Don's Weekly, 16 December 2024: Part 2
by Donald Hill
(…continued from Part 1…)
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Toretsk
One of the many scattered battalions of the Presidential Brigade (this has battalions in the Kursk sector, in the Pokrovsk sector, and in the Velyka Novoselivka sector, while Zelensky can’t even care for them to get all the support vehicles they need) attacks multiple targets in the town with drones. The music accompanying the video is a medley of Christmas tunes but the first one was written in Ukraine. A mortar unit from the same battalion uses an Iranian 120 mm mortar intercepted in the Red Sea and they discuss their experiences.
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Pokrovsk
The Russian probing attacks towards Pokrovsk never end. Arguably, the only advances Russia made over the last week were south of Pokrovsk, but there they advanced 12 km in the last six weeks. The 68th Brigade is in the middle of that fight and has destroyed some Russians but their advance hasn’t been stopped. Syrskyi said that the “exceptionally tough” battle requires “non-standard decisions. Currently, measures are being taken to restore positions."
I would argue that standard conventional practices with fully staffed units and local reserves coupled with an integrated and cohesive command structure would greatly increase Ukraine’s combat power. These reserves would provide the ability to counterattack any Russian penetration, a standard operational response in any defense. However, there are no such standards with the Ukrainian army: as a result, the recent counterattacks at Kursk, Chasiv Yar, Kupiansk and Velyka Novosilka have extended the duration of these defensive lines by some unknown amount of time. I don’t know what Syrskyi’s intent is, but restoring positions sounds like a counterattack of some kind. Unfortunately, his method of creating reserves is to detach a battalion from a brigade and reduce unit cohesion.
Last spring, Ukraine began forming ten new brigades, despite existing brigades being short on personnel. Four were mechanized brigades outfitted with any vehicles available, five were infantry brigades usually equipped with little supporting weapons, and one was a jaeger brigade designed to fight in forests and swamps. Of these units, the 151st Mechanised, 152nd Jäger, 154th Mechanized, 155th Mechanized (also mentioned in the ‘Leadership and Organization’ section, which is to follow), and 157th Mechanized were deployed around the Russian penetration south of Pokrovsk.
Having successfully reached Novotroitske, the Russians turned north towards Pokrovsk and sent large numbers of infantry on foot to attack the villages of Shevchenko and Lysivka and all the ground in between. Mines, artillery, drones and defensive fires killed and wounded a lot of Russians but they were still able to make their way into Shevchenko, just 3000 meters south of Pokrovsk.
Penetrations of defenses happen and the best remedy is an immediate counterattack. Due to a lack of coherent command (semi-officially explained away with ‘lack of troops’), this capability has been missing from Ukrainian operations for months in several sectors. Recently, Ukraine has been conducting a lot more local counterattacks, which is a positive trend.
Elements of the 155th Brigade, 425th Assault Battalion (Skala), and maybe the 33rd Assault Battalion conducted a counterattack on the village of Shevchenko. Here, a Ukrainian vehicle fires on the Russian-occupied school on the western edge of the village, and Ukrainian infantry was able to re-gain control of a portion of the village. One Bradley of the 425th Skala Battalion was knocked out 300 meters to the west of the school, but then they took the fight 300 meters to the south of the school.
Still, the troop density is thin and there are gaps in the defensive fires, as evidenced by an individual Russian being able to walk down a street without coming under fire before firing a rocket into a building.
The 15th Kara-Dag Brigade is operating north of Novotroitske. They are proven fighters and in this video are engaged in close quarters combat with grenades being tossed by both sides, but I do not approve of firing directly over you friendly soldier with no guarantee that he won’t move suddenly. Three kilometers west of Novotroitske, a Ukrainian armored vehicle is attacked by multiple drones. 300 meters north of the village, Kara Dag drones bomb a treeline. They also moved into the village itself. Elements of the 425th Skala Battalion were also reported at the northern edge of Novotroitske. The 33rd Assault Battalion has also been reported in action west of Novotroitske.
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Kurakhove
The first video shows Russian BMP’s being attacked as they assaulted Uspenivka. The video was edited to exclude the bodies from the failed assault. The second video shows a Ukrainian tank firing on Russian positions in Romanivka, 4 km to the east and in danger of being cut off. The Russians eventually raise a flag in the village, cutting off a battalion from the 79th Brigade. They were able to fight their way out but we don’t know what the cost was in terms of killed, wounded and prisoners.
An assault van attacking west of Novooleksiivka is hit by one of Magyar’s drones and for the survivors it’s the beginning of a bad day. GRAPHIC.
In the center of Kurakhove (47.99022680559867, 37.283037694141484) the Russians use AT mines to enter and occupy a building.
This is ten days of attacks by the 37th Marine Brigade on Russian vehicles near Trudove. Still, Ukraine will have to withdraw from there.
Some videos of action 3-4 weeks ago when Russia took Berestky, Rozdolne and a school in central Kurakhove.
This video is probably from a month ago. It shows a drone strike on a Ukrainian position 8 km southeast of Kurakhove, followed by a Russian assault.
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Velyka Novosilka
The 31st Brigade was re-deployed from the Robotyne area to defend against Russian assaults from Rivnopil. Here is a video of their drone, artillery and even a couple DPICM attacks.
The Russians advanced three kilometers to the east of Rivnopil and they took Blahodatne from the east. Any Ukrainians left in Makarivka should already be withdrawn or they risk being trapped, as well.
The Russians sent 9 BMPs and a tank and entered Novy Komar again. Over 50 infantry troops dismounted. A battalion from the 128th Mountain and a battalion from the 151st Mech brigades were sent there to kick them out but there is no word of their progress yet.
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Zaporizhzhia
Russian trains operate within range of the GMLRS but it’s hard to time the arrival of the rocket to a specific location at the same time as the locomotive. It also doesn’t make sense to expend an expensive rocket to damage the tracks to stop the train. So the SBU waited for the arrival of a train and sabotaged the tracks with a ground operation over 40 km from the front line. It was a 40-car train carrying oil, and some of the cars started burning after the detonation on the track. Soon after, the GMLRS rockets hit the locomotive and the end car to prevent the Russians from salvaging some of the cars. The wreckage and damaged track will take some time to clear but there is an alternative route around the site.
Russia continues to transfer equipment to Zaporizhzhia.
Near Robotyne, Zelensky talks about improving training for new soldiers. He also mentions conducting basic training in the brigades. Quality and standardized training should be the goal. That’s not an issue for the better brigades. Training at the national level would be an opportunity to improve the quality of struggling brigades.
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Kherson
In Antoniivka, Russian drone operators attack a fire truck responding to a fire.
Russians are still proud enough to post videos of attacks on civilians but now they blur the images of their victims. You can still see enough here to imagine that it might be a woman carrying a bag and pulling a cart.
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Occupied Ukraine
Close to the Azov Sea and Russia, a Russian ammo depot was hit near Markyne. It was hit at 2 am and the detonations lasted for two hours.
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Black Sea
The Russian merchant Volgoneft-212 broke in half under strong winds and waves and sank 8 km from the Kerch Strait. It was carrying 4,300 tons of oil and 13 crew. The center of the ship had recently been cut out in St. Petersburg and then the front and back ends were welded together. The weld failed.
The Volgoneft-239 also sank nearby carrying 400tons of fuel. The oil from the two ships would further damage the environment in which a thousand dolphins and porpoises have been killed since 2022.
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(…to be continued…)
Hunting civilians with drones etc is a war crime, I think?
These bastards attacking civilians like this should be punished.
Saw the video where one Uki threw a mine but his toss wasn't good enough to get it in the building.
SOOOOOO...
He runs back picks up the now fused mine and tosses correctly...then makes the wheeled get-away with his comrades.
Brave.