by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront
More than 700 artillery shots were fired by Ukrainian artillery on Donetsk rebel positions in Donetsk Saturday night, among the most intense bombardments of the war, according to Russian language news accounts.
According to a new release posted on the website of the Donetsk ministry of defense, Ukrainian artillery fired included 152mm and 122mm artillery, and 120mm and 82mm mortars, for a total of 750 shots. The intensity of the artillery firing from the Ukrainians has not been seen since before the autumn of 2015. The total number of shells that fell on rebel positions was almost ten times the number from the previous night, 80.
Locations hit in Donetsk included Zaitsevo, Yasinovataya, Spartak, Staromykhailivka, the Kuybyshevsky district of Donetsk city and the Donetsk airport.
In the south near Mariupol, locations struck by Ukrainian artillery include Kominternovo and Sahanka.
A separate news release by the Donetsk ministry of defense said that 20 each 122mm artillery shells hit the Kuybyshevsky district of Doentsk city Saturday night.
The Ukrainian ministry of defense, as reported in lb.ua said that rebel artillery struck Ukrainian positions 70 times Friday night in the previous 24 hours.
Rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions in Avdievka, Peski and Marinka. In the south, rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions in Shirokino, Granitnoye and Talakovsk.
Fighting on the ground in Donetsk
Donbas militants attempted several platoon level probes into Ukrainian positions at Marinka Thursday and Saturday nights, according to data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense and reported in an lb.ua news report.
At 2100 hrs Thursday a rebel patrol armed with small arms and RPG rocket launchers probed into Ukrainian positions at Marinka, only to be driven back by Ukrainian counterfire. The Ukrainian side reported no casualties in the encounter. The report also said that rebel 82mm fire was reported at Marinka on Thursday evening.
At 1900 hrs on Saturday, two separate rebel patrols attempted to move into Ukrainian positions from two different directions. The rebel losses amounted to eight dead, but the Ukrainian ministry refused to account for their own losses at all, which likely mean there were some losses.
Probes by both sides at Marinka are starting to become routine, with several taking place in the past week, with high losses reported.
Fighting in Lugansk
Ukrainian army units have fired mortars and small arms on Lugansk rebel positions, mainly focusing on the area around Kalinovo, according to data supplied by the Lugansk government information website.
It is unclear in those news releases just how much of the firing was done by mortars, but it is clear going by the most recent reports, rebel have to be worried about the location of the activity.
Kalinovo was one of the locations back in January, 2015, where rebel forces attempted to shut the lid on the Debaltsevo cauldron to little avail. That failure forced rebel commanders to adjust their plans to close off Debaltsevo, when the battle for Logvinova took place.
Saturday night Ukrainian fire hit positions near Kalinovo and Logvinova, including fire from 30mm autocannon, RPG fire and mortars.
Logvinova was attacked earlier this month by a large Ukrainian combined arms force, attacks which struck a number of locations across a large front. The attack was much like others before and since, where Ukrainian forces attempt to move their armed units into "gray zones", in order to initiate close quarters fighting, to force rebel forces back even further into their own defensive zones. To date only the first, at Yasinovataya, has been successful.
A separate Lugansk government news release recounted how Ukrainian units are using their firepower to fight one another in Lugansk.
Artillery units with the Ukrainian Interior Ministry troops Lugansk-1 battalion shelled positions of the Ukrainian 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade. The report claims that the shelling was intended to be reported as a rebel provocation.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
The journalism of Chris Covert
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Losses continue to mount for Ukrainians in Donbas
by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront
The Ukrainian Army has lost as many as a dozen soldiers since Saturday, including a friendly fire incident in Lugansk, according to Russian language news report.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian ministry of defense says Russian backed rebels attempted to launch three recon probes in the Marinka area in Donetsk and three probing attacks at Novozvanovki in Lugansk. All attacks were driven back,
According to the Lugansk government website, Lugansk police reported that a Ukrainian artillery fire mission on July 25th fell on their own troops, killing six and wounding 20.
The news release did not mention where the attack took place. Direct fire battles have been taking place near Stanitsa Luganskaya in Lugansk in recent days. Stanitsa Luganskaya has been an issue between the two combatants since the end of 2014.
According to the news release, and quoting Lugansk ministry of defense spokesman Andrei Marochko, artillery elements of the Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized Brigade adjusted an artillery fire mission which landed on the 30th Battalion, causing the casualties.
Rebel officials have been saying for more than a year that friendly fire incidents such as the Stanitsa Luganskaya incident and minor incidents such as accidental firearms discharges account for a large number of Ukrainian casualties, and go unreported by top Ukrainian ministry of defense officials.
The official rebel report in Lugansk says Ukrainian commanders are trying to hide the losses suffered in the friendly fire incident.
Donbas rebel probes
Two rebel probes were detected and driven back in the Marina area of Donetsk on the night of July 25th to July 26th, according to data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense, as reported on lb.ua,
The first attack was detected at 1907 hrs, said to be at platoon strength, but was driven back with small arms and automatic grenade launcher fire. A second probe attempt at 1920 hrs was not successful as well. The Ukrainian side said rebels suffered losses but did not describe the nature of the losses.
Last Thursday, as previously reported, one rebel and one Ukrainian foot patrol fought at Marinka with losses for the Ukrainians totaling one dead and one non commissioned officer captured,
A third rebel probe was engaged by Ukrainian troops at Avdievka on Monday evening at around 1720 hrs, according to the same lb.ua report. Unspecified losses for the rebel side were reported by the Ukrainians.
A fourth rebel probe took place on Saturday morning, but was only reported on Monday in a separate lb.ua news report.
At around 0820 hrs, a rebel patrol was spotted at Novozvanovki in Lugansk, and was fired on by Ukrainian troops. Two rebel effectives were killed in the exchange, and four were wounded by Ukrainian counterfire. The rebel unit then withdrew to their own lines.
Subsequently, according to the report, rebel forces fired a number of heavy weapons into Ukrainian positions including 82mm and 120mm mortar fire, which lasted 25 minutes. Rebel forces expended a total of 80 rounds of artillery shells of both types. Fire was reported from SPG-9 73mm recoilless rifle, 23mm antiaircraft autocannon and 125mm tank gun fire until 1350 hrs. The bombardment killed one Ukrainian effective and wounded another two.
A second rebel probe totaling 20 effectives took place at around 1410 hrs, when the rebel unit came within 50 meters of Ukrainian positions before being fired on. Rebel forces lost two more dead and five wounded, and the probe was forced back.
Two hours later a second exchange of gunfire took place between the two forces with losses for the Ukrainians totaling one dead and three wounded. Ukrainian forces claim that radio intercepts indicate rebel losses in the last attack totaled five dead.
Ukrainian Artillery fire in Donetsk
Ukrainian artillery units hit the industrial area near Yasinovataya Sunday night total of 69 122mm and 152mm artillery shells striking rebel positions, according to a news release posted by the Donetsk ministry of defense.
The shelling at Yasinovataya started at around 2130 hrs and ended at 2330 hrs.
Elsewhere in Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery units fired a total of 295 82mm and 120mm mortar shells at rebel positions, most of it night shelling, according to official rebel media. Locations around Donetsk city struck by Ukrainian mortars fire include the Donetsk airport areas and at Trudovskoy,
In southern Donetsk, towns hit by Ukrainian artillery fire include Sahanka and Novoazovskiy.
On the evening of Monday, July 25th, Ukrainian artillery once again renewed their attacks at Yasinovataya and at Spartak, starting at 2100 hrs, according to a separate official rebel media report. This time Ukrainians used 122mm artillery in their attacks, totaling 12 shots.
A residential building at Spartak was struck by Ukrainian artillery and was destroyed by fire.
A total of 184 82mm and 120mm mortar rounds were fired on rebel positions between 2100 hrs on Monday night and 0200 hrs Tuesday morning. The artillery attacks originated at Avdievka, Opytnoye and Vodyanovo
The Ukrainian Army has lost as many as a dozen soldiers since Saturday, including a friendly fire incident in Lugansk, according to Russian language news report.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian ministry of defense says Russian backed rebels attempted to launch three recon probes in the Marinka area in Donetsk and three probing attacks at Novozvanovki in Lugansk. All attacks were driven back,
According to the Lugansk government website, Lugansk police reported that a Ukrainian artillery fire mission on July 25th fell on their own troops, killing six and wounding 20.
The news release did not mention where the attack took place. Direct fire battles have been taking place near Stanitsa Luganskaya in Lugansk in recent days. Stanitsa Luganskaya has been an issue between the two combatants since the end of 2014.
According to the news release, and quoting Lugansk ministry of defense spokesman Andrei Marochko, artillery elements of the Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized Brigade adjusted an artillery fire mission which landed on the 30th Battalion, causing the casualties.
Rebel officials have been saying for more than a year that friendly fire incidents such as the Stanitsa Luganskaya incident and minor incidents such as accidental firearms discharges account for a large number of Ukrainian casualties, and go unreported by top Ukrainian ministry of defense officials.
The official rebel report in Lugansk says Ukrainian commanders are trying to hide the losses suffered in the friendly fire incident.
Donbas rebel probes
Two rebel probes were detected and driven back in the Marina area of Donetsk on the night of July 25th to July 26th, according to data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense, as reported on lb.ua,
The first attack was detected at 1907 hrs, said to be at platoon strength, but was driven back with small arms and automatic grenade launcher fire. A second probe attempt at 1920 hrs was not successful as well. The Ukrainian side said rebels suffered losses but did not describe the nature of the losses.
Last Thursday, as previously reported, one rebel and one Ukrainian foot patrol fought at Marinka with losses for the Ukrainians totaling one dead and one non commissioned officer captured,
A third rebel probe was engaged by Ukrainian troops at Avdievka on Monday evening at around 1720 hrs, according to the same lb.ua report. Unspecified losses for the rebel side were reported by the Ukrainians.
A fourth rebel probe took place on Saturday morning, but was only reported on Monday in a separate lb.ua news report.
At around 0820 hrs, a rebel patrol was spotted at Novozvanovki in Lugansk, and was fired on by Ukrainian troops. Two rebel effectives were killed in the exchange, and four were wounded by Ukrainian counterfire. The rebel unit then withdrew to their own lines.
Subsequently, according to the report, rebel forces fired a number of heavy weapons into Ukrainian positions including 82mm and 120mm mortar fire, which lasted 25 minutes. Rebel forces expended a total of 80 rounds of artillery shells of both types. Fire was reported from SPG-9 73mm recoilless rifle, 23mm antiaircraft autocannon and 125mm tank gun fire until 1350 hrs. The bombardment killed one Ukrainian effective and wounded another two.
A second rebel probe totaling 20 effectives took place at around 1410 hrs, when the rebel unit came within 50 meters of Ukrainian positions before being fired on. Rebel forces lost two more dead and five wounded, and the probe was forced back.
Two hours later a second exchange of gunfire took place between the two forces with losses for the Ukrainians totaling one dead and three wounded. Ukrainian forces claim that radio intercepts indicate rebel losses in the last attack totaled five dead.
Ukrainian Artillery fire in Donetsk
Ukrainian artillery units hit the industrial area near Yasinovataya Sunday night total of 69 122mm and 152mm artillery shells striking rebel positions, according to a news release posted by the Donetsk ministry of defense.
The shelling at Yasinovataya started at around 2130 hrs and ended at 2330 hrs.
Elsewhere in Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery units fired a total of 295 82mm and 120mm mortar shells at rebel positions, most of it night shelling, according to official rebel media. Locations around Donetsk city struck by Ukrainian mortars fire include the Donetsk airport areas and at Trudovskoy,
In southern Donetsk, towns hit by Ukrainian artillery fire include Sahanka and Novoazovskiy.
On the evening of Monday, July 25th, Ukrainian artillery once again renewed their attacks at Yasinovataya and at Spartak, starting at 2100 hrs, according to a separate official rebel media report. This time Ukrainians used 122mm artillery in their attacks, totaling 12 shots.
A residential building at Spartak was struck by Ukrainian artillery and was destroyed by fire.
A total of 184 82mm and 120mm mortar rounds were fired on rebel positions between 2100 hrs on Monday night and 0200 hrs Tuesday morning. The artillery attacks originated at Avdievka, Opytnoye and Vodyanovo
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Ukrainian commander detained for selling munitions to Russian backed rebels
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| Foto from Facebook |
The deputy commander of a Ukrainian Army brigade currently on the front line in southeastern Ukraine has been detained for selling arms and munitions to the rebel side, according to Russian language news reports.
Colonel Fadeev, deputy commander of the Ukrainian 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade was detained Friday after it was learned that he sold ammunition and munitions for a total of 66,800 Hryvnia (USD $2,683.98) last June to the rebel side. Among the items sold were 7.62x39mm cartridges (For AK-47 7.62 rifle), 5.45x39mm cartridges (For AK-74 5.45mm rifle) and RDG-5 hand grenades of an unknown quantity. A total of 5,000 rounds were sold, according to the article which appeared in lb.ua.
As ammunition quantities go, 5,000 rounds is not a massive quantity of ammunition for a forward combat zone.
The lb.ua news report quoted Ukrainian ministry of defense chief of General staff General Stefan Poltorak in his Facebook page as saying Colonel Fadeev was formerly a staff officer with the Ukrainian 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade before being kicked upstairs to deputy commander of the Ukrainian 53rd Brigade only a few months ago.
The 53rd Brigade is one of the Ukrainian units which constantly fire artillery into the towns of Zaistevo and Gorlovka.
Retired Ukrainian GRU Colonel Igor Bezler 18 months ago accused top Ukrainian officials of selling vehicles and other military equipment to the rebel side while Bezler was chief of police of Gorlovka. The chronology of the charge places it at around the summer of 2014. Bezler said in a casual, taunting video he had recorded in the fall of 2014, that among the sellers were current Ukrainian president Piotr Poroshenko.
Fighting in Donetsk
Fighting between the combatants flared up on Thursday and Friday as both sides sent recon patrols near Marinka, which is south of Donetsk city, according to official rebel and Ukrainian news releases.
According to a news report in lb.ua, a rebel foot patrol was caught near Marinka on Thursday evening, resulting on one dead Ukrainian effective and one Ukrainian non-commissioned officer captured. Accounts by both sides suggest the encounter was a meeting engagement, where two recon probes happen to meet and fight. The captured NCO was identified as Junior Sergeant Pavel Vasilyevich Yurbasha.
A separate lb.ua report said that Ukrainian forces fought off two evening attacks by rebel forces around Marinka on Saturday night.
Rebel official reports are that a Ukrainian rifle squad totaling 12 effectives attempted a probe Saturday night near Opytnoye, which is west of Donetsk city, resulting in 10 Ukrainians killed.
According to rebel news reports, Ukrainian forces fired more than 370 artillery shells on rebel positions in Donetsk alone on Saturday, hitting locations such as the Donetsk airport, and western outskirts of Donetsk city, at Yasinovataya, Vasilevka, Spartak, White Kamenka, Mikhailovka and Zaitsevo at Gorlovka. In southern Ukraine Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions at Dokuchaevsk, Kominternovo, Leninskoye and Sahanka.
Weapons used in those attacks include 122mm artillery, and 120mm and 82mm mortars.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
7 more Ukrainians die in fighting in Donetsk
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| Foto from Chervonets Andryuha |
A total of nine Ukrainian soldiers, seven from combat losses, were reported dead in western Donetsk, according to Russian language news accounts.
The location and cause of the deaths were not made immediately clear from official Ukrainian sources, reported on the website of lb.ua, but the intensity of shelling between the two combatants, the Ukrainian military and Russian supported rebels forces, has increased over the last 24 hours.
However, official rebel sources say that a failed attack by Ukrainian forces on rebel positions at a village in western Donetsk was the cause of at least some of those combat losses.
According to data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense, elements on the Ukrainian 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade attacked rebel positions sometime Tuesday morning near Staromikhailovka, which is due west of Kirovskiy district of Donetsk city. The Ukrainians used supporting artillery in the attack, but were driven back by rebel forces with Ukrainian losses of three dead and five wounded.
According to a separate lb.ua report, rebel artillery fire was reported on Tuesday in several locations in Donetsk on the line of contact. In Peski, near western Donetsk city, rebels fired 122mm artillery. Rebel 120mm mortar fire struck Ukrainian positions at Zaitsevo, and Avdievka, while 82mm mortar fire was reported at Kamenka, Avdievka, Peski and Zaitsevo.
In Lugansk, Ukrainian military officials reported rebel 120mm mortar attacks on Krimskoye, Novooleksandrovka and Troitsoye. Rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions at Stanitsa Luganskaya.
Ukrainian chief of general staff, General Viktor Muzhenko said on his Facebook page that an "adequate response" would be prepared, according to a news account on korrespondent.net.
And apparently, Ukrainian forces have already made good on General Muzheko's response, as, according to official rebel media, Ukrainian artillery fired artillery and mortar fire more than 220 times in less than four hours Tuesday night. The Tuesday to Wednesday artillery attacks represent some of the most intense artillery attacks by the Ukrainians in several months, when the Ukrainian Army used 122mm artillery, 120mm and 82mm mortar on several locations in western Donetsk city.
According to Russian blogger Chervonets Andryuha, Ukrainian artillery struck several points along the line of contact, including at Spartak and Donetsk city residential areas just south of the Donetsk airport, where the attacks were the most intense. Others areas struck Tuesday night include at Yasinovataya.
As of midnight, Moscow time, according to rebel media, Ukrainian artillery attacks on Spartak were still ongoing.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
Monday, July 18, 2016
4 Ukrainian soldiers die in artillery attack near Zaitsevo
by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront
Four unidentified Ukrainian soldiers were killed and three were wounded in an artillery attack in Zaitsevo, in northern Donetsk, according to Russian language news reports.
According to a news account posted in lb.ua news website, the casualties were elements of the Ukrainian 53rd Separate Mechanized Rifle Brigade deployed between Zaitsevo and Mayorsk, both of which are west of the Russian backed rebel held city of Gorlovka. The original report was by Ukrainian journalist Roman Bocskai on his Facebook page. His report was confirmed by the Ukrainian ministry of defense, he said.
The report said that rebel forces used 152mm artillery and 120mm artillery in the attack.
Gorlovka, and later Zaitsevo have been subject to Ukrainian artillery fire since the fall of 2014, which has been nearly constant except for the brief period of time last winter. Both towns have been held by rebel forces since late summer, 2014. Since that time, fighting between rebel forces and Ukrainian forces have devolved into artillery fire exchanges, except for a Ukrainian attack last June.
A combat team of the 53rd Mechanized Brigade launched an attack on Gorlovka last June 11th, according to recent data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense.
The attack was a night attack preceded by artillery and mortar attacks which hit residential sectors of Gorlovka, before Ukrainian forces attempted to close the 700 meter gap between forces at Gorlovka. The attack was driven back by rebel forces with a loss of six Ukrainian dead and 12 wounded. The Ukrainian artillery fire disrupted gas and electrical supplies to the city. The rebel report goes on to state a number of charges against the Ukrainian brigade commander, identified as Colonel Valery Vodolazkiy, including diversion of supplies.
The Gorlovka attack of June 11th is one of eight attacks launched against rebel forces since the spring, nearly all of which can be classified as probing attacks intended to test rebel defenses. The largest was the June 29th Ukrainian attack, where five separate combat groups hit rebel held defenses near Logvinovo, across a roughly 10 to 12 kilometer front. The only successful attack to date was the first, at Yasinovataya last March.
Fighting in Marinka, Donetsk
Last Friday rebel forces attacked Ukrainian forces near Marinka last Friday, according to a separate report which appeared in lb.ua. The attack was repelled. The same report recounts a rebel attack on Bogdanovka, which is west of Artemovsk in northern Donetsk. The rebel rifle group totaling 10 elements came within 250 meters, and opened fired on the Ukrainian positions. The force was withdrawn because of Ukrainian counterfire, including small arms and RPG fire.
That same day, a Ukrainian foot patrol was ambushed by rebel forces near Marinka, according to yet another lb.ua news report. One unidentified Ukrainian soldier was captured by rebel forces.
Artillery attacks between forces
On Friday, rebel artillery hit struck Ukrainian positions in Avdievka and Krasnogorovka, where rebel forces used 122mm artillery and 120mm mortar fire. Rebel mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions near Zaitsevo, Opytnoye, Novozvanovki and Novoaleksandrovka, according to data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense.
On Saturday rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions again in Avdievka, using 122mm artillery and 120 mm mortar fire, according to a separate lb.ua report. Novoselovka was hit with rebel 120mm mortar fire. Rebel 82mm mortar fire struck Ukrainian positions at Opytnoye.
On Sunday, rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions in southern Donetsk at Pavlopole using 152mm artillery, and at Shirokino, Granitnoye, Marinka and Talakovke, using 122mm artillery and 120mm mortars. Rebel forces fired 122mm artillery and 120mm mortars at Avdievka. Rebel forces fired mortars at Novoselovka, Nevelsk and the Butovka mine.
Ukrainian forces fired a total of 236 artillery and mortar shells on rebel positions in Donetsk Saturday through Sunday, including 122mm artilery and 120mm and 82mm mortars. Locations hit by Ukrainian artillery fire include Dokuchaevsk, Vasilevka, Sahanka and Kominternovo in southern Donetsk.
Ukrainian forces also fired on Gorlovka, Zaitsevo, Yasinovataya, the Donetsk airport and the Petrovskiy district of western Donetsk city.
On Saturday through Sunday, Ukrainian forces fired 289 152mm and 122mm artillery, and 120mm and 82mm mortar shells onto rebel positions at essentially the same location as the previous day, adding Spartak and Staromykhailovka to their target list.
Zaitsevo on fire
A total of 14 residential structures in Zaitsevo were damaged, set afire, or were completely destroyed by fire by Ukrainian artillery between Saturday and Monday morning, according to official rebel news releases.
On Sunday, one residential building in Zaitsevo was lit up by Ukrainian artillery fire in an unusual daytime artillery attack.
Night shelling on the night of July 16th to July 17th damaged four residential structures in Zaitsevo, destroying one completely by fire.
The following night, July 17th to July 18th, another seven residential structures in Zaitsevo were set afire by Ukrainian artillery shelling.
Attempts by firefighters to extinguish residential fires on the rebel side of the line in Zaitsevo on Sunday afternoon were stopped by Ukrainian sniper fire.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
Four unidentified Ukrainian soldiers were killed and three were wounded in an artillery attack in Zaitsevo, in northern Donetsk, according to Russian language news reports.
According to a news account posted in lb.ua news website, the casualties were elements of the Ukrainian 53rd Separate Mechanized Rifle Brigade deployed between Zaitsevo and Mayorsk, both of which are west of the Russian backed rebel held city of Gorlovka. The original report was by Ukrainian journalist Roman Bocskai on his Facebook page. His report was confirmed by the Ukrainian ministry of defense, he said.
The report said that rebel forces used 152mm artillery and 120mm artillery in the attack.
Gorlovka, and later Zaitsevo have been subject to Ukrainian artillery fire since the fall of 2014, which has been nearly constant except for the brief period of time last winter. Both towns have been held by rebel forces since late summer, 2014. Since that time, fighting between rebel forces and Ukrainian forces have devolved into artillery fire exchanges, except for a Ukrainian attack last June.
A combat team of the 53rd Mechanized Brigade launched an attack on Gorlovka last June 11th, according to recent data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense.
The attack was a night attack preceded by artillery and mortar attacks which hit residential sectors of Gorlovka, before Ukrainian forces attempted to close the 700 meter gap between forces at Gorlovka. The attack was driven back by rebel forces with a loss of six Ukrainian dead and 12 wounded. The Ukrainian artillery fire disrupted gas and electrical supplies to the city. The rebel report goes on to state a number of charges against the Ukrainian brigade commander, identified as Colonel Valery Vodolazkiy, including diversion of supplies.
The Gorlovka attack of June 11th is one of eight attacks launched against rebel forces since the spring, nearly all of which can be classified as probing attacks intended to test rebel defenses. The largest was the June 29th Ukrainian attack, where five separate combat groups hit rebel held defenses near Logvinovo, across a roughly 10 to 12 kilometer front. The only successful attack to date was the first, at Yasinovataya last March.
Fighting in Marinka, Donetsk
Last Friday rebel forces attacked Ukrainian forces near Marinka last Friday, according to a separate report which appeared in lb.ua. The attack was repelled. The same report recounts a rebel attack on Bogdanovka, which is west of Artemovsk in northern Donetsk. The rebel rifle group totaling 10 elements came within 250 meters, and opened fired on the Ukrainian positions. The force was withdrawn because of Ukrainian counterfire, including small arms and RPG fire.
That same day, a Ukrainian foot patrol was ambushed by rebel forces near Marinka, according to yet another lb.ua news report. One unidentified Ukrainian soldier was captured by rebel forces.
Artillery attacks between forces
On Friday, rebel artillery hit struck Ukrainian positions in Avdievka and Krasnogorovka, where rebel forces used 122mm artillery and 120mm mortar fire. Rebel mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions near Zaitsevo, Opytnoye, Novozvanovki and Novoaleksandrovka, according to data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense.
On Saturday rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions again in Avdievka, using 122mm artillery and 120 mm mortar fire, according to a separate lb.ua report. Novoselovka was hit with rebel 120mm mortar fire. Rebel 82mm mortar fire struck Ukrainian positions at Opytnoye.
On Sunday, rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions in southern Donetsk at Pavlopole using 152mm artillery, and at Shirokino, Granitnoye, Marinka and Talakovke, using 122mm artillery and 120mm mortars. Rebel forces fired 122mm artillery and 120mm mortars at Avdievka. Rebel forces fired mortars at Novoselovka, Nevelsk and the Butovka mine.
Ukrainian forces fired a total of 236 artillery and mortar shells on rebel positions in Donetsk Saturday through Sunday, including 122mm artilery and 120mm and 82mm mortars. Locations hit by Ukrainian artillery fire include Dokuchaevsk, Vasilevka, Sahanka and Kominternovo in southern Donetsk.
Ukrainian forces also fired on Gorlovka, Zaitsevo, Yasinovataya, the Donetsk airport and the Petrovskiy district of western Donetsk city.
On Saturday through Sunday, Ukrainian forces fired 289 152mm and 122mm artillery, and 120mm and 82mm mortar shells onto rebel positions at essentially the same location as the previous day, adding Spartak and Staromykhailovka to their target list.
Zaitsevo on fire
A total of 14 residential structures in Zaitsevo were damaged, set afire, or were completely destroyed by fire by Ukrainian artillery between Saturday and Monday morning, according to official rebel news releases.
On Sunday, one residential building in Zaitsevo was lit up by Ukrainian artillery fire in an unusual daytime artillery attack.
Night shelling on the night of July 16th to July 17th damaged four residential structures in Zaitsevo, destroying one completely by fire.
The following night, July 17th to July 18th, another seven residential structures in Zaitsevo were set afire by Ukrainian artillery shelling.
Attempts by firefighters to extinguish residential fires on the rebel side of the line in Zaitsevo on Sunday afternoon were stopped by Ukrainian sniper fire.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Ukrainians launch five more probing attacks in Donetsk
by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront
Ukrainian ground forces have launched a total of five probing attacks on rebel positions in Donetsk since Tuesday, according to Russian language media and official rebel reports.
Meanwhile, Russian backed rebel forces and Ukrainian forces continue to exchange artillery fire all along the front in Donetsk and Lugansk.
All the probing attacks involved infantry, likely in platoon strength (30 effectives) , and all have been driven back with losses to the Ukrainians, according to news account posted on Russian Spring website. The attacks continue a now familiar pattern where Ukrainian forces nudge their forces closer to rebel lines in an effort to slowly push the rebels further back into their own territory. So far, only one of those types of attacks, at Yasinovataya last spring, have been successful. A second attack was tried at Logvinovo earlier this month, when Ukrainian forces launched a number of attacks on rebel strongholds and checkpoints, only to be driven back.
As previously reported, a July 11th probing attack by Ukrainian forces took place at the Donetsk airport. In the July 11th attack, according to data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense, a total of three Ukrainians were killed and another seven wounded, when rebel rifle counterfire drove them back.
The Donetsk airport has long been a strong point of contention between the two combatants, with rebel forces taking control of most of the airport grounds in brief, but bitter battles, January, 2015.
The following day, July 12th, two more probing attacks took place in Donetsk, one at Novotroitskoye and the other in Avdievka, which is a western suburb of Donetsk city.
Elements from the Ukrainian 1st Battalion 30th Brigade attacked rebel forces at Novotroitskoye, but were driven back by rebel counterfire. Ukrainian forces, according to official rebel media lost seven dead.
The Avdievka attack cost the Ukrainians five dead. The forces involved in that attack were most likely from the Ukrainian 58th Separate Rifle Brigade.
Two days later, on Thursday, July 14th, two more probing attacks took place in Donetsk, according to a news report which appeared in Russian Spring.
The first came at Marinka, in southwestern Donetsk, and was conducted by the Ukrainian 30th Brigade, while the other attack fell on Arkhangelsk, which is near the city of Gorlovka. The Arkhangelsk attack cost the Ukrainians five dead.
The Marinka attack, conducted by the Ukrainian 13th Battalion of the 30th Brigade cost the Ukrainians another four dead and seven wounded.
A late report by Russian Spring said that a firefight was taking place in central Gorlovka near the market area.
Artillery fire exchanges between forces
Rebel forces fired mortar and artillery fire on Ukrainian positions in Donetsk and southern Donetsk, according to an lb.ua news account, relying on data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense.
On Tuesday, July 12th, rebel 122mm artillery fire fell on Ukrainian positions at Nikolaevka, while 120mm mortar fire struck Ukrainian forces at Zaitsevo (north of Gorlovka), Avdievka, Semigorye, Novoselovka and Novoselovka. Rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions at Novgorod and Dacha.
In southern Donetsk, rebel 122mm artillery fire hit Ukrainian positions at Krasnogorovka, while rebel fired 82mm mortar fire on Shirokino.
According to the Donetsk ministry of defense, Ukrainian forces fired 130 artillery and mortar shells total at rebel positions on the night of July 12th to July 13th. Ukrainian forces used 122mm artillery on the western Donetsk suburb of Staromykhailivka, and 120mm and 82mm mortar fire at Zaitsevo Gorlovka, Aleksandrovka, Trudovskoy, the industrial zone near Yasinovataya and the Volvo Center in western Donetsk city.
In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian mortar fire hit rebel positions at Kominternovo and Sahanka.
On Wednesday, rebel forces fired on Ukrainian forces a total of 28 times, to include all small arms incidents. Among the artillery missions fired, rebels struck Ukrainian positions at Avdievka using 120mm amd 82mm mortar fire. According to the data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense which appeared on lb.ua, rebel forces fired 122mm artillery fire at Peski and Opytnoye, both western Donetsk suburbs.
In southern Donetsk, rebels fired 120mm mortar fire on Ukrainian position in Starognatovka, Bogdanovka and Novogrigorevka. Rebel forces fired 82mm mortar fire on Krasnogorovka and Marinka.
According to a separate news release by the Donetsk ministry of defense, on the night of July 13th to July 14th, Ukrainian forces fired a total of 180 shells on rebel positions, some of which hit and damaged residential housing.
Among the localities hit by Ukrainian artillery fire and starting at 1945 hrs, were Zaitsevo, Trudovskoy, Aleksandrovka, the Volvo Center of western Donetsk city, Donetsk airport and at Yasinovataya. Locations in southern Donetsk hit by Ukrainian artillery were Sahanka, Kominternovo and Novoazovskiy.
A late report by lb.ua, said that rebel forces fired on Ukrainian forces a total of 72 times on July 13th, which include small arms fire incidents as well as artillery fire. Among the incidents not included by the Ukrainian previous report was an incident in Lugansk where rebel forces fired 82mm mortar fire at Novotoshkovka.
According to a separate rebel report a total of 27 residential structures were damaged by Ukrainian artillery fire over the previous three days, most of them in Zaistevo.
Overnight artillery attacks by Ukrainian forces in Donets on the night f July 12th to July 13th damaged 17 residential housing buildings in Zaitsevo. Subsequent Ukrainian artillery attacks on the night of July 13th to July 14th damaged residential buildings in Staromykhailivka, Trudovskoy and the Petrovsky district of Donetsk city.
In southern Donetsk, residential buildings damaged by overnight bombardment include those at Kominternovo and Novoazovskiy .
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
Ukrainian ground forces have launched a total of five probing attacks on rebel positions in Donetsk since Tuesday, according to Russian language media and official rebel reports.
Meanwhile, Russian backed rebel forces and Ukrainian forces continue to exchange artillery fire all along the front in Donetsk and Lugansk.
All the probing attacks involved infantry, likely in platoon strength (30 effectives) , and all have been driven back with losses to the Ukrainians, according to news account posted on Russian Spring website. The attacks continue a now familiar pattern where Ukrainian forces nudge their forces closer to rebel lines in an effort to slowly push the rebels further back into their own territory. So far, only one of those types of attacks, at Yasinovataya last spring, have been successful. A second attack was tried at Logvinovo earlier this month, when Ukrainian forces launched a number of attacks on rebel strongholds and checkpoints, only to be driven back.
As previously reported, a July 11th probing attack by Ukrainian forces took place at the Donetsk airport. In the July 11th attack, according to data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense, a total of three Ukrainians were killed and another seven wounded, when rebel rifle counterfire drove them back.
The Donetsk airport has long been a strong point of contention between the two combatants, with rebel forces taking control of most of the airport grounds in brief, but bitter battles, January, 2015.
The following day, July 12th, two more probing attacks took place in Donetsk, one at Novotroitskoye and the other in Avdievka, which is a western suburb of Donetsk city.
Elements from the Ukrainian 1st Battalion 30th Brigade attacked rebel forces at Novotroitskoye, but were driven back by rebel counterfire. Ukrainian forces, according to official rebel media lost seven dead.
The Avdievka attack cost the Ukrainians five dead. The forces involved in that attack were most likely from the Ukrainian 58th Separate Rifle Brigade.
Two days later, on Thursday, July 14th, two more probing attacks took place in Donetsk, according to a news report which appeared in Russian Spring.
The first came at Marinka, in southwestern Donetsk, and was conducted by the Ukrainian 30th Brigade, while the other attack fell on Arkhangelsk, which is near the city of Gorlovka. The Arkhangelsk attack cost the Ukrainians five dead.
The Marinka attack, conducted by the Ukrainian 13th Battalion of the 30th Brigade cost the Ukrainians another four dead and seven wounded.
A late report by Russian Spring said that a firefight was taking place in central Gorlovka near the market area.
Artillery fire exchanges between forces
Rebel forces fired mortar and artillery fire on Ukrainian positions in Donetsk and southern Donetsk, according to an lb.ua news account, relying on data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense.
On Tuesday, July 12th, rebel 122mm artillery fire fell on Ukrainian positions at Nikolaevka, while 120mm mortar fire struck Ukrainian forces at Zaitsevo (north of Gorlovka), Avdievka, Semigorye, Novoselovka and Novoselovka. Rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions at Novgorod and Dacha.
In southern Donetsk, rebel 122mm artillery fire hit Ukrainian positions at Krasnogorovka, while rebel fired 82mm mortar fire on Shirokino.
According to the Donetsk ministry of defense, Ukrainian forces fired 130 artillery and mortar shells total at rebel positions on the night of July 12th to July 13th. Ukrainian forces used 122mm artillery on the western Donetsk suburb of Staromykhailivka, and 120mm and 82mm mortar fire at Zaitsevo Gorlovka, Aleksandrovka, Trudovskoy, the industrial zone near Yasinovataya and the Volvo Center in western Donetsk city.
In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian mortar fire hit rebel positions at Kominternovo and Sahanka.
On Wednesday, rebel forces fired on Ukrainian forces a total of 28 times, to include all small arms incidents. Among the artillery missions fired, rebels struck Ukrainian positions at Avdievka using 120mm amd 82mm mortar fire. According to the data supplied by the Ukrainian ministry of defense which appeared on lb.ua, rebel forces fired 122mm artillery fire at Peski and Opytnoye, both western Donetsk suburbs.
In southern Donetsk, rebels fired 120mm mortar fire on Ukrainian position in Starognatovka, Bogdanovka and Novogrigorevka. Rebel forces fired 82mm mortar fire on Krasnogorovka and Marinka.
According to a separate news release by the Donetsk ministry of defense, on the night of July 13th to July 14th, Ukrainian forces fired a total of 180 shells on rebel positions, some of which hit and damaged residential housing.
Among the localities hit by Ukrainian artillery fire and starting at 1945 hrs, were Zaitsevo, Trudovskoy, Aleksandrovka, the Volvo Center of western Donetsk city, Donetsk airport and at Yasinovataya. Locations in southern Donetsk hit by Ukrainian artillery were Sahanka, Kominternovo and Novoazovskiy.
A late report by lb.ua, said that rebel forces fired on Ukrainian forces a total of 72 times on July 13th, which include small arms fire incidents as well as artillery fire. Among the incidents not included by the Ukrainian previous report was an incident in Lugansk where rebel forces fired 82mm mortar fire at Novotoshkovka.
According to a separate rebel report a total of 27 residential structures were damaged by Ukrainian artillery fire over the previous three days, most of them in Zaistevo.
Overnight artillery attacks by Ukrainian forces in Donets on the night f July 12th to July 13th damaged 17 residential housing buildings in Zaitsevo. Subsequent Ukrainian artillery attacks on the night of July 13th to July 14th damaged residential buildings in Staromykhailivka, Trudovskoy and the Petrovsky district of Donetsk city.
In southern Donetsk, residential buildings damaged by overnight bombardment include those at Kominternovo and Novoazovskiy .
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
Monday, July 11, 2016
Ukrainians say attacks have doubled
by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront
The Ukrainian ministry of defense announced Monday that the number of attacks on their forces by Russian supported rebel forces have doubled in the last 24 hours, according to Russian language news reports.In the meantime, official rebel media in Donetsk claim that more than 40 structures, including residential buildings and at least one school building have been damaged in ongoing Ukrainian shelling since Saturday night.
A total of 94 attacks, up from 51 the previous day and including small arms attacks, were made on Ukrainian forces all along the line of contact in both Lugansk and Donetsk, according to a news account in korrespondent.net.
Locations in Donetsk said to have been hit include Mayorsk, Avdievka, Novgorod and Troiskoye, where the rebels used 120mm mortar fire. 82mm mortar fire was reported in Marinka. In southern Donetsk, rebel forces also used 120mm mortar fire on several locations near Mariupol, and 82mm mortar fire on Ukrainian position in Shirokino.
In Lugansk, rebel forces shelled Novoaleksandrovka and Novozvanovke using 122mm artillery.
A news account which appeared in lb.ua said that one structure in Stanitsa Luganskaya was destroyed by rebel small arms and grenade launcher fire. No Ukrainians were reported wounded in the exchange of gunfire.
The Donetsk ministry of defense said on its website that Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions in Doentsk a total of 104 times Sunday.
Locations in or near Donetsk city hit by Ukrainian artillery include Trudovskoy, Spartak, the Donetsk airport, Zaitsevo and Gorlovka. In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery fell on rebel positions at Kominternovo, Sahanka and Novoazovskiy.
A total of 40 civilian and residential structures were damaged in Ukrainian overnight artillery attacks on the northern village of Zaitsevo and in Gorlovka and Donetsk city in the previous 48 hours including one school building, according to a separate news release by the Donetsk ministry of defense. Four unidentified civilian were wounded in the shelling.
A later report by rebel official media said that 10 more structures were destroyed and 70 more damaged by Ukrainian artillery fire in both Donetsk city and Gorlovka/Zaitsevo since Saturday night. Western districts of Donetsk city and the Gorlovka region have been under near constant artillery fire since the fall of 2014, with only a brief respite the previous fall and winter, 2015.
Dead/Wounded
One Ukrainian soldier was killed and another 10 wounded in a rebel artillery attack Sunday, according to a news account in lb.ua. The report failed to note the location of the impact zone, but rebel officials in Lugansk said three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 10 were wounded in a friendly fire incident in Lugansk. The rebel report also failed to note the location of the incident.
The casualties were reportedly from the 10th Battalion of the Ukrainian 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, which had recently rotated into the forward zone. The report said that artillery units from the Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized Brigade were firing artillery on rebel positions in Lugansk, and were adjusting fire when it struck the other unit. The crews apparently were unaware of the presence of the friendly unit before the artillery hit the location.
Lugansk officials say the actual toll is three dead, and that the incident is being hidden from Kiev.
Meanwhile, Donetsk military officials said that a Ukrainian infantry probe left three Ukrainian soldiers dead and another seven wounded. The attack took place at the Donetsk airport on Sunday. The attack was driven back by rebel small arms fire.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Casualties notch up in fighting in Lugansk, Donetsk
by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront
A total of seven Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in ongoing fighting in Donetsk and Lugansk over the last two days according to Russian language news accounts.
In Troitskoye in western Donetsk, on the night of July 8th to July 9th, three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and another 10 were wounded in shelling by Russian backed rebels, according to a news report which appeared in lb.ua. The article quoted Ukrainian journalist Yury Butusov from his Facebook page, who said the artillery attack was a prelude to a rebel attack, which was repelled by Ukrainian forces. A separate lb.ua report said that the Ukrainian ministry of defense reported one additional dead and six more wounded. The report failed, however, to elaborate on where the deceased died, or whether the incident took place in Troitskoye.
A total of three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 16 were wounded in rebel artillery attacks on Saturday, according to yet another lb.ua news account. The location of where the soldiers died was not reported by the Ukrainian ministry of defense, the main source of the news account.
The Donetsk ministry of defense reported on its website that Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions a total of 552 times between Friday and Saturday. The number of incidents which include Ukrainian small arms, grenade launcher, BMP infantry fighting vehicle and RPG rocket fire number well over 1,000.
Locations in Donetsk struck by Ukrainian artillery on July 8th include Zaitsevo, northern Gorlovka, Spartak and Yasinovataya. In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions at Dokuchaevsk, Sahanka, Kominternovo and Novoazovskiy.
During the same time frame, according to an lb.ua report, rebel artillery struck Ukrainian positions in western Donetsk including at Avdievka, Zaitsevo, Mayorsk and Luganskoye. The report said the rebels used 120mm and 82mm mortars on those locations.
In southern Donetsk, the Ukrainian ministry of defense said that rebels used 122mm artillery and 120mm mortars on several locations including at Shirokino. The report said rebels fired on Ukrainian positions a total of 72 times, but that includes small arms and RPG rocket fire.
The Donetsk ministry of defense reported on its website that on Saturday, Ukrainian artillery hit locations in western Donetsk, including at Zaitsevo, Gorlovka Yasinovataya, Spartak, the Donetsk airport and the Petrovsky district of western Donetsk.
In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions at Dokuchaevsk, Sahanka and Kominternovo.
Ukrainians reinforce Schastye
According to a new release posted on the Lugansk People's Republic website, the Ukrainian Army has reinforced the riverside city of Schastye with a tank company and several squads of riflemen.
On July 8th and 9th, several foreign and domestic volunteer squads were rotated into the town, as Ukrainian army units were rotated out. Nationalities for the rifle squads include from Poland and Georgia. Some of the squads are staffed by members of the Right Secktor political party. The news release quoted Lugansk ministry of defense spokesman Major Andrei Marochko saying that some of the volunteers were of "African appearance."
A total of 150 effectives were moved into Schastye, roughly a rifle company. A total of 2,000 effectives are said to be deployed at Schastye.
Schastye has been a Ukrainian stronghold since the summer of 2014, when Ukrainian units retreated from Lugansk city after claiming to occupy the airport. Lugansk rebel forces since have attempted to surround the city, to little avail.
Schastye is situated on the left bank of the Northern Donetsk River and astride a major highway leading north.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
A total of seven Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in ongoing fighting in Donetsk and Lugansk over the last two days according to Russian language news accounts.
In Troitskoye in western Donetsk, on the night of July 8th to July 9th, three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and another 10 were wounded in shelling by Russian backed rebels, according to a news report which appeared in lb.ua. The article quoted Ukrainian journalist Yury Butusov from his Facebook page, who said the artillery attack was a prelude to a rebel attack, which was repelled by Ukrainian forces. A separate lb.ua report said that the Ukrainian ministry of defense reported one additional dead and six more wounded. The report failed, however, to elaborate on where the deceased died, or whether the incident took place in Troitskoye.
A total of three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 16 were wounded in rebel artillery attacks on Saturday, according to yet another lb.ua news account. The location of where the soldiers died was not reported by the Ukrainian ministry of defense, the main source of the news account.
The Donetsk ministry of defense reported on its website that Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions a total of 552 times between Friday and Saturday. The number of incidents which include Ukrainian small arms, grenade launcher, BMP infantry fighting vehicle and RPG rocket fire number well over 1,000.
Locations in Donetsk struck by Ukrainian artillery on July 8th include Zaitsevo, northern Gorlovka, Spartak and Yasinovataya. In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions at Dokuchaevsk, Sahanka, Kominternovo and Novoazovskiy.
During the same time frame, according to an lb.ua report, rebel artillery struck Ukrainian positions in western Donetsk including at Avdievka, Zaitsevo, Mayorsk and Luganskoye. The report said the rebels used 120mm and 82mm mortars on those locations.
In southern Donetsk, the Ukrainian ministry of defense said that rebels used 122mm artillery and 120mm mortars on several locations including at Shirokino. The report said rebels fired on Ukrainian positions a total of 72 times, but that includes small arms and RPG rocket fire.
The Donetsk ministry of defense reported on its website that on Saturday, Ukrainian artillery hit locations in western Donetsk, including at Zaitsevo, Gorlovka Yasinovataya, Spartak, the Donetsk airport and the Petrovsky district of western Donetsk.
In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions at Dokuchaevsk, Sahanka and Kominternovo.
Ukrainians reinforce Schastye
According to a new release posted on the Lugansk People's Republic website, the Ukrainian Army has reinforced the riverside city of Schastye with a tank company and several squads of riflemen.
On July 8th and 9th, several foreign and domestic volunteer squads were rotated into the town, as Ukrainian army units were rotated out. Nationalities for the rifle squads include from Poland and Georgia. Some of the squads are staffed by members of the Right Secktor political party. The news release quoted Lugansk ministry of defense spokesman Major Andrei Marochko saying that some of the volunteers were of "African appearance."
A total of 150 effectives were moved into Schastye, roughly a rifle company. A total of 2,000 effectives are said to be deployed at Schastye.
Schastye has been a Ukrainian stronghold since the summer of 2014, when Ukrainian units retreated from Lugansk city after claiming to occupy the airport. Lugansk rebel forces since have attempted to surround the city, to little avail.
Schastye is situated on the left bank of the Northern Donetsk River and astride a major highway leading north.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
Thursday, July 7, 2016
3 Ukrainian vehicles destroyed in"friendly fire" incident in Donetsk
by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront
One Ukrainian soldier was killed and another four were wounded in an incident Donbas rebel official media are characterizing as a friendly fire incident, according to Russian language news account.
The incident took place near Peski and Staromykhailivka near western Donetsk city Thursday, where Ukrainian forces exchanged fire as they were conducting "uncoordinated actions", according to a news report which appeared in regnum.ru.
The report said that two tanks and one infantry fighting vehicles of the Ukrainian 128th Separate Mechanized Brigade were destroyed in the exchange of gunfire between friendly forces. Several other Ukrainian weapons were used in the incident, but neither the article nor the source elaborated how many or which kind of weapons were used.
Ukrainian forces involved in the fighting in southeastern Ukraine have a massive problem in such incidents. Official rebel media has claimed in the past that as many as 20 percent of Ukrainian casualties involve some kind of friendly such, including accidental firearm discharges. Normally such an abnormally high accidental discharge rate can be attributed to the nature of Ukrainian forces, using poorly trained conscripts, but Ukraine's fire discipline problems are compounded by the involvement of untrained private militias, including members of the Right Sektor political groups which man many of those units.
Fighting in Donetsk, Lugansk continues
Exchange of gunfire and artillery fire continued by both sides in Lugansk and Donetsk over the past 48 hours, according to various Russian language news accounts.
The Ukrainian defense ministry said on Wednesday and Thursday that rebel forces fired on their positions a total of 77 times, according to a news report which appeared in lb.ua.
The report said that on Wednesday, rebel 120mm mortar fire fell on Ukrainian positions in Troiskoye, Novoselovka and Avdievka. 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions in Verhnetoretskovo, Avdievka and Novgorod.
In southern Donetsk, rebel 152mm artillery, and 120mm and 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions at Lebedinskoye and Shirokino.
In Lugansk, rebel 82mm mortar fire fell on the Popasnaya area, and in Novoaleksandrovka, Boguslavsky and Novozvanovki.
According to a separate report which appeared in lb.ua, in Donetsk, rebels 120mm mortar fire hit Troitskoye on Thursday, while 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions in Avdievka. In southern Donetsk, rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions in Shirokino.
In Lugansk, rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions in Novoaleksandrovka.
The Donetsk ministry of defense reported in its website that Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions 300 times in the previous 48 hours using heavy weapons.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions in Donetsk at Donetsk, Gorlovka, Yasinovataya, the Petrovsky district of Donetsk city, Staromykhailivka, the Donetsk airport, Zaitsevo and Spartak. In southern Donetsk Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions in Dokuchaevsk and Sahanka.
On Thursday, Ukrainian forces repeated their artillery attacks on Zaitsevo, Yasinovataya, the Donetsk airport, Staromykhailivka, Spartak and the Petrovsky district of Donetsk city. In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery hit Sahanka and Kominternovo.
Rebel official media also reported that another 30 residential buildings were damaged by Ukrainian artillery fire in Zaitsevo during the night of July 6th to July 7th. It has been previously reported that a total of 40 residential buildings were damaged from Ukrainian artillery fire last July 4th in Zaitsevo and Gorlovka.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
One Ukrainian soldier was killed and another four were wounded in an incident Donbas rebel official media are characterizing as a friendly fire incident, according to Russian language news account.
The incident took place near Peski and Staromykhailivka near western Donetsk city Thursday, where Ukrainian forces exchanged fire as they were conducting "uncoordinated actions", according to a news report which appeared in regnum.ru.
The report said that two tanks and one infantry fighting vehicles of the Ukrainian 128th Separate Mechanized Brigade were destroyed in the exchange of gunfire between friendly forces. Several other Ukrainian weapons were used in the incident, but neither the article nor the source elaborated how many or which kind of weapons were used.
Ukrainian forces involved in the fighting in southeastern Ukraine have a massive problem in such incidents. Official rebel media has claimed in the past that as many as 20 percent of Ukrainian casualties involve some kind of friendly such, including accidental firearm discharges. Normally such an abnormally high accidental discharge rate can be attributed to the nature of Ukrainian forces, using poorly trained conscripts, but Ukraine's fire discipline problems are compounded by the involvement of untrained private militias, including members of the Right Sektor political groups which man many of those units.
Fighting in Donetsk, Lugansk continues
Exchange of gunfire and artillery fire continued by both sides in Lugansk and Donetsk over the past 48 hours, according to various Russian language news accounts.
The Ukrainian defense ministry said on Wednesday and Thursday that rebel forces fired on their positions a total of 77 times, according to a news report which appeared in lb.ua.
The report said that on Wednesday, rebel 120mm mortar fire fell on Ukrainian positions in Troiskoye, Novoselovka and Avdievka. 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions in Verhnetoretskovo, Avdievka and Novgorod.
In southern Donetsk, rebel 152mm artillery, and 120mm and 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions at Lebedinskoye and Shirokino.
In Lugansk, rebel 82mm mortar fire fell on the Popasnaya area, and in Novoaleksandrovka, Boguslavsky and Novozvanovki.
According to a separate report which appeared in lb.ua, in Donetsk, rebels 120mm mortar fire hit Troitskoye on Thursday, while 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions in Avdievka. In southern Donetsk, rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions in Shirokino.
In Lugansk, rebel 82mm mortar fire hit Ukrainian positions in Novoaleksandrovka.
The Donetsk ministry of defense reported in its website that Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions 300 times in the previous 48 hours using heavy weapons.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions in Donetsk at Donetsk, Gorlovka, Yasinovataya, the Petrovsky district of Donetsk city, Staromykhailivka, the Donetsk airport, Zaitsevo and Spartak. In southern Donetsk Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions in Dokuchaevsk and Sahanka.
On Thursday, Ukrainian forces repeated their artillery attacks on Zaitsevo, Yasinovataya, the Donetsk airport, Staromykhailivka, Spartak and the Petrovsky district of Donetsk city. In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery hit Sahanka and Kominternovo.
Rebel official media also reported that another 30 residential buildings were damaged by Ukrainian artillery fire in Zaitsevo during the night of July 6th to July 7th. It has been previously reported that a total of 40 residential buildings were damaged from Ukrainian artillery fire last July 4th in Zaitsevo and Gorlovka.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
Monday, July 4, 2016
Top rebel commander dies in Donetsk
by Chris Covert exclusively for SouthFront
The commander of the rebel 7th Separate Brigade based at Debaltstevo was killed Sunday morning in a land mine attack, according to several Russian language social media and news websites.
Colonel Aleksandr Bushuev apparently was riding or driving a vehicle when it ran over a land mine at a railroad crossing in Makievka near Donetsk, according to a post at the Russian language blog Chervonets Andryuha. According to Chervonets Andryuha, retired Russian GRU Colonel Igor Bezler wrote on his wife's Vkontakte page about the incident. That post since has been taken private and is publicly unavailable.
According to Ukrainian blogger Roman Sinitsyn, Col. Bushuev was formerly commander of the Russian 83rd Separate Air Assault Brigade before coming to Donetsk and commanding the 7th Brigade.
Official rebel media has made no mention of the incident so far. Usually rebel media in both Donetsk and Lugansk are very diligent even in reporting the death of top commanders.
Colonel Bushuev's 7th Brigade recently successfully concluded the defense of Logvinovo region at the line of contact in their area of operation, preventing a Ukrainian probe from reaching Debaltsevo June 29th.
40 homes damaged in Zaistevo/Gorlovka
A total of 40 residential buildings were damaged in overnight artillery attacks by Ukrainian armed forces, according to a news item posted at the Russian language Gorlovka Pravda.
The artillery attacks began at 2000 hrs and did not stop until around 0430 July 4th. Two unidentified individuals were wounded by shrapnel. One residential building was destroyed by fire in the attacks.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian artillery attacks continued overnight, July 3rd to July 4th, in several sectors of the line of contact in Donetsk, according to data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense. Among the locations hit in northern Donetsk were Spartak, Mineralnoye, Yasinovataya, Trudovskoy Staromykhailivka, Gorlovka and Zaitsevo.
In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions at Leninskoye, Oktyabr, Sahanka, Kominternovo and in the Novoazovskiy district.
According to the Donetsk ministry of defense, a total of 219 shells were fired at the various locations from 82mm and 120mm mortars.
The Ukrainian ministry of defense said in its daily briefing that rebel artillery struck locations in Donetsk city to include Peski, near western Donetsk city and Zaitsevo, which is north of Gorlovka, where rebel forces used 122mm artillery and at Avdievka, where rebel forces used 120mm mortar fire.
In southern Donetsk, rebel artillery struck Ukrainian positions at Shirokino using 122mm artillery and 120mm and 82mm mortar fire, as well a antitank rocket fire and small arms fire, according to official Ukrainian media. Rebels used 120mm mortar fire to hit Vodyanoma and Krasnogorovka.
Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions in northern Lugansk as well as well as the forward zones near Logvinovo, according to a news report which appeared in regnum.ru. Locations hit include the villages of Sanzharovka, Loginov, Kalinovka, Lozove and Kalinovo
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com
Details on the Ukrainian attack on Logvinovo
By Chris Covert
As memory of the battle for Logvinovo fades into the background, two analysis have emerged, one Ukrainian and one rebel, which reaffirm the recent Ukrainian strategy of using short sharp attacks on rebel positions followed by short advances of forces.
Russian blogger Chervonets Andryuha, writing in his Live Journal account references the two analyses characterizing the new Ukrainian tactic as a "creeping offensive", which uses weak points in the rebels' deployment and informal, but established neutral zones -- which the rebels call grey zones -- to advance their lines further into rebel territory. It should be noted that, to date, the new creeping offensive tactic has been used twice since its inception, the latest in Logvinovka, and the first time in Yasinovataya last March. Of the two, only the Yasinovataya attack has been a qualified success.
The first analysis appeared in lenta.ru, authored by Alexei Sanin, who wrote that, unlike earlier reports which identified one Ukrainian combat formation -- Ukrainian 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade --, parts of two Ukrainian combat formations, the 54th and the Ukrainian 58th Separate Mechanized Brigade, were involved on the attack on Logvinovo. Sanin writes in his article that both sides leave considerable reserves well to the rear of the line of contact, and these two brigades were no different.
The Ukrainian 58th Brigade had spent six months undergoing training by unidentified NATO advisers before moving into Artemovsk, which is a command and logistics node for Ukrainian operations in the region. That training would some importance in the battle at Logvinovo.
Rebel forces in the form of spearheads, parts of the 1st Army Corps, 7th Brigade were deployed dug in at several locations to the north of Logvinovo, where heights looking south towards Debaltsevo are, with their main force camped out in Debaltsevo as a mobile reserve. According to Sanin, significant rebel forces also were deployed to the flanks of the Logvinovo position, specifically at Lozovoy, Sanzharovki and Kalinovka.
The Ukrainian attack took place at dawn on June 29th, and involved parts of four rifle companies, a reinforced rifle group from the 25th battalion, and two more rifle companies of the 54th brigade, and one rifle company from the 58th Brigade. The attack hit five locations spread out along the front, the weakest being a roadblock north of Logvinovo. Although casualty figures are not available, Sanin said that the rebels did suffer losses at the Logvinovo roadblock location, and the group was forced to withdraw with losses. Sanin notes that Ukrainian forces suffered losses at the battle, but to date, figures have not been released by the Ukrainian ministry of defense.
Rebel positions northwest of Logvinovo, however, did not buckle and held firm against Ukrainian attacks, according to Sanin. When Ukrainian commanders came to the realization that rebel forces were not going to budge, Ukrainian artillery fire began. The same thing took place at Sanzharovki and Kalinovka. Rebel forces refused to withdraw, so Ukrainian tactical commanders decided to try to isolate rebel positions, presumably by going around those positions.
Ukrainian reserves of the two brigades were in Artemovsk, and despite the fact that forces near Logvinovo, Sanzharovki Kalinovka were becoming bogged down in the fighting, most of those reserves stayed put. After advancing about 4.5 kilometers south and failing to gain most of their main objectives, the Ukrainian offensive stopped.
Sanin said that two objectives the Ukrainians did take, which were significant advances into the neutral zone at the line of contact. Two heights, about three kilometers from Uglegorsk, actions which Sanin characterized as serious, but not enough to permit an attack into Debaltsevo, which was the Ukrainian main, eventual objective. The requirement for the Ukrainians was to take all objectives to presumably help with a subsequent operation that would move Ukrainian forces into Debaltsevo.
Sanin concludes in describing the tactical battles, that failing to commit reserves into battle cost the Ukrainian forces enough that the whole operation collapsed. By noon, the attack had stopped cold. At 1400 hrs Ukrainian commanders called in a tank company to help out with their big guns. It was then Ukrainian artillery began to fall on the area, but this time to cover withdrawing forces.
Sanin goes on to suggest that the reason for the attack was to provoke rebel commanders into a counterattack, to draw rebel riflemen into open ground and attack them with artillery. He also suggests that the tactics being taught by NATO advisers were to avoid close combat with rebel forces and use what NATO calls stand off weaponry, artillery and tank gun fire to achieve local tactical successes.
Sanin says in his article that Ukrainian forces did not expect such stiff resistance from rebel forces. Because of rebel forces holding their positions and their counterfire, the Ukrainian tactical groups remained in their positions until almost 2000 hrs, before withdrawing north.
Ukrainian Analysis on the Debaltsevo Operation
Ukrainian military journalist Dmitri Tymchuk published a much shorter analysis at his http://sprotyv.info/ blog, in which he said that a successful attack on Debaltsevo could conceivably shift momentum in the Ukrainian's favor.
A successful attack on Debaltsevo would seemingly be the coup the Ukrainians needed to shift momentum in their favor in the war. Debaltsevo is a major rail/road node which allows its owner to shift forces and supplies in most directions. Ukrainian forces sat on Debaltsevo after a failed offensive in August of 2014, but were destroyed by the rebel defensive operation in February, 2015. In the seven months between then and the rebel operation, Ukrainian forces did little more than just sit on the location. They had a rather long front to hold in addition to the town itself, which drained forces and supplies into the region. Ukrainian did not have the advantage of owning many of the roads leading into Debaltsevo, the way rebel forces do now.
However, it also should be noted that even though the rebels have a favorable geographical advantage in owning Debaltsevo, any presumed advantages have not materialized since. The rebel defensive operation to take Debaltsevo took place 18 months ago, and despite a better tactical situation in the 18 months since then, rebel commanders had done little more than the Ukrainians did before that.
In his analysis, Tymchuk admits the Ukrainian's new tactic of wedging forces into neutral zones as a means of pushing rebel forces south. He notes, darkly that the June 29th attack "it did not cause delight in [rebel commanders]."
Tymchuk said that rebel forces' use of fire groups, such as tank and mortars, or BMP and mortars, were used as "fire raids" to try to give rebel an advantage in advancing past Mironovski reservoir, weel to the north of Logvinovo. The goal in that, said Tymchuk, was to force Ukrainian commanders to shift their forces away from another location to the west of the region, thus giving rebels a local tactical advantage at Svetlodarsk. However reports from the Ukrainian ministry of defense, until well after the Ukrainian attack stopped, had failed to note any artillery or direct gunfire in the area prior to June 29th.
Tymchuk said that rebel fores at Lozovoye, where the Ukrainians were stopped, were not light, and included a rifle company supported by tanks. Additionally, rebel commanders had moved additional artillery north prior to the Ukrainian attack. Tymchuk claim the amount of artillery the rebels had in reserve was close to 24 guns, and included 122mm artillery. The forces at Logvinovo had been moved up and were attacked by Ukrainian forces, apparently present at Logvinovo. Rebel forces retreated under Ukrainian fire and"friendly fire", as he put it.
Of the two analyses, Tymchuk's sounds much more confused that Sanin's. Indeed Tymchuk tries to put a spin on a failed operation by noting extreme claims made in social media by unofficial sources, and not noting far more careful claims by official rebel media.
Tymchuk and Sanin both bolster notions held by this writer that neither side will be able to conduct modern mobile combat operations because of the use, nature and composition of available forces. Ukrainian commanders probably have one thing right: that engaging rebel forces in brief but intense firefights as a means of slowly and by small steps pushing the rebels south, is their best chance to win the war.
However, that presumes that rebel forces won't hold their ground and can be forced back. At Logvinovo they held.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues.
As memory of the battle for Logvinovo fades into the background, two analysis have emerged, one Ukrainian and one rebel, which reaffirm the recent Ukrainian strategy of using short sharp attacks on rebel positions followed by short advances of forces.
Russian blogger Chervonets Andryuha, writing in his Live Journal account references the two analyses characterizing the new Ukrainian tactic as a "creeping offensive", which uses weak points in the rebels' deployment and informal, but established neutral zones -- which the rebels call grey zones -- to advance their lines further into rebel territory. It should be noted that, to date, the new creeping offensive tactic has been used twice since its inception, the latest in Logvinovka, and the first time in Yasinovataya last March. Of the two, only the Yasinovataya attack has been a qualified success.
The first analysis appeared in lenta.ru, authored by Alexei Sanin, who wrote that, unlike earlier reports which identified one Ukrainian combat formation -- Ukrainian 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade --, parts of two Ukrainian combat formations, the 54th and the Ukrainian 58th Separate Mechanized Brigade, were involved on the attack on Logvinovo. Sanin writes in his article that both sides leave considerable reserves well to the rear of the line of contact, and these two brigades were no different.
The Ukrainian 58th Brigade had spent six months undergoing training by unidentified NATO advisers before moving into Artemovsk, which is a command and logistics node for Ukrainian operations in the region. That training would some importance in the battle at Logvinovo.
Rebel forces in the form of spearheads, parts of the 1st Army Corps, 7th Brigade were deployed dug in at several locations to the north of Logvinovo, where heights looking south towards Debaltsevo are, with their main force camped out in Debaltsevo as a mobile reserve. According to Sanin, significant rebel forces also were deployed to the flanks of the Logvinovo position, specifically at Lozovoy, Sanzharovki and Kalinovka.
The Ukrainian attack took place at dawn on June 29th, and involved parts of four rifle companies, a reinforced rifle group from the 25th battalion, and two more rifle companies of the 54th brigade, and one rifle company from the 58th Brigade. The attack hit five locations spread out along the front, the weakest being a roadblock north of Logvinovo. Although casualty figures are not available, Sanin said that the rebels did suffer losses at the Logvinovo roadblock location, and the group was forced to withdraw with losses. Sanin notes that Ukrainian forces suffered losses at the battle, but to date, figures have not been released by the Ukrainian ministry of defense.
Rebel positions northwest of Logvinovo, however, did not buckle and held firm against Ukrainian attacks, according to Sanin. When Ukrainian commanders came to the realization that rebel forces were not going to budge, Ukrainian artillery fire began. The same thing took place at Sanzharovki and Kalinovka. Rebel forces refused to withdraw, so Ukrainian tactical commanders decided to try to isolate rebel positions, presumably by going around those positions.
Ukrainian reserves of the two brigades were in Artemovsk, and despite the fact that forces near Logvinovo, Sanzharovki Kalinovka were becoming bogged down in the fighting, most of those reserves stayed put. After advancing about 4.5 kilometers south and failing to gain most of their main objectives, the Ukrainian offensive stopped.
Sanin said that two objectives the Ukrainians did take, which were significant advances into the neutral zone at the line of contact. Two heights, about three kilometers from Uglegorsk, actions which Sanin characterized as serious, but not enough to permit an attack into Debaltsevo, which was the Ukrainian main, eventual objective. The requirement for the Ukrainians was to take all objectives to presumably help with a subsequent operation that would move Ukrainian forces into Debaltsevo.
Sanin concludes in describing the tactical battles, that failing to commit reserves into battle cost the Ukrainian forces enough that the whole operation collapsed. By noon, the attack had stopped cold. At 1400 hrs Ukrainian commanders called in a tank company to help out with their big guns. It was then Ukrainian artillery began to fall on the area, but this time to cover withdrawing forces.
Sanin goes on to suggest that the reason for the attack was to provoke rebel commanders into a counterattack, to draw rebel riflemen into open ground and attack them with artillery. He also suggests that the tactics being taught by NATO advisers were to avoid close combat with rebel forces and use what NATO calls stand off weaponry, artillery and tank gun fire to achieve local tactical successes.
Sanin says in his article that Ukrainian forces did not expect such stiff resistance from rebel forces. Because of rebel forces holding their positions and their counterfire, the Ukrainian tactical groups remained in their positions until almost 2000 hrs, before withdrawing north.
Ukrainian Analysis on the Debaltsevo Operation
Ukrainian military journalist Dmitri Tymchuk published a much shorter analysis at his http://sprotyv.info/ blog, in which he said that a successful attack on Debaltsevo could conceivably shift momentum in the Ukrainian's favor.
A successful attack on Debaltsevo would seemingly be the coup the Ukrainians needed to shift momentum in their favor in the war. Debaltsevo is a major rail/road node which allows its owner to shift forces and supplies in most directions. Ukrainian forces sat on Debaltsevo after a failed offensive in August of 2014, but were destroyed by the rebel defensive operation in February, 2015. In the seven months between then and the rebel operation, Ukrainian forces did little more than just sit on the location. They had a rather long front to hold in addition to the town itself, which drained forces and supplies into the region. Ukrainian did not have the advantage of owning many of the roads leading into Debaltsevo, the way rebel forces do now.
However, it also should be noted that even though the rebels have a favorable geographical advantage in owning Debaltsevo, any presumed advantages have not materialized since. The rebel defensive operation to take Debaltsevo took place 18 months ago, and despite a better tactical situation in the 18 months since then, rebel commanders had done little more than the Ukrainians did before that.
In his analysis, Tymchuk admits the Ukrainian's new tactic of wedging forces into neutral zones as a means of pushing rebel forces south. He notes, darkly that the June 29th attack "it did not cause delight in [rebel commanders]."
Tymchuk said that rebel forces' use of fire groups, such as tank and mortars, or BMP and mortars, were used as "fire raids" to try to give rebel an advantage in advancing past Mironovski reservoir, weel to the north of Logvinovo. The goal in that, said Tymchuk, was to force Ukrainian commanders to shift their forces away from another location to the west of the region, thus giving rebels a local tactical advantage at Svetlodarsk. However reports from the Ukrainian ministry of defense, until well after the Ukrainian attack stopped, had failed to note any artillery or direct gunfire in the area prior to June 29th.
Tymchuk said that rebel fores at Lozovoye, where the Ukrainians were stopped, were not light, and included a rifle company supported by tanks. Additionally, rebel commanders had moved additional artillery north prior to the Ukrainian attack. Tymchuk claim the amount of artillery the rebels had in reserve was close to 24 guns, and included 122mm artillery. The forces at Logvinovo had been moved up and were attacked by Ukrainian forces, apparently present at Logvinovo. Rebel forces retreated under Ukrainian fire and"friendly fire", as he put it.
Of the two analyses, Tymchuk's sounds much more confused that Sanin's. Indeed Tymchuk tries to put a spin on a failed operation by noting extreme claims made in social media by unofficial sources, and not noting far more careful claims by official rebel media.
Tymchuk and Sanin both bolster notions held by this writer that neither side will be able to conduct modern mobile combat operations because of the use, nature and composition of available forces. Ukrainian commanders probably have one thing right: that engaging rebel forces in brief but intense firefights as a means of slowly and by small steps pushing the rebels south, is their best chance to win the war.
However, that presumes that rebel forces won't hold their ground and can be forced back. At Logvinovo they held.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues.
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Ukrainian drug kop attacked in Kherson
The former head of drug crimes in the Ukrainian National Police was attacked Saturday night in Kherson, according to a news account in korrespodent.net.
Ilya Kiva, who was campaigning in Kherson for a seat in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, was not in his car when it was attacked, and was unharmed.
The gunman fire about 20 rounds into Kiva's car, then detonated a hand grenade.
Kiva was dismissed as head of the Interior Ministry's National Police drug department, along with a department ombudsman, last May. According to a separate korrespondent.net account, he was to head the department of veterans in the interior ministry's Anti Terrorist Operation, but was to be "recertified" for a law enforcement post.
Kiva's troubles began in April when a blogger published photographs which showed Kiva open carrying a firearm while boarding a train in Kiev.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues.
Ilya Kiva, who was campaigning in Kherson for a seat in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, was not in his car when it was attacked, and was unharmed.
The gunman fire about 20 rounds into Kiva's car, then detonated a hand grenade.
Kiva was dismissed as head of the Interior Ministry's National Police drug department, along with a department ombudsman, last May. According to a separate korrespondent.net account, he was to head the department of veterans in the interior ministry's Anti Terrorist Operation, but was to be "recertified" for a law enforcement post.
Kiva's troubles began in April when a blogger published photographs which showed Kiva open carrying a firearm while boarding a train in Kiev.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Ukrainian Army receives US battlefield radar systems
By Chris Covert
The Ukrainian Army has received four advanced counterbattery radar systems and 10 countermortar radar systems from the United States military, according to Russian language news accounts.
The systems, used at the battalion level by US troops is among the most advanced of its type in the world. The systems enables the operator to pinpoint the location of firing artillery and mortars, thus to enable friendly artillery to hit and destroy firing artillery, according to a story posted on the korrespondent.net news website.
Four each AN/PQ-36 Firefinder radar systems and 10 each AN/TPQ-49 radar systems arrived at the Boryspil International Airport on Saturday. According to the report, an additional total of USD $500 million in direct aid is to be transferred to Ukraine from the United States.
According to data supplied by the manufacturer, Thales Raytheon, the Firefinder radar system can locate several firing locations simultaneously. The system is said to be compact and mobile.
The second system is a dedicated radar for finding mortar fire. According to data by Global Security.org, the AN/TPQ-49 Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar can "track multiple rounds fired from separate locations within a 315 square kilometer surveillance area."
The AN/TPQ-49's main advantage is that it can be set up quickly, and has been recently modified for more rugged use.
The war between Ukraine and Russian speaking rebels has been primarily an artillery war, with artillery exchanges being a feature of life in Donetsk and Lugansk almost daily for nearly two years.
Fighting continues in Donetsk
Ukrainian artillery has struck rebel targets in Donetsk more than 600 times in the past two days according to data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense.
On Thursday evening, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions in Trudovskoy, the Donetsk airport, the Donetsk city Volvo Center, at Spartak, Zhabichevo and Panteleymonovka. Ukrainian artillery also hit locations in Zaitsevo, which is north of Gorlovka. All told 165 82mm and 120mm mortars were fired on the locations.
In southern Donetsk, near Mariupol, Ukrainian artillery was reported striking Dokuchaevsk and Sahanka. A rebel media report on Thursday said that five residential buildings were damaged by Ukrainian artillery fire in Dokuchaevsk.
On Friday evening, according to data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense, Ukrainian artillery hammered rebel positions another 341 times, striking Yasinovataya, between Donetsk city and Gorlovka, in addition to the locations from the previous day. As with the previous day, 82mm and 120mm mortar fire was sued by the Ukrainians.
An unidentified 79 year old man was wounded by Ukrainian antitank rocket fire in Zaitsevo.
On Thursday an unidentified 27 year old man was wounded by Ukrainian antitank rocket and mortar fire in Dokuchaevsk. In Yasinovataya, also on Thursday, an unidentified 45 year old man was wounded by Ukrainian shelling.
According to Ukrainian reports which appeared in lb.ua, rebel artillery struck Ukrainian positions in Donetsk a total of 28 times, hitting targets in Verhnetoretskoe, Troitskoye and Avdievka. Weapons used in the attacks were said to be 122mm artillery and 120mm mortars.
In southern Donetsk, rebel artillery struck Ukrainian targets in Talakovke, Novotroitsk and Berezovo, using 120mm mortars.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues.
The Ukrainian Army has received four advanced counterbattery radar systems and 10 countermortar radar systems from the United States military, according to Russian language news accounts.
The systems, used at the battalion level by US troops is among the most advanced of its type in the world. The systems enables the operator to pinpoint the location of firing artillery and mortars, thus to enable friendly artillery to hit and destroy firing artillery, according to a story posted on the korrespondent.net news website.
Four each AN/PQ-36 Firefinder radar systems and 10 each AN/TPQ-49 radar systems arrived at the Boryspil International Airport on Saturday. According to the report, an additional total of USD $500 million in direct aid is to be transferred to Ukraine from the United States.
According to data supplied by the manufacturer, Thales Raytheon, the Firefinder radar system can locate several firing locations simultaneously. The system is said to be compact and mobile.
The second system is a dedicated radar for finding mortar fire. According to data by Global Security.org, the AN/TPQ-49 Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar can "track multiple rounds fired from separate locations within a 315 square kilometer surveillance area."
The AN/TPQ-49's main advantage is that it can be set up quickly, and has been recently modified for more rugged use.
The war between Ukraine and Russian speaking rebels has been primarily an artillery war, with artillery exchanges being a feature of life in Donetsk and Lugansk almost daily for nearly two years.
Fighting continues in Donetsk
Ukrainian artillery has struck rebel targets in Donetsk more than 600 times in the past two days according to data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense.
On Thursday evening, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions in Trudovskoy, the Donetsk airport, the Donetsk city Volvo Center, at Spartak, Zhabichevo and Panteleymonovka. Ukrainian artillery also hit locations in Zaitsevo, which is north of Gorlovka. All told 165 82mm and 120mm mortars were fired on the locations.
In southern Donetsk, near Mariupol, Ukrainian artillery was reported striking Dokuchaevsk and Sahanka. A rebel media report on Thursday said that five residential buildings were damaged by Ukrainian artillery fire in Dokuchaevsk.
On Friday evening, according to data supplied by the Donetsk ministry of defense, Ukrainian artillery hammered rebel positions another 341 times, striking Yasinovataya, between Donetsk city and Gorlovka, in addition to the locations from the previous day. As with the previous day, 82mm and 120mm mortar fire was sued by the Ukrainians.
An unidentified 79 year old man was wounded by Ukrainian antitank rocket fire in Zaitsevo.
On Thursday an unidentified 27 year old man was wounded by Ukrainian antitank rocket and mortar fire in Dokuchaevsk. In Yasinovataya, also on Thursday, an unidentified 45 year old man was wounded by Ukrainian shelling.
According to Ukrainian reports which appeared in lb.ua, rebel artillery struck Ukrainian positions in Donetsk a total of 28 times, hitting targets in Verhnetoretskoe, Troitskoye and Avdievka. Weapons used in the attacks were said to be 122mm artillery and 120mm mortars.
In southern Donetsk, rebel artillery struck Ukrainian targets in Talakovke, Novotroitsk and Berezovo, using 120mm mortars.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues.
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