Don's Weekly, 16 September 2024: Part 2

by Donald Hill

(…continued from Part 1…)

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Kursk- Northern Sector

Russia was able to push south from Korenevo by two kilometers., and continued trying to reach Zhuravli, thus compressing the Ukrainian perimeter along its northern side. A Russian BTR made it around the small lake south of Sheptukhovka only to be destroyed near Kalinov. In turn, on Saturday, 14 September, the ZSU counterattacked from Olgovka into Vetreno, towards Aleksandrovka and into the hills north of Kremyanoe.

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Kursk- Eastern Sector

Intense bombardments accompany Russian assaults at many points in the eastern sector. Here, a Russian BMD runs free in Russkaya Konopelka firing on Ukrainian positions. And the medics of the 61st Brigade pose with their burnt out ambulance.

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Northern Kharkiv

There were very few videos posted from this region and no reports of a change in territory.

A 92nd Brigade drone takes out another Russian reconnaissance drone, but this time there is another drone to capture the command detonation and the Russian drone spiraling to the ground with its recovery parachute streaming behind it.

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Western Luhansk

This week, the Russians were able to advance 500 meters in the Synkivka area. Over the last two weeks, they were able to advance up to a kilometer in some places around Pishchane. There was very little activity in other areas, though.

The following is footage from the 3rd Assault Brigade’s attack from over a month ago but it’s 90 seconds showing some unseen and internal views of just the tank’s engagement in the early phase of the operation. At 0:29 the smoke dischargers on the right side are fired. At 0:43 you see the tank commander’s internal monitor. At 1:05 you see how cozy it is compared to the M-1 or Leopard 2 (both of which have a fourth person as loader). At 1:17, the tank drives away with its turret facing backwards and diesel fuel being sprayed in its exhaust to create a smoke screen. (The M-1 can only create a smoke screen with its exhaust if it uses diesel fuel. If it uses gas or kerosene it will burn the tank).

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Bakhmut

The Russian aerial and artillery bombardment of Chasiv Yar continued as did their unsuccessful attempts to cross the canal.

The foreign volunteers of the 130th Territorial Defense Battalion drone team shared two minutes of their experiences near Chasiv Yar.

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Toretsk

The last week, the 12th NG ‘Azov’ Brigade punched through the Russian lines to reach the chemical factory in the middle of Niu York - held Ukrainian troops that were surrounded. Once the surrounded troops were safely evacuated, the Ukrainians withdrew. There were no further territorial changes.

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Pokrovsk

The destruction of Pokrovsk by Russian air strikes and artillery bombardment is under way. This week, the Group Tsentr was busy re-groupping: one should keep in mind that this is meanwhile including the entire 90th Tank Division (three tank regiments and one motor-rifle regiment), the 30th MRB, plus the entire 2nd Guards Combined Arms Army (1sth MRB, 9th MRB, parts of the 110th MRB, parts of the 114th MRB, and the 428th MRB). All were meanwhile battered to the point where their destroyed battalions had to be replaced by battalions and regiments of mobiks. This is why this week the Russians made little progress towards Pokrovsk.

That said, the southern part of the Group Tsentr - including the 5thMRB, parts of the 110th MRB, and parts of the 114th MRB, was able to make substantial progress in the Ukrainsk area. This caused bitter battles that are fought for days already, as first all other ZSU units, and then the Ukrainian 59th Brigade partially withdrew from the Nevelske pocket to reduce the risk of being surrounded. (More on that later). Militaryland indicates that the troubled 31st Brigade was withdrawn from the Pokrovsk area and sent to the Robotyne sector.

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Makiivka

There was surprisingly little activity around Makiivka and Kostiantynivka. North of Makiivka, the 46th Brigade defending Hostre said that Russia sent 46 vehicles in a single attack and they disabled or destroyed 26 of them, the most they’ve knocked out in just one day. A drone from an adjacent unit, the 21st Special Purpose Battalion, captured its own engagements and some of the same engagement from a different angle.

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Vuhledar

This week, the Russians subjected positions of the 58th Brigade at the Coal Mine No. 3 to murderous bombardment and then assaulted with two assault groups. However, the Ukrainian unit held out and is still in control over this position. Of course, the Russians continued their tradition of raising flags over rubble: this time in what’s left of Vodiane. As mentioned earlier, the Russians have secured the Mine No. 1.

Additionally, Vuhledar was bombarded, too, but not exposed to any direct assaults: instead, what’s left of the town is now threatened by the Russian advances east of it, and west of Prechystivka.

(….to be continued…)