Russia Lost 1,500 Soldiers In "New Chernobaevka"

The defeat on the Siversky Donets River shocked Russians.

The Russian invaders have already tried several times to cross the Siversky Donets River near the village of Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region, but each time the Armed Forces of Ukraine stopped them. The invaders have already lost about 250 military vehicles and up to 1,500 soldiers and officers as a result of a number of such unsuccessful attempts.

A number of Russian bloggers launched a wave of criticism of the leadership of the Russian Armed Forces, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, after Russian troops failed to force the Siversky Donets River. This reaction drew the attention of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), as stated in their report.

"The Ukrainian destruction of significant elements of a Russian motorized rifle brigade that tried to cross a pontoon bridge over the Siversky Donets River on May 11 has shocked prominent Russian milbloggers," the report says.

It is noted that the milbloggers who had hitherto been cheering on the Russian military criticized Russian armed forces leadership for failing to learn from experience in the war and hundreds of thousands of their subscribers saw it.

A number of military experts also reacted to the failed attempts to force the river, some of them accusing the Russian army of incompetence, which led to heavy losses, the ISW notes.

At the same time, Russian bloggers also expressed the concern that the constant pushing of Russia’s propaganda lines was making it hard for them to understand what was actually going on. The ISW suggested that such statements by bloggers may have consequences because many of their subscribers trust them rather than the state government. This may fuel burgeoning doubts in Russia about Russia’s prospects in this war and the competence of Russia’s military leaders,

Russians' unsuccessful attempts to force the Siversky Donets

Earlier it was reported that the Luhansk region has its own "Chernobaivka". There is a bend of the Siversky Donets River not far from the village of Bilohorivka. Russian troops tried five times to build a pontoon crossing and constantly suffer losses in this area.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Russian army has already lost about 250 military vehicles and up to 1,500 soldiers and officers there.