Ilovaisky cauldron: description, history, fights and interesting facts

Describing the events in the Donbass, it is very difficult to adhere to objectivity. But not because I want to stand on one side or the other, "blacken" some and "whitewash" others. The reason is that this topic is rather politicized. In general, the entire war (Ilovay boiler in particular) is covered by absolutely inconsistent information. Events vary so much that it's enough to change the sign "your" to "someone else's", and we'll get identical information that is broadcast on the other side.

The main thing is objectivity

We will not hang traditional labels "invader", "separet", "dill" or "terrorist", who like to use these or other media. We will try to approach this issue objectively, using information from both sides. As they say, in the civil war there are no "own" and "strangers". Any clash in the territory and between the participants of the former USSR people of mature and elderly age perceive as strife. The time will come, Ukraine and Russia will equally objectively cover these events. But now what is happening is happening. Some of them we will conditionally call the Ukrainian law enforcers, the Ukrainian Armed Forces, others - militiamen, fighters of the Democratic People's Republic of France.

The purpose of APU

The reasons for the defeat of the troops near Ilovaisky will continue to excite the minds of political scientists for a long time. But let's outline the plans of the siloviki. Ilovaysk was not the first defeat of the APU in the east. The environment was earlier. The so-called Izvarine cauldron. But if then they blamed the Russian military, that they fired the APU from their territories, then they are credited with a full-scale invasion. But what is the purpose of the operation? If Izvarino had the task of taking control of the border, now the goal is to block the "islands" of resistance of the militia. Cut Donetsk from Lugansk and from Russia, thereby isolating it. Ilovaysk was not chosen by chance.

The reasons for choosing the direction of impact

First, there was already such an attempt of encirclement through Shakhtersk. But she also failed. Now we decided to go further and cut off Donetsk through Ilovaisk, sending there two volunteer battalions. Secondly, Ilovaysk was chosen because the city is a large transport junction.

Chronicle of the Ilovay Boiler

Two years have already passed, and there is no official chronicle from the Ukrainian military prosecutor's office, which is investigating what is happening. But we tried to recreate these events, using memories from the Ilovai boiler, stories of militiamen, the publication of Russian and Ukrainian media that covered the events of that time.

August 9 can be considered the beginning. On this day two volunteer battalions, Azov and Donbass, started storming the city. The militia began active operations in the area of Saur-Mogila and Krasnyi Luch. The Ilovaysky cauldron has prerequisites for education. But there is still time to prevent it.

Then the situation is contradictory. The headquarters of the ATU reports that as a result of using the Saur-Grave height with the help of artillery fire from the territory of Russia, the troops were cut off from supply and reinforcement. The side of the DNR and the Russian Federation denies this information. According to their version, the boiler began to form because of the slowness of the APU, their tactical miscalculations and underestimation of the enemy. Yes, the militiamen had artillery, but Russia did not supply arms there, and all the more, it did not independently fire on the positions of the siloviki. The Ilovaysky cauldron could not have formed. It could have been avoided if tactically all forces acted regularly and smoothly.

On August 18, the "independent" command of volunteer battalions and regular forces brings its results. "Dnepr" and "Donbass", the 17th Panzer, 51st and 93rd mehbrigades go to the breakthrough and enter Ilovaisk. Azov and Shakhtersk leave the danger zone in Mariupol. According to them, they saved the city from capture by militants. This "retreat", which the media and the Headquarters of the ATU estimated as a flight, was caused by a strategic situation. Andrei Biletsky, the commander of Azov, said that the boiler was already formed at that time. And it's useless to drive people to a meat grinder.

Strange wound

Quite a different situation occurred with the Donbass. More precisely, with his commander - Semen Semenchenko. According to him, he was wounded and left the battalion on August 19, leaving the command to the deputy. True, many people say such a wound critically. They doubt whether he received it by accident, or whether it was done purposefully. Adherents of the second theory tend to believe that Semenchenko thus wanted to avoid personal involvement in the operation, while remaining a coward in the public eye. Be that as it may, the battalion took part in street fighting.

August 21 in the battle for Ilovaisk included Natsgvardiya. Despite the fact that part of the city is taken, the rear is not covered. Food and ammunition are limited. The troops are not ready for a long operation against a strong rival.

The formation of the boiler: the Russian invasion or unavailability of the APU?

Events further have two versions. According to the Ukrainian, on August 23 the column of Russian troops moved to Amvrosievka from the territory of the Russian Federation. In this area were deployed APU. According to militiamen, there were no massive incursions of Russian regular units. August 24, the day of Ukraine's independence, there was a massive strike in all sectors of the APU. In Kiev, the latest military equipment is held at the parade, and their fighters on the front line need heavy weapons. Soldiers of the Ukrainian army will say this indignantly later.

On the same day, a territorial battalion "Prykarpattya" deserted from one of the strategic sectors (where the column of Russian troops was moving according to Ukrainian border guards). According to the commanders, they encountered regular Russian forces and were not ready for resistance. Whatever it was, but east of Ilovaysk positions have become open. The environment of this city failed. Fierce fighting began. The Ilovaysky cauldron was formed for the Ukrainian troops themselves.

Then there was the inexplicable in the tactics of the General Staff of the ATU. On August 25-26 the troops near Ilovaysk are completely surrounded. But before that, all the generals and high officer ranks, leading the groupings, had left their units. There was no order to digress. In addition, there is no command to break the ring. Only the "keep" was given by the generals of the Armed Forces to their soldiers.

Ilovaysky cauldron does not leave anyone indifferent in Ukraine. Mothers of soldiers who fall into it, demand the release of their children. The same is achieved by the commanders who left their units. Official authorities remain calm. "Everything is under control, there is no environment" - they report.

The reserve units of the 51st and 92nd mechanized brigade and the fighters of the "Legal Sector" are sent to the rescue. But the strength is clearly not enough. Brigades do not have experience of warfare, they are poorly equipped. In addition, the "Right Sector" is not subordinate to the General Staff of the ATU. This is an army independent group. Actions are not controlled by the military. At any moment, she can leave her position.

August 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin calls on militiamen to create a corridor for Ukrainian security forces and release them. The conditions for them are the same - you can not take any weapons with you. Everything went to the militia. Despite this, the troops of the Armed Forces have been given the order to break through with the battle. The attempt was unsuccessful. On August 30, the militia began to produce militias. The Ilovaysky cauldron ceased to exist. Now let's get to the information about the losses.

Ilovaysky Cauldron: the dead

In this issue, as is often the case in the war, information from both sides is different. Some try to reduce the number of deaths. Others, on the contrary, give out inflated information. Whatever it was, but according to official statistics, more than 300 people were killed and 220 wounded. Semyon Semenchenko voiced a different figure: more than 1,000 people killed. Official initial indicators of losses from the military prosecutor's office of Ukraine - 459 soldiers. Since it went against the official statistics of the General Staff, it was "corrected" to 366.

Results

It's been more than two years now. But the investigation into the causes of the defeat has not been stopped. Bold and resolute actions of militiamen, cowardice and desertion of the Ukrainian military, underestimation of the enemy, "the meanness of the Russian army that hit the position of the Armed Forces in the back" and many other reasons will be called for a long time. But whatever it was in reality, the military actions on the territory of Ukraine have not yet been completed. After the Ilovaysky boiler, the environment will be even larger. For example, Debaltsevo. But that is another story.