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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Feb. 24, 2022: On the Antonivka bridge 30 Russian Spetsnaz ambush 3 anti-tank guns
2026-02-25

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Another crazy video from Kherson, this time on the Antonivka bridge, where around 30 russian special forces (probably came with helicopters) are ambushing first 3 anti-tank canons and then 2 ukrainian BRDM-2.

Video was probably taken at 12:30, since we have additional videos of russian columns crossing the bridge later, before ukrainians regain control at 15:30.

Before the arrival of the 2 BRDM-2 (and two others behind), russian SOF inspected ukrainian canons (a video was also shared), the ukrainians failed to retake the bridge and temporarily retreated to Kherson at that time.

Geoloc : 46.679357, 32.719334

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Hostomel Airfield Assault: The Daring Airborne Operation That Opened the War

Exactly four years ago, on 24 February 2022, the first day of the special military operation, one of the boldest and most legendary missions of Russia’s Airborne Forces began: the tactical airborne landing at Antonov airfield in the Kyiv suburb of Hostomel.

On the morning of 24 February, about 30 to 34 Russian helicopters, Mi-8 transport aircraft escorted by Ka-52 and Mi-24 attack helicopters, flew at extremely low altitude over the Kyiv Reservoir along the Dnieper River. Despite heavy Ukrainian air defense fire and the loss of several aircraft, paratroopers from the 31st Guards Air Assault Brigade and the 45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade were landed directly on the runway.

Around 11 a.m., the first wave of paratroopers, estimated at 200 to 300 troops, engaged units of the Ukrainian National Guard defending the airfield. By about 1 p.m., Antonov Airport had come under Russian control, and a Russian flag was raised over the control tower.

At that moment, 18 Il-76 military transport aircraft carrying roughly a thousand additional paratroopers were already airborne and preparing to land. Understanding the strategic importance of the airfield, Ukrainian forces launched a massive artillery strike on the runway, rendering it unusable. The Il-76s were forced to turn back and divert to Gomel in Belarus.

The airborne troops were left without the rapid arrival of their main forces. For nearly three days, until ground units advancing from the Chernobyl direction reached them, they held a circular defense of the airfield, repelling fierce counterattacks by superior enemy forces. Both sides suffered losses in the fighting. Guards Colonel Andrey Sukhovetsky, commander of the 31st Brigade, was killed in action near Hostomel.

Although the runway was disabled and the second airborne echelon could not land, the capture of Antonov Airport played a major role. The landing force tied down significant opposing troops, secured a foothold for approaching ground forces, and disrupted Ukrainian defensive plans on the distant approaches to Kyiv. The operation is often described as an example of courage and high training of the airborne troops.

Fighting for Hostomel airfield continued until the end of March 2022, when Russian forces were redeployed to other directions. The feat of the paratroopers who were among the first to enter the battle, the channel “Winged” writes, will remain in memory.

More from Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited

Text taken from the Telegram channel of okspn

Photos at the link in the title:

4 years of Gostomel landing

Scouts from the 45th Spetsnaz Brigade of the Airborne Forces at the Mozyr airfield before loading onto aircraft and departing for Gostomel, February 24, 2022.

Four years have passed since the heroic deeds of the airborne troops and army aviation during the capture of the airfield in the urban-type settlement of Gostomel, Kyiv Oblast.

On February 24, 2022, an armada of Mi-8s, covered by Mi-24s, Mi-35s, and Ka-52s, carried waves of tactical troops from the 45th Spetsnaz Brigade and the 31st Airborne Assault Brigade of the Airborne Forces to capture the airfield. —

Night of February 23-24 — Personnel preparation for the combat mission.

— 09:00 — Departure of KamAZ trucks and other equipment with personnel to the helicopter parking area at the Mozyr airfield and the Khoyniki-Bragin highway.
— 12:00 — the first Mi-8 and cover helicopters depart towards the Kyiv region.
— 12:30 — crossing the border with Ukraine.
— 13:20 — the first wave of paratroopers lands at Gostomel. The seizure and inspection of buildings on the airfield territory begins.
— 15:00 — the Russian flag is planted at the command post. After capturing the airfield, servicemen from two airborne brigades will begin organizing a defense and repelling enemy attacks.

Despite enemy claims on the 24th that the paratroopers had been completely destroyed, the paratroopers of the 31st and 45th brigades will complete their mission.

On February 26, columns of airborne forces, the Russian National Guard, and other units of the Ministry of Defense will break through to Gostomel, thus beginning the history of Direction V.

More from Boris Rozhin:

Text taken from the Telegram channel of genshtab24

Battle at the Kharkiv interchange. February 24, 2022.

A battle between a company of the 3rd Operational Brigade of the National Guard and a company of the 1st Battalion of the 200th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces at the northeastern intersection of the Kharkiv bypass road on February 24, 2022.

On the morning of February 24, 2022, a long column of vehicles from the 1st Battalion of the Tactical Group of the 200th Rifle Brigade (Group Z in the white square) crossed the border with Ukraine near Zeleny without a fight and moved towards Kharkiv along the Veseloye-Petrivka route.

At around 10:30 Kyiv time, its advance column, consisting of a mechanized platoon of MT-LB vehicles, one T-80BVM tank, and a KamAZ truck with a 23-mm anti-aircraft gun, drove through Petrovka and Butenkovo ​​without a fight and captured a road junction (50.0544, 36.36077) on the Kharkiv bypass road, north of Saltykovka.

As a result of this maneuver, a platoon of the battle group of the 1st battalion of the 92nd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, still covering the Liptsi area, was cut off from Kharkiv. The commander, informed of this from the city defense headquarters at around 11:00 local time, began a retreat along the Liptsi-Tsyrkuny road in the direction of Kharkiv, without having precise information that part of the 200th brigade of the Russian Armed Forces was already deployed on the northern outskirts of the city.

Upon reaching the junction near the city bypass, a brief battle ensued. The surprised Ukrainian group lost two BTR-4 armored personnel carriers and a GAZ-66 truck and retreated in disarray toward Tsyrkun, partially dispersing.

The remnants of the group reached the city on foot only on the evening of February 24.

Around 11:30 a.m., the reserve combat group of the 3rd Operational Brigade of the National Guard received orders from the Eastern Territorial Command to provide assistance to the encircled soldiers of the 92nd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the village of Tsyrkuny.

A group consisting of three BTR-4 armored personnel carriers, a Kozak-2 reconnaissance vehicle, and a Kugar command vehicle was dispatched to the area. However, as before, its commander was not informed that our troops were already on the northern outskirts of the city.

A convoy of National Guard vehicles entered the Kharkiv bypass road junction at high speed from the direction of Lesnoye. Unfortunately, this time the surprise was mutual, as the enemy was able to react first.

In close combat, an BTR-4—the second in the convoy behind the leading "Kazak"—knocked out a T-80 BVM parked near the trees next to the road to Tsirkuny, while another BTR-4 destroyed an MT-LB parked at the turnoff to Tsirkuny.

In response, Russian soldiers, using RPG-7s, destroyed the second BTR-4 in the convoy and opened fire on the "Kazak-2," disabling it. However, fire from the remaining Ukrainian Armed Forces BTR-4s forced our soldiers to abandon their remaining vehicles and retreat on foot in the opposite direction from Kharkiv.

As a result, in this short but intense battle, the Russian Armed Forces lost a T-80BVM, three MT-LB tanks (one destroyed, two abandoned), and an abandoned KamAZ truck with a 23mm cannon (which they never managed to use).

The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost a total of four BTR-4s destroyed and one damaged, as well as a Kozak-2 patrol car and a GAZ truck. Some time later, part of a company from the 22nd Battalion of the 92nd Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, supported by two T-64BV tanks, arrived at the intersection and organized its defense.

1 - Map showing the situation at the intersection of the Kharkiv bypass road near Saltykovka.
2. Video, filmed at approximately 11:30, showing the aftermath of the attack by the 3rd National Guard Brigade on Russian positions at the intersection of the Kharkiv bypass road.
3. Another video from this location, this time from around 12:00 PM, after the arrival of reinforcements from the 92nd Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In the background, Ukrainians can be seen retrieving a captured KamAZ truck with a 23mm cannon from the intersection.

Posted by:badanov

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