Lack of support from 41st Brigade led to Russian advances in Niu-York, battalion claims

Servicemembers of Ukraine's 206th Battalion have received inadequate support from the 41st Separate Mechanized Brigade, contributing to Russian advances in the front-line village of Niu-York in Donetsk Oblast, platoon leaders told Ukrainska Pravda on July 5.

Members of the 206th Battalion, a unit of the 241st Brigade of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, were assigned to the 41st Brigade in the Toretsk sector in June, as the Russian military intensified its offensive in the area.

The Territorial Defense is a military reserve force originating in the informal volunteer battalions formed in response to Russia's covert invasion of Donbas in 2014.

"Our complaint is that there is no support," a 206th Battalion platoon leader told Ukrainska Pravda, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

"We are light infantry, TDFs, we are armed with assault rifles and a few mortars. We are assigned such tasks. .. that maybe the Third Assault Brigade with its young guys and weapons will not be able to do."

The platoon leader said in one case, the 41st Brigade ordered the battalion "to send 10 people to the enemy's rear and cut off their logistics."

The platoon leader said that the shortage of people in the 206th Battalion and lack of instruction from the 41st Brigade contributed to the loss of Niu-York's southern territory. Russian forces advanced 3 kilometers into the southern part of the village as the 206th Battalion attempted to hold the line.

There were no defensive positions prepared in the Niu-York direction when they entered, the platoon leader said.

Roman Kulyk, the 206th Battalion's deputy commander, expressed similar complaints on social media.

The 41st Brigade assigned tasks fit "for space marines or for fresh units packed with 20-year-old sports equipment and vehicles," Kulyk said on X.

"The fact that these people are physically and psychologically worn out from years of a great war, that there is a total lack of means and ammunition to support the infantry, is stupidly ignored."

The press office of the 41st Brigade has not commented on the complaints.

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The Kyiv IndependentChris York