Battle of Mala Tokmachka

Battle of Mala Tokmachka
Part of the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Date 7 June 2023 - 30 June 2023 Location Mala Tokmachka, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine Result Russian victory
Belligerents
Russia	Ukraine
Commanders and leaders
Roman Demurchiyev	Oleksandr Sak
Units involved
Russian Armed Forces 42nd Guards Motor Rifle Division 70th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment 291st Motor Rifle Regiment 22nd Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade 45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade	Ukrainian Armed Forces 33rd Mechanized Brigade 47th Mechanized Brigade
Strength
10,000+	4,000
Casualties and losses
Per Forbes Light Per Ukraine 1,900 killed	Per Forbes 30% of Ukrainian soldiers killed or wounded 25 Tanks, IFVs and APCs destroyed 2 Leopard 2 captured Per Russia 350 killed 30 Tanks 40 IFVs and APCs destroyed 2 Leopard 2 captured

The Battle of Mala Tokmachka was a battle around the Russian occupied village of Mala Tokmachka during the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive as part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Background

At the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Mala Tokmachka quickly became a frontline settlement. The population would drop to only around 200 people by May 2023 due to the proximity of the fighting to the village and consistent Russian shelling which destroyed much of the local infrastructure and utilities. Near the start of the counteroffensive, Mala Tokmachka was reported to be a major objective of the Ukrainian army in order to advance on the occupied city of Melitopol. Forbes reported that roughly 10,000 or more Russian soldiers from the 70th, 291st, 429th, and 503rd Motor Rifle Regiments were stationed on this sector of the front. The 22nd and 45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigades were also reported by Ukrainian intelligence to be in reserve.

Battle

On 7 June 2023, Ukrainian forces would first attempt to push the fighting away from the settlement while the Ukrainian 47th Mechanized Brigade and 33rd Mechanized Brigade totaling 4,000 soldiers, would launch a mechanized assault on the village. Despite being armed with new western equipment, the initial attack went poorly. Russian scouts from the 70th and 291st motor rifle regiments spotted the Ukrainian armored column and called in Ka 52 attack helicopters. The Ukrainian tank column came under anti-tank missile and small arms fire while attempting to cross a minefield outside of the village. Trapped under fire and taking losses, the column retreated. Crews bailed out of their disabled vehicles and dragged dead and wounded with them out of the battlefield. Forbes reported that Ukrainian equipment loses were one IMR-2, a one Leopard 2A6 and as many as nine Bradleys with the some of their crews surviving.

On 8 June, the 47th Mechanized Brigade attempted to use 6 Finnish donated Leopard 2R mine cleaning tanks, a German Wisent and an ex-Soviet BMR-2 to breach the Russian minefield but were forced to abandon 3 of the Leopard 2Rs and both the Wisent and the BMR-2 after one of the Leopard 2Rs struck a TM-62 anti tank mine and Russian helicopters and artillery hit the others vehicles. 50% of the 47th Brigade’s engineer battalion became casualties however, Forbes reported that the unit was still intact citing a video that the battalion posted after the engagement showing a Leopard 2R, two Soviet-style armored tractors fitted with UR-77 rocket-propelled mine clearing charges and a German Wisent.

On 9 June, Ukrainian forces launched a second mechanized assault capturing one height near the village. The assault group later came under artillery fire after being spotted by Russian drone operators and were forced to retreat.

On 12 June, Aljazeera and Russian milbloggers reported that Russian forces counterattacked Ukrainian positions outside of Mala Tokmachka.

On 21 June, Ukrainian General Staff spokesperson Andriy Kovalev claimed that Ukrainian forces had made several gains around Mala Tokmachka.

On 30 June 2023, the Institute for the Study of War reported that the lack of a major breakthrough by Ukrainian forces around Mala Tokmachka would lead to less attacks and the beginning of positional fighting.

Aftermath

Forbes reported that the Battle of Mala Tokmachka was a military disaster for Ukraine with both the 33rd and 47th losing 15% of their soldiers killed or wounded and losing a fifth of Ukraine's M2 Bradleys, a fifth of its Leopard 2A6s and half its Leopard 2Rs with Russian forces in return only suffered light casualties. Photographic evidence showed that at least 4 Leopard 2A6 tanks, 3 Leopard 2R demining tanks, 17 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and 1 Wisent were destroyed. The battle was also the first documented loss of a Leopard 2 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Chief master sergeant Valerii Markus of the 47th Mechanized Brigade told critics to "shut your mouths." The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed that 1,900 Russian soldiers died in and around Mala Tokmachka between June 8th and June 10th. Some of the damaged vehicles were later recovered and repaired by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian sources claimed that Russian forces were inflating Ukrainian equipment losses at Mala Tokmachka. Russian forces would later publish a video on 13 June showing 2 captured Leopard 2 tanks and multiple M2 Bradleys. It was later reported that Russian forces quadrupled the depth of their defensive minefields, from 120 meters to 500 meters and also increased the density of mines within the expanded fields. A Ukrainian veteran of the 47th Mechanized Brigade who lost his leg during the battle named Mykola Melnyk, criticized the leadership of the battle but praised the American donated M2 Bradleys during an interview saying: "The Bradley withstood everything". The defeat at Mala Tokmachka would result in Ukrainian commanders switching to dismounted infantry attacks rather than mechanized assaults in order to not risk more armored vehicles. This would result in lowered armor losses but higher infantry casualties.