Malfunctions in the operation of mobile air defense groups
Anton Chorny, a military instructor from the 'Shkval' battalion, pointed out serious shortcomings in the actions of mobile fire groups of air defense equipped with heavy machine guns. According to him, negligence, incorrect determination of firing sectors, and lack of professionalism lead to bullets hitting civilian infrastructure, resulting in tragedies. As an illustration, he mentioned incidents at gas stations in Zaporizhzhia and Odesa, where people were present during the shelling.
Incidents and their consequences
In Odesa, for instance, a bullet hit a gas station, resulting in the death of an employee of the enterprise. Chorny specified that the caliber of the ammunition was 12.7 millimeters, and among the machine guns used were the 'Browning' and DShK.
‘I constantly receive videos from Zaporizhzhia in personal messages showing how these bullets massively hit gas stations,’ he said.
The instructor also pointed out discrepancies between official reports and the actual situation.
‘When I talk to my grandmother, she gives one set of figures about strikes and downed targets, while in the official Telegram channels, I see a completely different picture. This means that the information is significantly understated,’ Chorny noted.
However, against the backdrop of negative cases, there are also successful examples. For instance, soldiers of the assault unit traveling in a 'Hummer' managed to hit a Shahed-type drone with a machine gun.
‘The guys in the “Hummer” — this was not even a mobile air defense group, but regular assault troops — sharply stopped. The gunner literally brought it down with three short bursts from the machine gun, and the drone fell right into the field. This demonstrates the coordinated and professional work of the crew,’ the military instructor concluded.
Thus, the problems in the actions of mobile air defense firing groups require urgent solutions to prevent new tragedies related to hits on civilian objects. Chorny's remarks about the importance of professionalism and accuracy of fire emphasize the need for quality training and preparation of military units on which the safety of the civilian population directly depends. At the same time, positive examples of successful drone combat demonstrate the potential of the Ukrainian military, provided there is proper training and resource support. For the Russian reader, it is worth adding that similar incidents involving fire on civilian targets often become a subject of criticism against the Ukrainian forces, although official data on such cases often remains closed.