Don's Weekly, 13 May 2024: Part 3

May 13, 2024

(…continued from Part 2…)

Marinka

Russia began the week controlling the southwest corner of Krasnohorivka and some of the central portion of the town. They continued to ferry troops into the Krasnohorivka in assault groups of 2-4 vehicles. There were limited Ukrainian counterattacks when Russia was trying to establish a foothold, but: I haven’t seen videos of counterattacks lately.

There’s no evidence of Russian gaining ground around Marinka, Pobieda or west of Novomykhailiva. Russia has been attacking hard 12 km east of Vuhledar and they managed to gain 700 meters.

Depicted in red on the map: A four- and three- vehicle assaults moving towards Krasnohorivka while harassed by artillery. The camera focuses on the four-vehicle group. The lead tank has a mine roller in the front and detonates several mines.

Depicted in yellow on the map: A two vehicle assault drives through a DPICM impact zone. After the first detour, only the turtle tank drives to the center of the city after a second small detour. After dropping off the troops west of the smokestack, it returns from where it came…

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1780382319997546548

Due to material and construction requirements, only a few turtle tanks appear at any one time. They have evolved where some (not all) have the structure to protect the chassis and passengers riding on top. Because the tracks and wheels were vulnerable to drones, additional coverage was provided so very little of the tracks were visible. Since mines were dropped by drones in front of the vehicles, some were equipped with mine rollers. And then some have jamming devices for an electronic layer of protection. Some turtle tanks have so much exterior protection added on that the driver has to navigate with cameras…

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1788258215915844083

Looking southwest from Krasnohorivka towards Donetsk/Oleksandrivka, some of the slag heaps are 80 meters higher than the surrounding terrain.

Motocycle assaults have been conducted near Novomykhailivka…

https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1787756354418966763

Russian positions near Novomykhailivka are attacked…

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1787846285095051450

3 km northwest of Pobieda, a Leopard is attacked by a drone…

https://twitter.com/creamy_caprice/status/1788691764552880457

7 km east of Pobieda, well behind the front line, a Russian tank is destroyed by a drone…

https://twitter.com/sternenko/status/1788852199600054573

Russia continued its attacks with small assault forces east of Vuhledar…

https://twitter.com/OSINTua/status/1786794104728261014

***

Zaporizhzhia

Urozhaine was hit with heavy airstrikes, artillery and unguided rockets from helicopters. Russia is continuing to push into the village behind a smoke screen and Ukraine has counterattacked.

Russia also gained a foothold into Staromaiorske. Given the tonnage of explosives dumped on this place, it is certain that Staromaiorske was also hit - but: I haven’t seen the video or reports to that effect.

It looks as if Ukraine was pushed back a treeline west of Robotyne but small Russian assaults continue to run the gauntlet to be deposited in the village and be hunted while there.

Russia lost over two dozen vehicles rushing and capturing the southern edge of Urozhaine. They didn’t hold onto it for long. A Ukrainian counterattack killed or captured anyone that survived the initial assault…

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1787786410226839904

This is what a grown man looks like in a BMP-1. By the way, those doors carry fuel, although they don’t have to be full when entering battle. Now imagine running over a mine while riding like that.

It’s supposed to have a three-man crew and 8 infantry dismounts.

When a BMP attacking Staromaiorsk ran over a mine, it seems they managed to squeeze in a few more people…

https://twitter.com/moklasen/status/1788960372151505211

A Russian BTR races from the center of Urozhaine, trying to escape its fate…

https://twitter.com/giK1893/status/1788176322042155243

A Russian position in Robotyne is eliminated…

https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1787786595120120056

Ukrainian decoys are damaged in a missile strike…

https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1788954066933924318

Two Ukrainian Mi-24’s and an Mi-8 were hit at a refueling point 75 km behind the front lines…

https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1789304621514563721

***

Kherson

That island in the delta of the Dnipro that was assaulted by Ukraine is still being contested by Russia.

A Ukrainian combatant says that Russia loses 50 men a day to drones around Krynky and that drones prevent Russia from closing and engaging in infantry combat. Most of Ukraine’s casualties happen when crossing the river…

https://twitter.com/Teoyaomiquu/status/1787167518940958757

A Russian 152 mm gun and two observation posts were destroyed…

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1787788012966818297

3 km east of the Nova Kakhovka dam, a surveillance camera is destroyed by a Ukrainian drone…

https://twitter.com/neonhandrail/status/1788400055608594822

***

Crimea

Ukraine reports that a small Russia boat was destroyed…

https://twitter.com/Alfaiomi/status/1787436223742501352

Oil depots were hit by drones…

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1788505991333437809

***