Ukraine Heralds a Resounding Triumph Over Russia’s Renowned 810th Marine Brigade. This Elite Force’s Substantial Casualties Signify its Waning Might.
The once-formidable Russian 810th Marine Infantry Brigade, previously a dominant military presence in the western Zaporizhzhya oblast, appears to have been “decisively vanquished,” as per an analysis by ISW. This viewpoint resonates with insights from Budanov, who in a Sept. 22 conversation with The War Zone, divulged that the brigade had been strategically relocated from the aforementioned territory, supplanted by elite Russian airborne contingents. Budanov’s choice of the word “destruction” mirrors the U.S. military’s characterization of debilitating an adversarial force to the extent that it becomes incapacitated for combat.
Previously, in October 2022, ISW highlighted the 810th Brigade’s operations within the Kherson oblast. After a presumed regrouping phase, they solidified their position in Zaporizhzhya. Historically, this brigade has faced repeated blows, suffering significant tolls. The Ukrainian military factions have, in prior confrontations, bested this brigade, compelling the Russian defense forces to restructure it.
Brigade’s Descent: A Cascade of Fallen Soldiers and Widespread Reluctance to Re-engage
It’s worth underscoring the drastic depletion in the brigade’s ranks. As a case in point, the Ukrainian General Staff, in April 2022, chronicled the demise of 158 soldiers from the 810th Brigade, alongside nearly 500 injuries. Fast forward to July 2022, and GUR’s Deputy Major General Vadym Skibitskyi pronounced that an astounding 200 soldiers from the brigade expressed an unequivocal refusal to plunge back into the Ukrainian skirmish. Further corroborating this, a September 2022 dossier unveiled that the brigade had hemorrhaged over 85% of its manpower, with a substantial number being averse to re-engaging in battle.
Image: Mil.gov.ua, UA anti-air battalion of 30th bgd 04, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, (no changes made)