By Max Hunder
NEAR KREMINNA, Ukraine (Reuters) – The artillerymen of Ukraine’s 67th infantry brigade are delighted with the U.S.-supplied M119 howitzer amid a rise in navy exchanges south of the Russian-held city of Kreminna.
The lads now stationed in Ukraine’s northeast have been redeployed from positions across the devastated city of Bakhmut – encircled and locked in fierce preventing for greater than 9 months earlier than it fell final month to Russian mercenaries.
The northeast, the place Ukrainian troops made large, speedy good points late final 12 months, could also be considerably much less intense, however it nonetheless noticed loads of exchanges. And the extent of exercise has risen noticeably in current days.
Almost 16 months after the Russian invasion, Ukraine has launched into a counter-offensive specializing in the south and east and benefiting from provides of U.S. and different Western weapons.
The M119 is described by navy specialists as a flexible, manoeuvrable and correct weapon for mild items, however with a selected, restricted vary of as much as about 20 km (12.4 miles).
The artillerymen spent the day firing at enemy targets with the M119s, which they are saying they’ve had for seven months. And, by their account, work brilliantly within the space’s gruelling artillery battles.
“All of it occurs in waves,” mentioned a gunner, aged 48, who launched himself by his callsign, Skipper, and sported a cropped beard and cheeky grin.
“I can not say that it acquired extra intense. Nonetheless, over the past 5 days, we observe that they (Russian troops) turned extra lively.”
Exchanges of fireside, he mentioned, had picked up on each side the place his unit was stationed.
“We additionally turned extra lively, however all the pieces else had higher stay a secret. You will see what’s subsequent.”
The artillerymen moved rapidly to load their gun, toiling within the warmth of a sunny June day.
Close to the entrance strains, the sky was a transparent blue punctuated by thick columns of black, gray or white smoke rising within the distance the place artillery had struck.
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Some reached a whole lot of metres into the air.
Skipper and a number of other of his comrades lauded the M119 for its precision and compact measurement, which made it simpler to function, conceal and transfer.
A gunner figuring out himself as Cousin, 47, lavished reward on the weapon.
“It’s fantastic … They are saying that trendy struggle closely depends on artillery, that is our mission,” he mentioned.
“What’s most essential is to have sufficient shells. We are able to handle all the pieces else on our personal.”
(Reporting by Max Hunder close to Kreminna; Modifying by Ron Popeski and Stephen Coates)