On the frontlines, Ukrainian soldiers use a graphic term to describe the Russian tactics they face daily: “meat assaults.” These involve waves of Russian soldiers attacking their defensive positions, sometimes nearly a dozen times in a day.
Lt. Col. Anton Bayev of the Khartia Brigade of Ukraine’s National Guard explains that wave after wave can arrive in just a few hours at front-line positions north of Kharkiv.
“The Russians use these units in most cases purely to see where our firing equipment is located and to constantly exhaust our units,” he said. “Our guys stand in positions and fight, and when four or five waves of the enemy come at you in a day, which you have to destroy without end, it is very difficult—not only physically, but also psychologically.”
This tactic has led to staggering Russian casualties since Moscow launched its latest offensive two months ago. Around 1,200 Russian soldiers were being killed or wounded every day in May and June, the highest rate since the beginning of the war, according to Western officials.
Those attacking are normally quickly spotted by drones above, and the Russians leave their dead and wounded on the battlefield, Lt. Col. Bayev says. “Their main task is simply meat assaults and our total exhaustion.”
The tactic is a sign that Russia is seeking to make the most of its key advantage: numbers.
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