Don's Weekly, 17 June 2024: Part 2

(….continued from Part 1…)

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Western Luhansk

There was a modest Russian assault near Synkivka but a larger effort around Kyslivka included Russians trying to clear minefields. In both cases, they didn’t gain any additional territory and lost over a dozen vehicles. The Ukrainians lost two counter battery radars and an excavator was damaged by a drone. The Russians conducted several MRL, TOS-1 and airstrikes.

A Russian BMP loaded with troops tries to extend Russian control in between Tabaivka and Berestove…https://x.com/EjShahid/status/1801714676495204444

A Ukrainian tank shelling Russian positions 5 km east of Synkivka is attacked by multiple drones and was lucky to survive…https://x.com/giK1893/status/1801673958598615269

A UR-77 mine-clearing vehicle is destroyed after a Ukrainian drone dropped a mine on it.

Most vehicles will be destroyed if an anti-tank mine lands on its roof. That was certainly the case for the Russian UR-77, which uses explosive line charges to clear minefields…https://x.com/EjShahid/status/1799862060190404902

A Russian assault near Ivanivka was eliminated, one of many during that day. When a vehicle is destroyed the crew and infantry are hunted down.

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Bilohorivka

Russia conducted small scale assaults on Bilohorivka and Verkhnokamiansk that were turned back with losses, but they did manage to advance a kilometer and enter the village of Rozdolivka before being pushed out. What was peculiar is that Russian drones then proceed to drop mines in front of Verknokamiansk where they had just conducted an attack.

Russian drones engaged in mining operations…https://t.me/phoenixdrone/439

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Bakhmut

North of Chasiv Yar, the Russians and Ukrainians are both pushing hard. International fighters are among those that pushed the Russians back to Bohdanivka backed by a small number of Bradley vehicles. One Russian driver took a wrong turn and made it to the canal before the isolated squad and vehicle were destroyed by drones. A Bradley was attacked by drones and immobilized. When they evacuated the vehicle they left the hatch open, like many Russians do, and it was easy for a Russian drone to eliminate it. But the Russians made no progress in the north.

South of the canal district, Russia tried to push further west and south, but lost several vehicles before even reaching the front line. Making no progress there, they continued to make frontal attacks inside the canal district itself but did not gain any ground. Now that they control so much of the district, their bombardments and airstrikes weren’t as intense as they were in previous weeks.

The small Russian presence in Klishchiivka was replaced by a small Ukrainian presence. It is a dangerous location for either side to occupy.

Russian drone operators are attacked near Opytne…https://x.com/EjShahid/status/1800993847134110012

Russia plants its flag in the middle of the canal district. It was destroyed by a Ukrainian drone a couple days later…https://t.me/vdd98/3642

A Russian flag flew in the center of the Kanal District for a couple of days until Ukraine decided it was worth a drone to destroy it

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Avdiivka

Russia continues to use the coke plant as an assembly area since the large structures are well built and mostly intact. Upon leaving the plant, many vehicles are attacked by drones and damaged or destroyed before reaching the front line.

On the outskirts of Novoolekandrivka last week, Russia advanced close to 1500 meters to take the entire village. They advanced another kilometer to reach the outskirts of Sokil, and yet another kilometer to take Novopokrovske.

In the southern end of this sector, Russia’s advance into Karlivka and slow movement out of Umanske means it is increasingly hard to hold onto Yasnobrodivka and Ukraine will likely withdraw from there soon.

Russia flies its flag in Novopokrovske…https://x.com/EjShahid/status/1801264741546926276

Helicopter rocket attacks are about as effective as MLR attacks in saturating an area with explosives except they are generally not as accurate…https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1800098556289994972

A Ukrainian was wounded five times and was unable to make it back to friendly lines. With both Russian and Ukrainian drones flying around, he noticed that one drone spotted him and he took a chance by showing his military ID identifying him as Ukrainian. An hour later, a Bradley arrived to evacuate him…https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1799826150107283956

A Russian tank is destroyed outside Novooleksandrivka, which is mostly controlled by Russia now…https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1801666040490791135

The post claims that Borisoglebsk-2 system was destroyed by drones. The Borisoglebsk-2 complex consists of a control post and four EW systems mounted on nine MT-LBu armored tracked vehicles: 1 x R-330KMV Command-and-Control Station; 2 x R-325UMV Jamming Station; 2 x R-934BMV Jamming Station; 2 x R-378BMV Jamming Station; 2 x R-220BMV Jamming Station. The complete system is designed to detect and suppress communication and control channels, radars, and satellite navigation. While a component was destroyed, it was only one part of the entire system.

Mines destroy Russian vehicles assaulting the 47th Brigade…https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1801699954345583094

In addition to the Russian Orlan drone that was destroyed in the Kharkiv sector, a Zala was shot down in the Avdiivka sector by the 1st Tank Brigade…https://x.com/RALee85/status/1801269817644638611

A Russian assault near Sokil is stopped by indirect fire. Mortar fire was closing in on the Russian infantry and two rounds came within ten meters or so. The Russians were firing on defensive positions, but given that they received no return fire and that the Ukrainians were using indirect fire on those positions it’s likely that they were unoccupied. It’s an edited video, but everything seems to come to an end when an M109 sends a 155 mm shell that lands about 25 meters away from the Russians. The 155 mm shell has a 50% chance of killing any soldier in the open within 50 meters. Again, it’s an edited video but it ends with three Russian soldiers moving on the ground and three not moving at all…https://x.com/EjShahid/status/1800539666275532919

In a recurring pattern, Russian assaults in the Avdiivka area are mostly destroyed before they reach the front line…https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1801696914112713206

The plan was to drop a Russian bomb in a field so a Russian tank can drive along the road and suddenly swerve into the crater, obviously…https://x.com/albafella1/status/1801655037715771696

Some more details about the joust in Sokil last week: The Bradley closed on the BTR knowing that their armor would protect them. It was only hit three times, but one of them was a lucky hit on its targeting system, knocking out its main weapon much in the same way Bradleys knocked out a T90’s ability to fight back in January. The commander ordered the driver to ram the BTR, which drove off the road and the surviving Russian troops dismounted soon after. Ukrainian infantry engaged them and the Bradley returned for repairs.

The Bradley commander, in a neck brace, and his driver.

A pro-Russian poster added a video of another incident at the end, claiming the Bradley was destroyed in that incident. This is actually the same crew in a different vehicle three days later. Their vehicle ran over a mine. The driver was thrown from his hatch. A soldier in the back broke his leg. And the commander injured his back, knees and head. The commander expects to return to duty in a month. He also mentions that they are short on ammo for the Bradley…https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/06/12/ukraine-bradley-fighting-vehicles-combat-video/

(….to be continued…)