Red-Bearded Russian
The saga in Avdiivka has tested the Ukraine’s Third Separate Assault Brigade to the limit. In the days before Ukrainian authorities ordered a pullback from the city, elite units entered to carry out pinpoint operations against Russian positions and to open escape routes for Ukrainian troops defending the town for months. Some veterans here had previously served with the Azov Battalion, taking part in the fiercest battles of the war, including Mariupol and Bakhmut. The commander, Volodymyr Fokin, known as Foka, calls Avdiivka the toughest fight of them all, a verdict that sits heavy on the unit’s record.
At the war’s outset the regiment faced misjudgments about how warmly it would be greeted in Ukraine. Once the reality of resistance sunk in, learning to fight back came quickly, and the unit noted the technology that allowed the enemy to adapt. A Ukrainian officer, resting in a safe location near the front lines in Donbas, explains that the relative strength of the two sides left little room for maneuver. In infanterie the Ukrainians faced a ten to one disadvantage; in artillery the gap was fifteen to one; armored vehicles favored the enemy by a factor of three; and even air power was lacking, with enemy bombers like the Su-34 and Su-35 dominating the skies. The officer points to the current scarcity of ammunition and munitions as a clear constraint on Kyiv’s forces.
Fokin acknowledges the pullback was hampered by communication failures within units, forcing some soldiers to take on more personnel than planned. He laments the wounded left behind who could not be evacuated and who, according to what he has learned, were executed by Russian troops. The commander notes that the Russians do not hide the killings; they publish footage of the murders on their Telegram accounts, a chilling detail that underscores the brutality of the front.
A 31-year-old Ukrainian serviceman with extensive battle experience sums up the delicate situation succinctly. Russia is prepared to pay any price to win this war, while Kyiv and its allies still debate their goals. The European Union and the United States have announced financial aid packages worth more than 50 billion euros and roughly 60 billion euros pending approval, measures intended to sustain Ukraine’s economy and its fighting capability. The Ukrainian officer argues these steps should have happened in 2022. He also cites stark examples to illustrate Western solidarity. The United States Army possesses thousands of armored vehicles and ammunition; had Kyiv received a fraction more, Avdiivka might still be in Ukrainian hands. He notes that some countries have shipped large quantities of artillery rounds that would have made a real difference on the ground.
The Red-Bearded Russian, meanwhile, has a personal history shaped by the war. Known by the nickname Barsik, a diminutive meaning snowy leopard in Russian, he fled Russia in 2014 after Crimea’s annexation, sensing a government under the sway of the FSB. Facing a treason case at home, he and his fellow Russians view their own military as opponents to be defeated. He participated in both the Battle of Bakhmut and the siege of Mariupol, and agrees with his commander that Avdiivka stands out as the most challenging engagement. Yet he leaves the experience with a sense of professional growth, noting that the mission to facilitate a retreat was accomplished and that it built fighting skills for future battles.
Among the Russian units encountered, the Wagner mercenaries are regarded as the most professional on the ground, according to Barsik. He concedes that they used prisoners as cannon fodder to reveal Ukrainian positions before striking with elite assault troops. He stresses that drones, especially FPV models, and electronic warfare capabilities would greatly help the Ukrainian side by blunting drone incursions and suppressing enemy reconnaissance. He also emphasizes the continued need for artillery, howitzers, and mortars, arguably trumping even promised Western air support like F-16s in importance for the immediate front line.
Paramedics also played a critical role in the Donbas defense. A medic codenamed Alisa, known as Fox, attached to the Third Brigade, trained to treat and evacuate the wounded while repelling enemy attacks, did not sleep for three days. She recalls conducting amputations and removing shrapnel from bodies, and describes Avdiivka as the place where she has treated the most cases with little chance of survival. Fox spent ten hours digging through rubble to reach a soldier buried alive; the rescue ultimately proved futile. When the excavator arrived to finish the task, the man was already gone.