Ukraine's 17th Panzer Brigade has managed to destroy almost an entire Russian battalion in an attempt to cross the Seversky Donets River near the village of Bilokhorivka and possibly head to the town of Lyman, also one of the main points of battle for Donbass.

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In all likelihood, the Ukrainians detected with the help of reconnaissance drones that the Russians had built a pontoon bridge to cross.

However, the attempt was thwarted.

About 50 combat vehicles were destroyed, including at least seven T-72 and T-80 tanks, 17 armored personnel carriers and seven armored tractors, according to the authoritative British editions The Telegraph and Forbes.

Russian forces have attacked many settlements in eastern Ukraine, but not all attacks have been successful

The Ukrainians used drones plus howitzers and the firepower of these weapons (the United States supplied a total of 90, including 72 vehicles for their transportation, but in this case the howitzers used are from Soviet times - 2C1 "Carnation", which are amphibians) proved decisive.

It is unclear how many Russian soldiers were killed.

According to The Telegraph, there may be about 1,000 people, some Ukrainian sources say as many as 1,500.

in both cases the biggest Russian loss in a battle in the war in Ukraine, but no battalion in the world could continue to operate with the loss of almost 75% of the equipment it operates, according to Forbes.

According to a Twitter post by a Ukrainian military engineer named Maxim, the Ukrainians were waiting for the Russians to complete the pontoon bridges and start carrying their armored vehicles when the shelling began.

The Russians tried to cover themselves with smoke, but the Ukrainians sent a reconnaissance group of elite soldiers to direct the howitzer fire.

In addition to destroying equipment and killing Russians, Ukrainians destroyed at least two pontoon bridges.

After howitzers began firing on the Russians on the first pontoon bridge in an attempt to cross the river, Russian engineers tried to build a second pontoon bridge to withdraw troops, but it was also smashed and sunk by artillery fire.

Photos of what happened have already been spread by Ukrainian sources, in the Ukrainian media and on social networks.

The shots were taken with drones.

Artillerymen of the 17th tank brigade of the #UAarmy have opened the holiday season for ruscists.

Some bathed in the Siverskyi Donets River, and some were burned by the May sun.

pic.twitter.com/QsRsXmnJ65

- Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 11, 2022

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