The only reason for massive losses among Ukrainian troops was an unexpected attack by Russian armed forces, Serhiy Sobolev of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine told a Kyiv press conference timed to the fourth anniversary the tragedy, according to an UNIAN correspondent.
The official noted that as of August 20, 2014, were preparing to surround pro-Russian militants and mercenaries in order to terminate them in the area.
"Luhansk was blocked from the north, west, south and partly from the east; the railway and motorway junction in Debaltseve was taken under control, personnel, weapons, military equipment and material resources supply routes to Donetsk, Makiyivka, Horlivka, and Yenakiyeve were blocked. Thus, Russian militants were separated into four parts, which created prerequisites for further completion of their blocking and destruction," Sobolev said.
At the same time, he added that Russia, assessing the threat of the destruction of its hybrid forces, on August 24-25 from various directions introduced into the territory of Ukraine up to eight tactical combat groups, which dramatically changed the balance of forces in favor of the enemy.
Read alsoIn flashback: Ilovaisk battle in 2014 becomes turning point in Donbas war
In particular, by engaging Ukraine troops from multiple rocket launchers and artillery from the Russian territory, the enemy forced them to abandon positions and withdraw to the Kuteinikove-Osynove-Komsomolske line.
In addition, on August 25-26 battalions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs during the clearing mission in Ilovaisk was defeated in a clash with the enemy and then blocked in the area.
According to Sobolev, the headquarters of the Anti-Terrorist Operation decided to reinforce said units with the battalion tactical group of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, company tactical groups of the 92nd and 93rd separate mechanized brigades, as well as the combined unit of the 42nd Territorial Defense Battalion, and developed a plan on de-blocking Ilovaisk.
The operation start was scheduled for September 1. However, units of the 72nd and 93rd separate mechanized brigades failed to deploy in designated areas, while units of the 39th Battalion who had been serving at checkpoints near Ilovaisk, arbitrarily abandoned their positions.
At the same time commanders of the battalions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in an ultimatum demanded an immediate exit from Ilovaisk under the guarantees of the Russian military.
"This made it impossible to carry out an operation to release Debaltsevo and allowed the enemy to seize the initiative," Sobolev stressed. He added that, despite this fact, a decision was made to withdraw Ukrainian units from Ilovaisk on August 28, while the issue of an unhindered withdrawal was agreed with the Russian military leadership
In the so-called "withdrawal corridors," units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Armed Forces were attacked by Russian regular troops, which resulted in the death of 150 personnel and wounding of another 90. In general, for the entire period of battles of Ilovaisk, from August 7 to September 30, some 366 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, 429 wounded, 128 captured, while 158 went missing. To date, 11 servicemen are still being held captive, while 84 are considered missing in action.
As UNIAN reported, at the end of August 2014, after fierce fighting, ATO forces were surrounded near Ilovaisk of Donetsk region. Russian military shelled the withdrawal corridor.
The Parliamentary Interim Investigation Commission for Investigation of the Ilovaisk Tragedy estimated the total losses of Ukrainian troops at nearly a 1,000.
On August 14, 2017, the Prosecutor General's Office announced the results of the investigation, naming the main culprit the military command of the Russian Federation.
The Prosecutor General's Office reported that the materials of the investigation into war crimes during the events near Ilovaisk were forwarded to the office of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
The PGO stated that on the night of August 24, 2014 during the Ilovaisk tragedy, the invasion groups of the Russian Armed Forces consisted of nine battalion-tactical groups, involving 3,500 personnel, up to 60 tanks; up to 320 BMD (IFVs); up to 60 artillery units; up to 45 mortars; and 5 ATGMs.
Veterans of the Battle of Ilovaisk demand that military commanders be held accountable for planning the Ilovaisk operation and all other steps that led to the tragedy.
