Don's Weekly, 13 January 2025: Part 2
by Donald Hill
(…continued from Part 1…)
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Toretsk
There’s very little of Toretsk left that is not under Russian control. The Russians planted a unit flag on a slagheap within the western end of the town. There were a lot of published videos of drone strikes by both sides. Since yesterday, they’re assaulting the northeastern part of the suburbs and the Krymske Mine.
The 100th Mech’s drones attack targets in Toretsk. Azov drones and a tank take a toll on the Russians.
Russian drones attack targets in Toretsk.
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Pokrovsk
Most of the latest Russian advances took place on the flanks of the sector. The advances near Vozdvyzhenka can be associated with the advances in the Toretsk sector to create yet another pocket.
An exception was the Vozdvyzhenka area (the name of which reminds me that except the ZSU, the Ukrainian language remains in need of a reform: what poor ‘Westerner’ should be able to read such names?). Sure, that cost them some vehicles. One knocked out vehicle was recovered. A Ukrainian T-72 was immobilized by a mine and finished by drones, though.
Then, from Vozdvyzhenka, the Russians continue in northern direction, yesterday: their assault first established a foothold in the part of the ZSU fortifications there, before continuing along and through the same to reach the railway berm.
Once again, people as clueless as Tom and me are left to wonder why has the Ministry of Defence in Kyiv squandered months of time and millions of Hrynas to construct the local defence lines at all? Most of these were constructed along the North-South axis, next to none along the West-East axis - while the Russians are assaulting them from the south, i.e. into the flank… what a surprise the fortifications are near-useless…
…and, but foremost: an attack at this point, towards the railway berm, was so entirely unexpected that everybody following this war can be 1000000000% sure: Syrsky never saw it coming.
How good it’s the ‘top Ukrainian General’ - indeed, the General of Fantastic News - who is personally in charge of this sector…
Of course, artillery and drones took a toll on Russians north of Vovkove, too. Two kilometres further north, a Leopard 2A4 tank, possibly from the 155th Brigade, was immobilized when the driver drove into a trench and Russian drones finished it off. 4 km behind Vovkove, Russians gathering in a small building were spotted, and drones hunted the Russians around Hrodivka, too.
At Zhovte, 5 km from the front lines, drones of the 414th destroy four soft and two armored vehicles at one location.
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Andriivka (formerly Kurakhove)
Russian advances have generally slowed, but Ukrainian forces in the Dachne pocket are at risk and Ukraine must manage the eventual withdrawal carefully… and how ‘careful’ are Syrsky & Buddies in this regards… sigh…
Just east of Yasenove, Russian infantry was engaged before it could enter the village.
Ukraine conducts drone attacks in Kurakhove. In turn, the Russians are shelling Dachne. Here one example.
5 km from the front line, the 414th (Magyar) destroys a vehicle with a mine (BTW, word is that the Magyar Birds UAV Battalion has been officially expanded into a Brigade… guess, that way, Syrsky has more battalions to play with…)
A Russian airstrike hits just east of Kostiantynopil and two hit Oleksiivka.
Russian rockets cover Rozlyn, Ukrainian tank is destroyed near Rozlyn and an M113 is destroyed south of Dachne.
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Velyka Novosilka
Russia is closing in on the flanks of Velyka Novosilka. All the bridges across the Mokri Yaly River in this area have been destroyed. The presence of pontoon bridges hasn’t been reported.
Russian thermobaric attacks cover the southern side of Velyka Novosilka.
A Ukrainian SPG is destroyed.
11 Russian reconnaissance drones were downed in this area.
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Zaporizhzhia
4 km south of Novodanylivka the Russian conduct a nighttime MLR bombardment.
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Kherson
Ukrainian sea drones launched FPV drones and destroyed a Pantsir air defense system in the Skadovsky district.
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Occupied Territories
16 km east of Donetsk, the 8th Guards Combined Arms Army headquarters was attacked.
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Russia
The Russian central bank is considering freezing the assets of individual deposits. The stated reason is to curb inflation by removing money from the economy. The main reason is to finance the war.
Engels air base was attacked again. The 56-tank fuel depot was hit and the fire was spreading the next day and still burning four days later. This is the fifth time the base was attacked.
After flooding Russian air defenses in Rostov with drones, a Neptune missile arrived soon after to hit a warehouse storing ammo and reconnaissance drones.
An acetone plant in St. Petersburg was hit by drones.
120 km northeast of Vovchansk, a Ukrainian attack created a large smoke cloud near Stary Oskol. Ammo was reportedly stored in a chicken farm.
The push to issue ration cards is the first step in switching the Russian market economy to a planned economy. Many economists believe the government will set the price for basic necessities, forcing retailers to lose money, eventually go bankrupt and lead to the nationalization of retail trade. There will be plenty of opportunity for corruption and the inefficiencies of the command economy will make it hard to meet consumer needs.
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(…to be continued…)
That daily casualty chart is really something.
A regiment could be anywhere from 650 to 1000 men. So the Russians are losing nearly 1 to 2, maybe 3 regiments worth of troops...a day.
Yes, maybe not all killed but certain taken out of the fight that day.
3 regiments a day.
Like something out of WW1.
Interesting news about ration cards. Like the next wave of mobilisation that has never come, I thought that rationing would be a step too far for Putin: something we'd only see when things became truly desperate.