Having watched the footage, he said he thought the Russian armour was probably targeted with artillery or mortar fire because the nature of the blasts. Tanks moving through a built-up area should normally use close infantry support to prevent ambushes from the side of the road, Barry said. Several military experts described the video as credible and said it showed surprising tactics on the part of the Russian forces, with more than 20 tanks and other armoured vehicles on a main road fairly close to the capital.īen Barry, a former tank commander with the British army and a land warfare specialist with the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a thinktank, said: “They either think they are going through a safe area, or they were not well trained or they are moving fast for some other requirement.” “Sixth regiment lost,” the officer tells headquarters. It also said the regiment’s commander was killed, named by Ukrainian media as Col Andrei Zakharov, although this could not be independently confirmed. This is presented as an effective commentary on the fighting shown.
It is overlaid with an audio of what appears to be a Russian officer reporting an attack to his superiors. Its production quality means the fighting filmed may not have taken place on Thursday. Since 1993 the Mention in Despatches has been reserved for gallantry during active operations.The edited 45-second video, which was released by Ukraine’s armed forces, is a montage of the fighting on the road and shows a company or more of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles coming under repeated attack. The Mention in Despatches is one of the oldest forms of recognition for gallantry within the UK Armed Forces. I’m honoured by it, but the satisfying part for me is seeing the progress we’ve made with the ANA during our time there. My commanding officer called me in off leave and so I thought I was in trouble. He explained how he heard that he was to be awarded the Mention in Despatches: They are expecting the birth of their first child in June. Sergeant Holland lives in Tidworth, Wiltshire, with his wife Sara. His composure and bravery recovered an extremely dangerous situation and almost certainly prevented further casualties being inflicted. There is no doubt that Holland’s actions helped defeat a well-planned insurgent ambush and ensured the extraction of his Advisor Team to safety. But I had to take an hour for myself after our debrief because the reality of what could have happened set in.īy his decisive leadership and quick-thinking, Holland ensured that no further ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) casualties were sustained and the stricken vehicle was safely recovered. That day I was in charge and I wanted to make sure there were no further casualties. He deployed with 3rd Battalion The Rifles on what was his second tour of Afghanistan in 2012. Sergeant Holland, originally from Carterton, Oxfordshire, joined the Army in 1999. There was no cover, so I was leaning over the medic and using him as a firing platform so we could suppress the fire.Įventually they got the injured man to safety, but Sergeant Holland then had to ensure the stranded vehicle was guarded to stop it falling into insurgent hands. Just 15 inches away there were splashes in the ground where the bullets were striking. Sergeant Holland then returned fire so the medic could get to work: Insurgents’ fire rained down on him and the medic as they assessed the casualties. We could hear the gunfire cracking above our heads. Through irrigation channels, knee-deep in mud with our kit on, it felt like 250 metres. Mindless of the risk, Sergeant Holland and a medic left the relative safety of their vehicle and ran 70 metres through enemy fire to reach the stranded crew in the vehicle struck by a grenade.
They then came under fire from 3 angles as Sergeant Holland’s own vehicle became stuck in a ditch. Sergeant Antony Holland, aged 31, from the King’s Royal Hussars, was leading an 11-man training and advisory team for the Afghan National Army ( ANA) when it, and 20 other soldiers in the patrol under his command, were attacked.įor almost 8 hours they came under sporadic gunfire, then a rocket-propelled grenade struck one of the patrol vehicles, deafening the crew inside and peppering the commander with shrapnel.
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