On September 16, 2023, the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers killed in action lay in the wilderness on the front line near Andriivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Soldiers of the Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade invaded walking by the corpses of their fellow Ukrainian soldiers.

   On September 16, 2023, the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers killed in action lay in the wilderness on the front line near Andriivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Soldiers of the 3rd Ukrainian Assault Brigade invaded, walking by the corpses of their fellow Ukrainian soldiers. To reclaim Bakhmut, the Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade survived and invaded the forest in a hellish battle.

　The 3rd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Army staggered through the scorched trees toward the village of Andrivka, about 10 kilometers south of Bakhmut, which had been its objective since the Ukrainian counter-offensive began in the summer of 2023. The 3rd Assault Brigade fighters invaded a brutal battlefield of completely overgrown trees with branches ripped off, and piles of bricks and rubble scattered all around them. A dead forest dozens of trees wide and about 2 km long was located in the section leading to the village of Andriyevka. Numerous dead forests were located on the road to Bakhmut, which was controlled by the Russian army. The Royal United Services Institute in London analyzed that Ukrainian troops advanced an average of 700 to 1,200 meters about every five days, giving the Russians time to dig in and mine the territory, especially as they retreated. Russian forces repulsed about 16 Ukrainian military attacks in the week ending September 16, with Ukrainian casualties reported at more than 1,700 casualties and about 16 tanks.

　Bakhmut fell to Russian forces in May 2023. It was due to a wave of mercenary Wagnerian fighters, including prison conscripts, who died by the hundreds. Over the past month, the Ukrainian Army's 3rd Assault Brigade had invaded only about 2 km, crossing mines and booby-trapped trenches and dodging artillery, drone-fired grenades, and Russian troops. The final offensive broke out on September 14, and with the addition of exhausted soldiers from other units, the battle usually lasted three to four days, advancing inch by inch through the ash groves over the next two months, finally breaking through the forest to reach the village of Andriyivka. The Ukrainian troops shelled the village of Andriyivka and set up a smoke screen over the main street. Russian artillery hit Russian soldiers who retreated or surrendered. The last approximately 100 meters were littered with blood, metal, trash, spent bullets, and shredded armor. The village of Andrivka reeked of death in the piles of bricks and burnt trees.

Warning: Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade servicemen walk next to the bodies of their comrades, killed at the frontline near Andriivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.  (AP Photo/Mstyslav Chernov)