Russian tank column obliterated near Kostyantynivka amid crumbling offensive

A mechanized assault by Russian troops on the Kostyantynivka front has ended in a crushing defeat, exhausting Russia's resources as its command scrambles to patch up the situation. According to military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko, the assault involved approximately 15 armored vehicles and up to 10 light tanks. However, the outcome was catastrophic: all of the equipment was obliterated by the Ukrainian defense, utilizing methods ranging from FPV drones to Javelin anti-tank missiles. "The equipment is annihilated. But the very fact of this attempt is already a signal," Kovalenko writes.

The expert notes that Russian forces are significantly lagging behind their offensive schedules. Settlements like Komar, Malynivka, Myrolyubivka, and Romanivka, which were supposed to be captured in the spring, are only now becoming targets in the summer phase of the offensive. This indicates a failure in strategic planning, as the ongoing campaign begins on positions that were meant to be starting points months ago.

Of particular concern is the chaos in troop management. Kovalenko points to a chaos in troop management. He cites a paradoxical situation in which the 8th Army, initially sent to support the 51st Combined Arms Army, is now requesting reinforcements from the same 51st Army, which has been unsuccessfully assaulting the Toretsk area for a year.

This interchangeable "stretching" indicates an over-extension of resources, exhaustion of brigades, and a logistical collapse at the front.

Amid an acute shortage of armored vehicles and a need to conserve every combat vehicle, Russian command is taking extreme measures by rolling out remnants of Soviet-era reserves long retired from storage. This not only highlights the army's technical degradation but also suggests that offensive resources are nearly depleted.

The mechanized assault, culminating in the total destruction of their equipment, has become symbolic of Russia's failed summer offensive campaign. The Russian military is losing momentum, re-deploying units illogically, with strategic goals shifting from spring to summer and then fading into obscurity. Russia is losing operational initiative, forced into risky maneuvers while depleting its last capable reserves.