The 3rd Ukrainian Assault Brigade prepares to return to the front: “We will fight like Spartans”
In December they abandoned the Bakhmut sector after a year of intense fighting against the Russians; These battle-hardened Ukrainian soldiers know that the opponent is strong and are fully trained to defeat him
They do not know when they will receive the order to return to the fight. But they claim to be overprepared and predict that 2024 will be full of “good fights.” His company, ‘Hydra’, is part of the Third Assault Brigade and has not stopped growing. Many volunteers ask to join this team after seeing their performance in the battlefield. Now, as they take a break from Russian artillery, trenches and complex assault missions, they teach newcomers how to handle themselves in one of the most brutal conflicts in decades.
This well-deserved break was announced late last year. The brigade withdrew from the front to recover and be supplied with fresh men. One of their main mottos is ‘excellence’ and they aspire to master all the military skills necessary to strike the hardest blows at their enemies. Based in an undisclosed location for security reasons, his fighters from the Third Assault Brigade are continuing their training and organizing more units with fighters who have joined their ranks. They are already elite soldiers and aspire to remain one of the most effective groups in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
There are also no moments to relax away from the avant-garde. There is conflict in the minds of these people. “You should learn something new every day.” Yehor explains, “We have to do physical training, develop new tactics, practice shooting… We have to be focused and ready for anything that happens on the front.”
This 27 year old man was earlier a welder. When the massive invasion began, he signed up as a volunteer and has been fighting since the first phase of the massive invasion. Yehor took part in the liberation of Andreevka, a town in the Donetsk region, on 23 September. This settlement is important for establishing the siege of Bakhmut from the eastern bank. This success was very popular in Ukraine because part of the operation was filmed on cameras carried by the army. Videos posted on social networks show that despite the firepower of the invaders, Ukrainian troops manage to repel them.
“We are warriors by profession and war is our natural element”
3rd Assault Brigade
The 3rd Assault Brigade is different from other regular units because almost all of its members joined by their own decision: “We are warriors by profession and war is our natural element,” they highlight on their website. “I would say about 99% of us here are volunteers. “Ethics are not a problem for us,” says a creative designer of ‘Mantis’ – war badge – from Odessa who volunteered.
separate assault brigade
On February 24, 2022, Azov veterans formed the 3rd Assault Brigade. After fighting in the Kiev area, these troops were deployed to the Zaporizhia region in the south of the country, and also participated in the liberation of Kherson. In early 2023, the brigade became part of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a separate assault brigade.
He spent almost twelve months fighting on the intensive Bakhmut front. The principles of these units’ “worldview” are “Ukrainian centrism, traditionalism, hierarchy and responsibility”, they state on their website. To join, there is a selection process consisting of physical test and personal interview. “Only highly motivated and strong-spirited fighters enter our ranks, ready for continuous improvement and tough battles with the enemy on the front lines,” the unit explains.
‘Mantis’ went through this entire process. “They interviewed me and asked me about my military skills; Once they approve it, they decide whether you have to undergo two or three months of training. Those who already have prior combat experience can start serving in the team that is already operational,” explains the ‘mentee’.
mobilization and rest
Large posters of the 3rd Brigade calling for Ukrainians to enlist have been distributed on the streets of the main cities. A large scale recruitment campaign is going on. The training program consists of several phases. Would-be soldiers can start from scratch. The Brigade assures that no one will be sent to the front without proper training. During the first week, physical fitness is evaluated and basic knowledge is learned. After this, recruits who decide to stay receive tactical training, medical concepts, military topography, terrain orientation, and concepts about mines and explosives.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny, said the army needed 450,000 to 500,000 additional recruits.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny, said the army needed 450,000 to 500,000 additional recruits. A figure with which the political leadership of the state disagrees. The debate about the new great mobilization is looming over society. Ukrainian authorities will have to examine how to respond to all the challenges posed by the Russian war. The war needs more guards, but there are also jobs that need to be filled. The economic front cannot be ignored.
There is no rush of volunteers
As the second anniversary of the massive attack approaches, there is no longer a pool of volunteers willing to take up arms. Zaluzny himself highlighted recruitment problems in his latest column published on CNN: “The inability of state institutions in Ukraine to improve the personnel level of our armed forces without the use of unpopular measures.”
The amended draft law on mobilization was presented to the Ukrainian parliament Rada on the first day of February. In the absence of its final approval, the main changes instituted by it are: conscription begins at the age of 25 (hitherto it was set at the age of 27); Demobilization after 36 months of service; Compulsory military training for men between the ages of 18 and 25; Ukrainians living abroad were required to complete military registration to access consular services and to be issued passports. However, the rotation rule still needs to be clarified.
Yehor spent a year and a half without rotation. He, “Mantis” and “Demus” – another volunteer soldier from the 3rd Brigade – explain that the rest depends on each brigade and the military operations in progress. However, all three acknowledge that if all those not yet in the military were encouraged to fight, there would be more rotations and less pressure for those who do not have leave.