The small village of 480 people La Bodino suddenly became a "meat grinder" in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict
Source: Global Times
La Bodino, a small village of only 480 people, has suddenly become a focal point of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The elite forces of Russia and Ukraine have been fighting for days to make it a "meat grinder" as the media calls it, highlighting the cruelty of war.
Russia Today said that Rabodino in the Zaporozhye region is on the border between the Ukrainian-controlled city of Orekhov and the Russian-controlled Tokmak, which has been the site of fierce fighting between the two sides since mid-August. For Kiev, the village has become one of the indicators of the success of its counteroffensive.
At the end of August, Ukrainian media, citing sources from the Ministry of Defense, said that the Ukrainian army had taken full control of the village. But it is clear that it is too early for Kiev to declare victory. The Russian Defense Ministry has consistently denied reports of the loss of the settlement, saying fighting between the two sides is currently continuing. For a time, this little-known small village thus became a "meat grinder" for the Russian and Ukrainian armies. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a recent statement that since the beginning of the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian army has lost an estimated 66,000 people. There are reports that in just one day, 170 people of the Ukrainian army were killed near Rabodino. There is also information that the Ukrainian army lost 9 German "Leopard-2" tanks, 38 American "M2 Bradley" infantry fighting vehicles and 4 "Stryker" armored fighting vehicles and other elite weapons here.
Fierce fighting forced both sides to transfer large numbers of elite troops to Rabotino. Ukraine gradually put in the 116th, 117th and 118th mechanized brigades, and then in mid-August the 82nd Air Assault Brigade of its ace unit. Initially, this team was supposed to enter the battle only after breaking through the first line of defense of the Russian army. Now the brigade is in battle in Rabotino, and its advanced Western weapons are also on the battlefield. Russia transferred the 7th and 76th Guards Airborne Assault Divisions to Rabotino to replace the 42nd Mechanized Infantry Division that had previously operated there. These units are currently the backbone of the Russian army's defense.
Despite the fierce fighting, some villagers in La Bodino are reluctant to leave their homes. One villager told Russia Today that more than half had not left. "There are no shops in the village, we have to go shopping in the nearest town, Tokmak," he said. Now, you can only live by supporting each other. We really want the war to stop." (Liu Yupeng)