August rubicon of war

2 columns

Let’s start with the “Northern” column. The first encirclement was indeed passed freely and without obstruction. However, upon reaching the second encirclement, the soldiers saw that the Russians had already begun “working” on the “Southern” column. It appeared that even cluster munitions were used, as evidenced by explosions in the air and streams of smoke reaching the ground. At that moment, the “Northern” column also came under fire. Realizing in time that the intensity of the fire would increase, the soldiers veered toward a sunflower field, where some military personnel would later find refuge. This route did not guarantee safety, and there were many skirmishes here later. Thus, the sunflower field became a symbol of both salvation and loss.

The second half of the “Southern” column was stretched out on the road between Mnohopyllya and Chervonosilske. It was then that they saw Russian troops opening fire with grenade launchers, mortars, and small arms. Later, tanks also joined the assault. The soldiers at the front of the “Southern” column had virtually no chance of survival.

Some vehicles began to tear apart and explode, while others simply stopped. Some managed to maneuver between burning cars and bodies of the fallen. People either died from direct hits to their vehicles or were caught in the flames while trying to escape.

Eventually, the "Southern" column broke into two parts. The soldiers who were further from the center of the shelling managed to withdraw towards the village of Chervonosilske, seeking refuge in local houses. Their fate was uncertain for nearly three days (most ended up in captivity). During this time, on the outskirts of the village, fighters from the "Donbas" battalion engaged in battle with Russian forces, capturing a few of them. From that moment on, the "Southern" column ceased to exist as a unified entity. One part remained "trapped" in Chervonosilske, while the other moved under fire towards Novokaterynivka, passing through the hamlets of Volodarske, Osykove, and Pobieda.

Mnohopillia , the Ukrainian military column is being built to exit.
August 29, 2014.
Photo: Markiian Lyseiko

93rd Brigade

The column from the 93rd Brigade, which managed to break through the heavy fire, finally entered the village of Osikove. Between the villages of Volodarske and Osykove, enemy snipers and machine gunners began attacking individual vehicles. In the village of Osykove itself, one infantry fighting vehicle and one truck were destroyed. Later, a mass grave with the deceased would be found here. Soldiers who came under fire along this route jumped from their vehicles and tried to hide in the bushes. However, they were targeted by sniper fire. A number of them were taken prisoner.

A tragic story unfolded with the soldiers of the 93rd Brigade who were traveling in a truck. This vehicle, which was part of the "Southern" column, had managed to avoid damage near the hamlet of Chervonosilske. However, just a few kilometers from Novokaterynivka, it was hit. Near the dam, beyond the village, the truck overturned. Several soldiers were killed instantly. But some survived. One of the soldiers began waving a white cloth and shouting to cease fire. In response, a Russian soldier in uniform ordered them to stand up and come out. As soon as they stood up, they were fired upon with automatic weapons. Most of those who had miraculously survived up to that point were killed.

Northern column

The "Northern" column was moving between the hamlets of Chumaky and Horbatenko. However, this route was covered by intense fire from machine guns and automatic rifles. Some soldiers continued their journey by crawling through forest belts… Columns of dust, fire, and black smoke. Torrential gunfire and the roar of shots and explosions. Someone’s cries… All of this blended into one massive, overwhelming din.

When Russian paratroopers in the hamlet of Horbatyenko opened intense fire with machine guns, grenade launchers, and automatic rifles, several vehicles managed to "squeak through," but were destroyed just beyond the hamlet. All buses, cars, and trucks carrying the fighters from "Myrotvorets," "Kherson," and "Ivano-Frankivsk" in the area around Horbatenko were also destroyed.

In some areas of the hamlet, scattered soldiers formed small groups and attempted to provide resistance, but soon scattered across the fields. Some fighters managed to break through the hamlet with fighting, but many were also wounded, captured, or killed.

Beyond the hamlet of Horbatenko, the "Northern" column was effectively scattered and ceased to exist as a cohesive unit. Some remnants of the column, having broken through Horbatenko, continued toward the village of Novokaterynivka. The last vehicle to leave Horbatyenko was a bus carrying seventeen soldiers from the "Svitiaz" platoon. This bus was also hit on its way out. The soldiers who managed to escape the bus boarded a cargo truck, an "Ural," that had stopped to pick up volunteers. However, this truck did not succeed in breaking out of the encirclement and was soon destroyed by a Russian tank. A few BMPs and two tanks managed to break through and attack towards the Russian positions, turning their turrets to engage the enemy.

Survivors

Some fighters and equipment managed to reach the route between Starobesheve and Kuteinikove, north of the village of Novokaterynivka. At the same time, the remnants of the "Southern" column were also converging on this area.