The Russian milblogger reportedly affiliated with the Russian Northern Grouping of Forces claimed that elements of the Russian 9th Motorized Rifle Regiment have suffered heavy casualties while attacking across open fields between Zelene and Sereda (just northeast of Zelene in Belgorod Oblast).[40] The milblogger claimed that Russian forces are unable to conduct casualty evacuations in the area and that high casualties are causing servicemembers to refuse to fight.

The milblogger claimed that the regimental command is committing specialist technical and anti-aircraft personnel, drivers, and cooks to infantry assaults.[41] The milblogger further claimed that the Russian military command is withdrawing elements of the Russian 41st Motorized Rifle Regiment (72nd Motorized Rifle Division, 44th AC, LMD) from positions near Starytsya due to heavy casualties.[42]

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A non-commissioned officer of a Ukrainian drone battalion operating in the Pokrovsk direction reported on February 1 that Russian forces mainly conduct motorized assaults in the battalion’s area of responsibility (AoR), but Russian forces did conduct mechanized assaults in the neighboring brigade’s AoR.[72]

The commander of a Ukrainian mortar battery operating in the Pokrovsk direction reported on February 1 that Ukrainian and Russian positions are interspersed on the northern outskirts of Pokrovsk.[73] The commander added that dense fog and limited visibility are hindering both Russian and Ukrainian drone operations, which simultaneously allows Russian forces to increase infiltration attempts while enabling Ukrainian resupply, evacuation, and rotation missions.[74]

The commander reported that Russian forces are infiltrating Ukrainian positions in fireteams of one to three servicemembers and occasionally use all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to transport infantry closer to the front. The commander noted that Russian forces have not used large amounts of mechanized equipment since a mid-December mechanized assault toward Hryshyne (likely referring to a December 10 company-sized mechanized assault).[75]