A Russian howitzer platoon led by Senior Lieutenant Sergei Vetrov killed more than 15 Ukrainian troops and helped assault units advance, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The artillery crews kept firing while under sustained fire themselves. Vetrov coordinated their work with UAV teams conducting reconnaissance and relaying information on enemy positions. Once a group of Ukrainian servicemen was detected and its coordinates were passed to the gunners, the platoon commander ordered the crews to engage the target.

The strike killed more than 15 Ukrainian troops, the ministry said. Artillery support also enabled Russian assault units to push forward and take more advantageous positions for further offensive operations.

The Defense Ministry separately highlighted Senior Gunner Corporal Alexei Bubenkov, who served with a mortar crew. After receiving information on a concentration of enemy personnel, he quickly calculated the firing data and aimed the mortar at the coordinates provided.

Bubenkov adjusted the weapon after each round, shifting the point of impact and moving fire between targets as the situation changed. The enemy suffered significant losses, allowing a Russian assault unit to advance along the line of contact.