Russian advance halted as Ukrainian forces strike key road
Despite some successes in the Kursk region, the Russians have stalled near the village of Zelenyj Szlyak. The main road providing support and supplies is regularly shelled by the Ukrainians, resulting in dozens of destroyed Russian vehicles worth millions of dollars.
The Russians have become wedged between Ukrainian positions near Zelenyj Szlyak and have made no further advances for a week. Meanwhile, the Ukrainians, still holding the flanks, are shelling the only two roads the Russians can utilize during the rainy season.
The road is being targeted by artillery, drone operators, and M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles from the 47th Mechanized Brigade in the area. Consequently, the road is littered with wreckage of equipment valued at tens of millions of dollars. The 155th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet suffered the greatest losses.
The road of death in the Kursk region — here's what the Russians lost
The majority of lost vehicles are BMP family infantry fighting vehicles and even lighter armored BMDs designed for parachute drops. The BMP/BMD-1 version is equipped with a low-pressure 73 mm gun capable of firing fragmentation and shaped-charge projectiles.
Newer BMP/BMD-2 versions received a 30 mm automatic cannon, a much more versatile weapon. Typically, these also include an anti-tank guided missile launcher for combating vehicles. These types of vehicles typically accompany tanks, a few wrecks of which can also be observed.
Armor is a significant issue, as only the front plate can withstand more than machine gun fire with armor-piercing ammunition. The sides can be penetrated by any heavy machine gun of 0.5-inch caliber and, depending on the distance, even by an FN FAL or MG3. It is worth noting that the steel armor of BMP series vehicles offers more protection than the aluminum alloy of the airborne BMDs. The unit cost of such vehicles is several hundred thousand dollars.
Additionally, the recording shows general-purpose armored vehicles, such as GAZ Tigr, which have been produced since 2005. They provide protection only against small arms fire from weapons like AK rifles and artillery shell fragments.
There are also 3-STS Achmat vehicles produced exclusively for Kadyrov's forces, based on the Ural-4320 truck with a 6x6 configuration. These were supposed to be armored to withstand fire from heavy machine guns of 0.5-inch caliber or an anti-tank mine, similar to MRAP-type vehicles like Typhoon.
