At the Top of Russia's Pokrovsk Incursion, Ukrainian Tanks Broke Cover—And Fought at Point-Blank Range

The Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized Brigade enjoyed local air superiority

93rd Mechanized Brigade photo

The 93rd Mechanized Brigade “is regarded as one of the best combat units of the ground forces of Ukraine,” according to Militaryland, which tracks the Ukrainian force structure.

Formed from the leftovers of the Soviet 93rd Motorized Division following the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, the brigade has fought in some of the hardest battles of the Russia-Ukraine war since 2014.

So it should come as no surprise that, when potentially thousands of Russian infantry from the 51st Combined Arms Army marched right past empty Ukrainian trenches northeast of the fortress city of Pokrovsk around two weeks ago, the 93rd Mechanized Brigade was one of the roughly 10 Ukrainian brigades that responded.

The brigade deployed infantry, up-armored T-64BV tanks and gun-armed ground robots. Its mission: to clear the Russians digging into the village of Vesele, at the top of the Russian incursion around nine miles north of the former front line.