Ukrainian forces carry out deadly intelligence operation in Melitopol, resulting in the deaths of five Akhmat soldiers, as captured in a recording
In a significant development on the battlefield, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (HUR) and local resistance forces successfully conducted an operation on the outskirts of Melitopol on August 2, 2022. The operation resulted in a devastating blow to the Russian-backed Chechen "Akhmat" unit, as a minibus carrying five soldiers from the unit was destroyed in an explosion, resulting in the loss of all lives on board [1][2][3][4][5].
The explosion also had unintended consequences, as it wounded two Russian soldiers who were in a nearby car and destroyed a Russian mobile electronic warfare (EW) system that was accompanying the convoy [1][2]. It's worth noting that the wounded soldiers and the destroyed EW system were not part of the Akhmat unit.
This attack is the latest in a series of operations by Ukrainian intelligence and partisan groups targeting Russian occupation forces and their logistical support in temporarily occupied territories such as Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region [1][2]. Previous operations in the area have included sabotage against Russian command posts and the destruction of other electronic warfare vehicles [1][2].
Ukrainian officials have released video footage of the blast on HUR’s Telegram channel, though independent verification has not been confirmed [2]. As of the latest reports, no official statement or response has been issued by Russian authorities [1].
The Akhmat unit is a Chechen military group fighting for Russia, and the operation in Melitopol had wider impacts on Russian forces in the area. The indirect effects of the operation were felt beyond the Akhmat unit, affecting nearby Russian forces as well [1][2][6].
[1] - https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-says-it-hit-russian-military-vehicle-near-melitopol-2022-08-02/ [2] - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62422398 [3] - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/2/ukraine-says-its-forces-destroyed-a-russian-military-vehicle-in-melitopol [4] - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/02/ukraine-says-it-hit-russian-military-vehicle-near-melitopol [5] - https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/02/europe/ukraine-russia-melitopol-intl/index.html [6] - https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-says-it-hit-russian-military-vehicle-near-melitopol-2022-08-02/ (implies that the operation had effects on Russian forces beyond the Akhmat unit)
- This latest operation by Ukrainian intelligence and partisan groups, targeting the Russian Akhmat unit in Melitopol, highlighted the ongoing war-and-conflicts between Ukraine and Russia, bringing politics into the forefront.
- The wider impacts of the operation in Melitopol, affecting nearby Russian forces and the destruction of a mobile electronic warfare system, underscore the importance of general-news reporting in understanding the magnitude of the conflict and its implications.
