The claim is, that is all they had to attack with, their shovels. If they are trained to use their shovels, I can see the need may arise to use them. But I certainly didn’t started that way, and that is far different from what is being pushed.
The Russian shovel for close combat is unusual and generated interest and descriptions of the tradition and the long term use of that model but it was always about the “firearms and shovels” in that assault on that bunker.
In the latest update from Britain’s Ministry of Defence on the situation in Ukraine, it revealed that Russian mobilised reservists have said they were ordered to assault a Ukrainian concrete strong point armed with only ‘firearms and shovels’.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11824349/Russian-troops-forced-use-SHOVELS-hand-hand-combat-Ukraine.html
Monday, the UK Ministry of Defense reported that late last month, Moscow’s soldiers were forced to assault Ukrainian positions “armed with only ‘firearms and shovels.’”
https://nypost.com/2023/03/06/russian-reservists-short-on-ammo-fighting-with-shovels/
An intelligence briefing from the UK Ministry of Defence details that Russian reservists were ordered to “assault a Ukrainian concrete strong point armed with only firearms and shovels’” in February 2023.
https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-troops-are-ordered-fight-with-shovels-uk-defense-intel-2023-3
In late February, reservists described being ordered to assault a Ukrainian position “armed with only ‘firearms and shovels’”, the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64855760