Russian fighters enter unsuspecting booby-trapped building: Ukrainians press the detonator | Abroad

Footage of the ambush was shared by the UMFT – UA Military Flight team. They were made by the 93rd Mechanized Brigade (Kholodnyi Yar), a unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. They were once described as “one of the most brutally effective units” of Ukraine’s frontline brigades.

The video shows a building in the eastern town of Bachmoet. Moments later, a loud explosion ensues on the ground floor of the building, part of which collapses and a huge plume of smoke rises.

“A group of Russian occupiers of eight to ten men entered the building, where beautiful gifts awaited them. They belonged to the large 93rd Brigade “Kholodnyi Yar”. Do you think the Russians like it?” he said sarcastically.

Bachmut has been besieged for months by Russian troops and mercenary army fighters from the Wagner Group. So far, they have failed to conquer the city.

Last week, British intelligence and the Ukrainian military said the Russian siege was “largely at a standstill” and the Ukrainians were “capable of stabilizing the situation”.

Last Monday, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said his men controlled about 70% of the city. But the front line hardly seems to move.

Bachmoet once had a population of 70,000, but is now largely in ruins. The city itself is not of great strategic importance, but by holding out as long as possible while causing damage to the Russians, kyiv hopes to slow Russian advances elsewhere on the front. According to Western estimates, 20,000 to 30,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded in the Battle of Bashmut.

With the time kyiv buys by holding on to Bachmut, he hopes to prepare a counterattack. On Thursday, a senior Ukrainian army commander said such a counter-offensive against “exhausted Russian troops” was imminent.