The Armed Forces of Ukraine try to attack the positions of the Russian army south of the city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region. Military correspondent Alexander Kots reported a few details of what has been happening on the battlefield lately.
On his Telegram channel, the correspondent said that on Wednesday, September 7, he was told that "mercenary infantry" fighting on the side of Ukraine — 20-30 people without military hardware — tried to attack a Russian company, but the Russian servicemen successfully repulsed the attack and did not give up their positions.
"The power of the mercenaries was growing, and 18-20-year-old guys voluntarily ran out on foot from neighboring positions (…) to meet them. Those (…) people smashed all the attackers to pieces, and they retreated. We had one wounded — he got his skin burnt against a fragment when he was lying down on the ground,” Kots wrote and explained that the mercenaries were recognized as such by their foreign speech.
On September 8, it became known that at about eight o'clock in the morning, six enemy tanks, more than 10 armored personnel carriers (APCs) and other vehicles, as well as about 150-200 infantrymen, attacked the soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces.
"Our men fought back … in different observation posts. Plus, our artillery was working very well. Buba with (…) fighters was in the most heated direction. They repulsed the mercenaries, but a tank came out to them and started shelling them," the journalist said.
According to the correspondent, four people were killed in the battle. Sergeant Buba, a volunteer from Vologda, had his legs broken in the fight, but he continued to lead the battle to the end. The serviceman ordered the young subordinate to move away and said on the radio:
"Goodbye fellows, honoured to have served with you." Afterwards, the Russian artillery struck the enemy.
As one of the wounded later said, Buba blew himself up.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an offensive in the Kharkiv region towards the cities of Balakleya, Izyum and Kupyansk. The forces of the Ukrainian army tried to break into the settlements on the move, but were stopped by units of the Russian National Guard. Ukraine continued the offensive in a detour: the Armed Forces of Ukraine took control of a part of the road between Balakleya and Kupyansk, having taken the settlement of Volkhov Yar.