Great Raid of 2014

The Great Raid of 2014, also known as the Raid of the 95th Brigade, took place from July 19 to August 10, 2014, during the war in eastern Ukraine. According to official information, units of the Ukrainian 95th Air Assault Brigade, reinforced with assets from the 25th Airborne and 30th and 51st Mechanized Brigades, conducted a 470 km raid, of which 170 km were behind enemy lines. During the raid, the 95th Brigade paratroopers entered into armed clashes with the Russian Army.

Great Raid of 2014
Raid of the 95th Brigade
Part of War in Donbass
Date19 July 2014 – 10 August 2014 (3 weeks and 1 day)
Location
Parts of Luhansk Oblast and Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine
Result Ukrainian victory
Belligerents
 Ukraine

 Luhansk People's Republic
 Donetsk People's Republic

 Russia (per Ukraine)
Commanders and leaders
Ukraine Mykhaylo Zabrodsky Unknown
Units involved

95th Airmobile Brigade

Reinforcements:
25th Airmobile Brigade
30th Mechanized Brigade
51st Mechanized Brigade

Separatist forces


Per Ukraine:
Russia Russian Armed Forces
Casualties and losses
13 paratroopers killed
74 wounded
60% of equipment lost[1]		 3 checkpoints destroyed
Unknown killed and wounded

Planning

In June 2014, the country's leadership developed a strategic plan that foresaw blocking the Russian-Ukrainian border by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the surroundings of the cities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.[2] In July, the units blocking the border came into the southeast vicinity of Luhansk and in the east of Donetsk regions. ATO command had developed a plan for the release of units at the border. According to the plan, the units of the 95th Air Assault Brigade, 30th Mechanized Brigade, 51st Mechanized Brigade, 25th Airborne were to occupy Savur Mohil, Stepanivka, Marinovka, to establish control over the ferries on the Mius River and to relieve the units of the 24th and 72nd Mechanized and 79th Air Assault Brigades.[3]

The main strike of the operation was the 400 paratroopers of the 95th Air Assault Brigade and tanks of the 30th Mechanized Brigade. All who took part in the operation were volunteers.[4][3]

Battles

Battle for Lysychansk

The first battles in the raid began for the liberation of Lysychansk. According to the operation plan, the 95th brigade units were to conduct raids and go to the southern outskirts of the city and from there start liquidating enemy units. The 24th brigade had to do this from the north. Following the 95 brigade, from the south came to the Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine "Donbas", which carried the operation of liquidation of Russian units in the direction to the city center.[5]

Two days before the assault of Lysychansk, scouts were sent to identify the reference points of militants. The scouts discovered a block post, which wasn't previously known.[6]

On July 19, units 95th brigade went to the offensive. First they destroyed the block post, discovered by scouts on the eve. The advanced detachment set the task to take a strategically important height. The initial attempt to seize the height was unsuccessful, and advanced detachment fighters were forced to retreat. However, during a new battle which lasted a few hours the enemy left their positions and the 95th brigade took the height.[6][7]

After that, the paratroopers took control of the oil refinery, which could have been destroyed by Russian troops and separatists.[8] The battle lasted from midday to the evening of July 19, with 5 paratroopers being killed and 40 injured.[9]

That was the greatest joy for all the time of my service. When local saw that armoured personnel carriers with Ukrainian symbols, they ran to salute us. On the way the local people unfolded blue-yellow flags and dressed up vyshyvankas. They were standing along the road clapping, singing the Ukrainian hymn and shouting "Glory to Ukraine!", "Thank you for coming!". — Vasyl Bodnar, soldier of the 95th brigade.[10]

Results

According to official information, the paratroopers carried out a 470-kilometer raid on the rear of the separatists, and at the same time destroyed three hostile checkpoints.[11] However, the most important achievement was the creation of a corridor for units trapped at the border to retreat. Thanks to the skillful actions of paratroopers and infantrymen, 3,000 people and more than 250 pieces of equipment were able to be evacuated safely.[12]

Significance

The raid is noteworthy because of its length and the fact that it was the first time Ukrainian and Russian forces clashed in the war in Donbas. According to Phillip Karber, it was one of the longest armored raids in military history.[13]

The raid was also a significant morale booster for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, especially the Air Assault forces. The skill and conduct of the 95th Air Assault Brigade was praised by American military expert Dr. Phillip Karber.[14]

See also

References
  1. ШПАК, Віктор (21 May 2015). "Нова доба Карачун-гори і Савур-могили".
  2. "Серпень 2014-го. Іловайськ. Частина І. Невиправдні сподівання на перемогу". tyzhden.ua. 23 August 2015.
  3. "Крилата піхота української армії". espreso.tv.
  4. "400 ВІДЧАЙДУХІВ - Народна армія". Archived from the original on 2016-06-30. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
  5. "400 ВІДЧАЙДУХІВ - Народна армія". 2016-06-30. Archived from the original on 2016-06-30. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  6. "Історії з війни. Бійці 95 аеромобільної бригади про життя в АТО". Репортер (in Ukrainian). 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  7. ""ГОТОВИЙ СЛУЖИТИ БУДЬ-ДЕ, АЛЕ З ЕМБЛЕМАМИ ВДВ" - Народна армія". 2017-08-04. Archived from the original on 2017-08-04. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  8. ШПАК, Віктор (2015-05-21). "Нова доба Карачун-гори і Савур-могили". Урядовий Кур’єр. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  9. "Сумы попрощались с десантником". Ваш шанс. Новости. События. Происшествия. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  10. "Надвірнянський Бабай просить жінок не ховати чоловіків під спідницями". Курс. 2014-08-15. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  11. "Прес-центр штабу АТО". www.facebook.com.
  12. http://www.mil.gov.ua/content/other/anliz_rf.pdf
  13. "21st Century Maneuver | Marine Corps Association". www.mca-marines.org. Archived from the original on 2017-08-25. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  14. "Якщо Україна відступить, ви програєте". 19 November 2014.

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