Zelenopillia rocket attack

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Zelenopillia rocket attack
Part of the war in Donbas
Date11 July 2014
Location
Zelenopillia, Sverdlovsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast, Eastern Ukraine
47°56′24″N 39°38′33″E / 47.94000°N 39.64250°E / 47.94000; 39.64250
Result Russian victory
Belligerents
 Ukraine  Russia[1]
Commanders and leaders
Ukraine Col. Ihor Momot †[2]
(Head of State Border Service)		 Unknown
Units involved

 Ukrainian Ground Forces:

Airmobile Forces:

State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

 Russian Ground Forces[6]
Strength
1 armoured group[7] 122-mm 9K51M "Tornado-G" batteries
2 Orlan-10 drones[7]
Casualties and losses
37 killed[8]
100+ injured[9]
2 battalions worth of vehicles and tanks lost[7]		 1 Orlan-10 drone shot down[7]

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[10][1] forces, killed 37 Ukrainian soldiers and border guards in a camp at Zelenopillia, Sverdlovsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast.[8]

Attack

In the early morning of 11 July 2014, Russian forces fired a barrage of 9K51M "Tornado-G"[11][12][13][9] rockets in 40 salvos beginning at 4:40 a.m. They targeted an armoured convoy of the Ukrainian Ground Forces from a distance of 15 kilometres (9.3 mi). 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.[14] The town is located only 9 km (5.6 mi) 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.[13][15]

At least 19 soldiers were killed and 93 others were injured in the rocket strike.[3][16][17] 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.[5] 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.[18]

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.[9][11] Ukrainian border guards Colonel Ihor Momot was among the fallen.[2] Materiel losses were equivalent to two battalions worth of equipment.[7]

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".[3]

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

References

  1. ^ a b c Scales, Robert H. (5 August 2016). "Opinion | Russia's superior new weapons". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b "The heroes we will never forget". The Day. No. 47. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b c Zinets, Natalia; Tsvetkova, Maria (11 July 2014). "Ukraine says rebels will pay as missiles kill 23 soldiers". Reuters. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  4. ^ Під Зеленопіллям триває бій, військові потребують термінової допомоги [The battle continues near Zelenopillia, the military needs urgent help]. unian.ua (in Ukrainian). Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  5. ^ a b c "Year ago: ATO troops near Zelenopillya burnt to the ground by Russian Grads". unian.info. Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 11 July 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  6. ^ Galeotti, Mark (2017). The Modern Russian Army 1992–2016. Elite. Vol. 217. Illustrated by Johnny Shumate. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-4728-1909-3.
  7. ^ a b c d e Axe, David (5 August 2020). "The Ukrainian Army Learned The Hard Way—Don't Idle Your Tanks When The Russians Are Nearby". Forbes. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Up to 30 Ukraine Soldiers, Border Guards Die in Attack: Official". NBC News. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  9. ^ a b c "Ukrainian Troops Were Likely Shelled from Russian MRLS Tornado in Zelenopillia". Censor.NET. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  10. ^ Butusov, Yurii (12 July 2015). 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]. Censor.NET (in Russian). Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  11. ^ a b Солдати в Зеленопіллі загинули від новітнього російського "Торнадо-Г" - ЗМІ [Soldiers in Zelenopillia died from the latest Russian "Tornado-G" – the mass media]. unian.ua (in Ukrainian). Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 13 July 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  12. ^ 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]. iPress.ua (in Ukrainian). 13 July 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  13. ^ a b Сили АТО під Зеленопіллям обстріляли з "Торнадо" - ЗМІ [Anti-Terrorist Operation forces near Zelenopillia were fired upon with "Tornado" – the mass media]. Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 13 July 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  14. ^ Babiak, Mat (11 July 2014). "Rocket strike kills dozens of Ukrainian soldiers near Russian border". Euromaidan Press. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  15. ^ "Ukrainian Fighter Jets Pound Rebels After Deadly Missile Attack". Voice of America. Reuters. 12 July 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  16. ^ "Ukraine conflict: Many soldiers dead in 'rocket strike'". BBC News. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  17. ^ Williams, Carol J.; Loiko, Sergei L. (11 July 2014). "In eastern Ukraine, separatist rocket attacks, bus ambush kill 30". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  18. ^ Bazov, Gleb (17 July 2014). "Ukrainian Soldiers – Abandoned in Zelenopillia, Corpses All Around Them". SLAVYANGRAD.org. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  19. ^ Weiss, Michael; Miller, James (17 July 2014). "Russia Is Firing Missiles at Ukraine". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 12 February 2016.

Further reading