Zelenopillia rocket attack explained

Conflict:Zelenopillia rocket attack
Partof:the war in Donbas
Date:11 July 2014
Place:Zelenopillia, Sverdlovsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast, Eastern Ukraine
Result:Russian victory
Combatant2:[1]
Commander1: Col. Ihor Momot
(Head of State Border Service)
Commander2:Unknown
Units1:

Airmobile Forces:

State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

Units2:[3]
Strength1:1 armoured group
Strength2:122-mm 9K51M "Tornado-G" batteries
2 Orlan-10 drones
Casualties1:37 killed
100+ injured[4]
2 battalions worth of vehicles and tanks lost
Casualties2:1 Orlan-10 drone shot down

The Zelenopillia rocket attack took place on 11 July 2014 during the war in Donbas. The rocket barrage, which was launched from inside Russian territory by Russian[5] forces, killed 37 Ukrainian soldiers and border guards in a camp at Zelenopillia, Sverdlovsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast.[6]

Attack

In the early morning of 11 July 2014, Russian forces fired a barrage of 9K51M "Tornado-G"[7] rockets in 40 salvos beginning at 4:40 a.m. They targeted an armoured convoy of the Ukrainian Ground Forces from a distance of . The Ukrainian column was camped in a field near the village of Zelenopillia, situated along the main highway to Luhansk in Sverdlovsk Raion near Rovenky.[8] The town is located only from the Russia–Ukraine border. The Ukrainian armoured brigades were a part of a larger contingent of troops guarding the border against the illegal movement of military equipment from Russia into Eastern Ukraine.[9] [10]

At least 19 soldiers were killed and 93 others were injured in the rocket strike.[11] [12] Four Ural-4320 transport trucks full of troops were struck. According to one Ukrainian soldier's account, the 1st Battalion of Mykolaiv's 79th Airmobile Brigade was "almost completely destroyed" during the rocket onslaught.[13] Chief physician of a regional hospital, Serhiy Ryzhenko, reported the wounded to be in grave condition, with some undergoing traumatic leg amputations and loss of limbs.[14]

According to an investigation a year later, 30 Ukrainian soldiers and 7 border guards were killed and over 100 soldiers were wounded during that strike.[15] Ukrainian border guards Colonel Ihor Momot was among the fallen.[16] Materiel losses were equivalent to two battalions worth of equipment.[17]

Reactions

In response to the rocket strike, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko held an emergency cabinet meeting and issued a statement condemning the attack and vowing to "find and destroy" the pro-Russian rebels accountable. He also said for every Ukrainian serviceman's life the militants will pay with "tens and hundreds of their own".[18]

The United States Department of the Treasury instituted a new set of sanctions on Russia after reliable evidence emerged that the rockets were fired from within Russian territory. Videos by a resident of the rocket launchers firing at Ukrainian positions matched the very same Google Maps view of the same physical features inside Russian territory bordering Ukraine.[19]

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. News: Scales. Robert H.. Robert H. Scales. 5 August 2016 . Opinion Russia's superior new weapons . . 8 December 2019.
  2. Web site: 11 July 2014. uk:Під Зеленопіллям триває бій, військові потребують термінової допомоги . The battle continues near Zelenopillia, the military needs urgent help . http://www.unian.ua/politics/938706-pid-zelenopillyam-trivae-biy-viyskovi-potrebuyut-terminovoji-dopomogi.html. unian.ua. uk. Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 11 April 2015.
  3. Book: Galeotti, Mark . Mark Galeotti . Illustrated by Johnny Shumate . 2017 . The Modern Russian Army 1992–2016 . Elite . 217 . Bloomsbury Publishing . 61 . 978-1-4728-1909-3.
  4. Web site: 2014-07-15. Ukrainian Troops Were Likely Shelled from Russian MRLS Tornado in Zelenopillia . Censor.NET . 2016-01-29.
  5. Web site: Butusov. Yurii. 2015-07-12. ru:11 июля 2014 года. Вооруженные силы Российской Федерации уничтожили лагерь украинских войск под Зеленопольем . 11 July 2014. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed the camp of Ukrainian troops near Zelenopillia. http://censor.net.ua/resonance/343516/11_iyulya_2014_goda_voorujennye_sily_rossiyiskoyi_federatsii_unichtojili_lager_ukrainskih_voyisk_pod. Censor.NET. ru. 2017-01-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20150714231201/http://censor.net.ua/resonance/343516/11_iyulya_2014_goda_voorujennye_sily_rossiyiskoyi_federatsii_unichtojili_lager_ukrainskih_voyisk_pod. 2015-07-14. live.
  6. News: 2014-07-11. Up to 30 Ukraine Soldiers, Border Guards Die in Attack: Official . NBC News. 2016-01-29.
  7. Web site: 2014-07-13. uk:Українських військових під Зеленопіллям обстріляли з новітньої російської зброї "Торнадо", - журналіст . Ukrainian soldiers near Zelenopillia were fired upon with the latest Russian weapon "Tornado", – journalist . http://ipress.ua/news/ukrainskyh_viyskovyh_pid_zelenopillyam_obstrilyaly_z_novitnoi_rosiyskoi_zbroi_tornado__zhurnalist_74413.html. iPress.ua. uk. 2017-01-24.
  8. Web site: Babiak. Mat. 2014-07-11. Rocket strike kills dozens of Ukrainian soldiers near Russian border. Euromaidan Press. 2020-03-16.
  9. News: 13 July 2014 . uk:Сили АТО під Зеленопіллям обстріляли з "Торнадо" - ЗМІ . Anti-Terrorist Operation forces near Zelenopillia were fired upon with "Tornado" – the mass media . http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/07/13/7031806/. Ukrainska Pravda. uk. 12 April 2015.
  10. News: 2014-07-12. Ukrainian Fighter Jets Pound Rebels After Deadly Missile Attack. Voice of America. Reuters. 2016-01-29.
  11. News: 11 July 2014. Ukraine conflict: Many soldiers dead in 'rocket strike' . BBC News. 2016-01-28.
  12. News: Williams. Carol J.. Loiko. Sergei L.. Sergey Loiko. 11 July 2014. In eastern Ukraine, separatist rocket attacks, bus ambush kill 30. Los Angeles Times. 2016-02-01.
  13. Web site: 11 July 2015. Year ago: ATO troops near Zelenopillya burnt to the ground by Russian Grads. unian.info. Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 28 January 2016.
  14. Web site: Bazov. Gleb. 17 July 2014. Ukrainian Soldiers – Abandoned in Zelenopillia, Corpses All Around Them. SLAVYANGRAD.org. 2016-01-29.
  15. Web site: 2014-07-13. uk:Солдати в Зеленопіллі загинули від новітнього російського "Торнадо-Г" - ЗМІ . Soldiers in Zelenopillia died from the latest Russian "Tornado-G" – the mass media . http://www.unian.ua/politics/939160-soldati-v-zelenopilli-zaginuli-vid-novitnogo-rosiyskogo-tornado-g-zmi.html. unian.ua. uk. Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 2017-01-24.
  16. News: 2014-08-13. The heroes we will never forget. The Day. 47. 2017-01-24.
  17. Axe. David. David Axe. 5 August 2020. The Ukrainian Army Learned The Hard Way—Don't Idle Your Tanks When The Russians Are Nearby. Forbes. 11 July 2024.
  18. News: Zinets. Natalia. Tsvetkova. Maria. 2014-07-11. Ukraine says rebels will pay as missiles kill 23 soldiers . Reuters. 2016-01-28.
  19. Weiss. Michael. Michael Weiss (journalist). Miller . James. 2014-07-17. Russia Is Firing Missiles at Ukraine. Foreign Policy. 2016-02-12.

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