrainian military conducted an air assault with special operations forces on the rear of the Russian forces besieging Pokrovsk.
According to the Ukrainian 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Air Assault Forces, the Ukrainian air assault was successful, easing up Russian pressure on Pokrovsk. Ukrainian special operators from the Ukrainian military and the Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) infiltrated behind Russian lines with multiple helicopters.
Video footage shows Ukrainian commandos disembarking from UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in a field.
The Russian military claimed to have repelled the Ukrainian air assault. The geolocated video footage, however, shows that the Ukrainians were able to deploy dozens of special operators in multiple helicopters behind Russian lines.
The daring Ukrainian special operation raised questions about the level of control that the Russian forces actually exert in the area around Pokrovsk, as well as raising questions about the air defense capabilities of the Russian military. Ukrainian special operations forces have repeatedly struck behind Russian lines, with drones or in person, achieving great results.
According to a Ukrainian officer, the Russian forces are currently operating in approximately 60 percent of Pokrovsk. However, “operating in” does not mean control. Control means a firm hold over a piece of territory in which friendly forces can operate and move freely. Militaries establish logistic lines and set up headquarters and field hospitals in areas they control. So far, Russia has been able to do neither in and immediately around Pokrovsk.
Airborne Commando Raids Are Hard to Pull Off in Ukraine
Besides the effectiveness of the Ukrainian air assault, the fact that it happened is in itself remarkable. The battlefield is saturated with unmanned aerial systems. Both sides use drones for a wide range of missions on a daily basis, including kinetic strikes, reconnaissance, artillery spotting, and even resupply. Moreover, both forces employ air defense systems on a tactical and operational level, thus making the airspace above the battlefield quite transparent—and an extremely dangerous area for aircraft from both sides to operate. Neither side enjoys air superiority over the battlefield.
The fact that the Ukrainian military was able to pull off such an air assault using precious UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and—even more precious—special operators showcases both the daring and capabilities of the Ukrainians but also Kyiv’s precarious hold of Pokrovsk.
The fight for Pokrovsk resembles the past battle for Bakhmut, another Ukrainian town in the Donbas. It took the Russian forces over a year to capture Bakhmut, at the cost of more than 100,000 troops killed and wounded. When the Russians did end capturing the town, it was in ruins and unlivable, rendering the strategic objective largely moot.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / Maria Taran.
