Don's Weekly, 2 September 2024: Part 1
by Donald Hill
Hello everybody!
The month of August passed by at high speed, this year. This impression is coming from lots of dramatic developments with far-reaching consequences in a matter of days: the Russian push into western Donetsk, the Ukrainian offensive into Kursk, the biggest Russian missile strikes on Ukraine so far, and the biggest Ukrainian UAV strikes on Russia in return. Thus, it’s a time to not only review the last week but, in some cases, much of the last 30 days, too.
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Kursk: First Days of the Offensive
The new Ukrainian 49th Engineering Assault Brigade breached the minefields, dragon’s teeth, and anti-tank ditches during the opening hours of the Kursk offensive. The minefields were very dense, but unlike the Robotyne area in the summer of 2023, the Russian defenders were overwhelmed by combined arms fire of infantry, tanks, artillery and airstrikes, which the Ukrainians learned while training with NATO troops. Some engineering equipment was damaged but an obstacle that is not covered by fire is not an obstacle, and Russian defensive fires were suppressed enough for the engineers to clear a path through the minefields. Russia used airstrikes, helicopters and drones to try and stop the Ukrainian advance. Here 4.5 km inside the Russian border, but outside of the area being jammed by Ukraine, Russian drones observe and attack a Ukrainian artillery piece providing fire support.
Ukrainian electronic warfare units went in with the assault forces - ahead of the main mechanized force - to prevent Russia from communicating their locations or intercepting Ukrainian communications. The EW was effective in interfering with Russian communications, but Ukrainian walkie-talkies and phones used the same frequencies and were also affected. On top of that, Starlink communications system was shut down over Russian territory so Ukraine didn’t have access to it, either. The Ukrainian advance was slowed as they stopped to check their routes, maintain contact with friendly units to their left and right, and to maintain their logistical support, all without electronic communications.
The Russians manning the defenses on the border included conscripts from the 459th Pontoon Bridge Battalion from the 43rd Railway Brigade. Strong defensive positions with inadequate troops equals weak defensive positions.
Ukrainian FPV drones flew over advancing Ukrainian units, providing not only overhead reconnaissance but immediate fire support should the need arise. Ukraine was moving so fast it was difficult for the drone units to keep up. They flew 10 km into Russian territory but most Russian vehicles retreated to the north. Most of Ukraine’s forces were held in the second wave to move through the holes created by the first wave of troops and mop up Russian troops that were bypassed and cut off.
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Kursk: Western Sector
The Russians admitted that the road between Tetkino to the north has been cut off by Ukrainian troops and their garrison in the town is isolated. The number and state of the Russian troops in the town are unknown. Russia continues to build new pontoon bridges along the Seym River and Ukraine continues to knock them down. They still have a lot of bridges left in their inventory. That said, Ukraine is making little progress towards Glushkovo from the east: the 501st Naval Infantry Battalion is in Komarovka, but the Russian 155th Naval Infantry Brigade is counterattacking it from Serpovka: a bitter battle for Komarovka is now going on for at least 10 days.
Ukrainian drones have destroyed a number of trucks carrying pontoon bridges a kilometer north of Seym, and the pontoon bridge itself was destroyed by air strikes. Russia has a lot of bridging units and a lot of PMP pontoon bridges. They keep working on establishing crossings and Ukraine keeps working to destroying them.
Russian drone strikes, including some with fiber optic cables, by the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade.
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Kursk: Northern Sector
Russian attacks broke through and relieved the garrison isolated in western Korenevo. They continue to trying and break through to other isolated pockets of Russian troops, further east: so far, all such attempts have failed, with losses. Russian airstrikes are picking up in intensity, and Ukraine is working on eliminating some of the pockets. For their part, Ukrainian drones are patrolling the major roads to attack supply trucks.
Seven kilometres west of the R200, a Ukrainian vehicle was destroyed by a drone in Nizhnyaya Parovaya before Ukraine took control of it. Nearby, Ukrainians outside Nechaev were detected by thermal imagery and came under fire, but Ukraine is in control of that village, as well.
The 225th Separate Assault Battalion uses drones to attack Russians in Olgovka at some unknown date. To the east of nearby Kremyanoe, Russian T-72s are destroyed by drones. The police station in Bolshoe Soldatskoe was destroyed by a Ukrainian air strike - stipulating that the PSU fighter-bomber releasing precision guided bombs in question had to do so from inside the Russian airspace.
Drone operators of the 95th Brigade not only attack Russian positions but also resupply Ukrainian troops with water and ammo. One operator mentioned that back during their deployment in the Toretsk sector, he delivered 16 liters of water to troops in non-stop resupply missions. In the video is a brief clip of an attack on the women’s prison compound in Malaya Loknya, a surrounded village that was taken by Ukraine last week. There were about 60 Russians defending that prison, from the 9th and 1009th Motor-Rifle Regiments: they were extracted with help of troops from the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade.
Back on August 7th, the Anvar Spetsnaz unit used a drone with a laser to guide precision munitions onto Ukrainian targets 20 km behind the front lines at Leonidovoa. Russian reports claim they were also involved in the destruction of the 92nd Brigade’s BTRs in Giri back on August 12th.
A rail line south of Lgov was damaged (and repaired by now), probably by artillery.
Medics save soldiers of the 80th Airborne Brigade.
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Kursk: Eastern Sector
Troops of the Russian 11th VDV Brigade have managed to break through to encircled troops three kilometres west of Bolshoye Soldatskoye; those of the 24th Spetsnaz Brigade have managed to not only rescue another isolated group in Ulanok, but also to recover that village: their presence in Ulanok places them 8 km from Sudzha. When trying to push in southern direction with the aim of cutting off ZSU troops in Belitsa and Giri, they run into Ukrainian positions in the Borki and Spalnoe area, have suffered heavy losses and were forced to withdraw to the northern side of Psel River.
About two weeks ago, soldiers of the 11th VDV Brigade detected a small group of Ukrainians trying to use a gully to approach Russian defenses at Russkaya Konopelka. Eventually, Ukrainians - several of whom were wounded - have surrendered. Nevertheless, the ZSU secured the village following another attack.
As mentioned in updates of the last week, except for lots of units withdrawn from northern Kharkiv and southern Zaporizhzhya in Ukraine, a ‘brigade’ of 300 Russian mercenaries serving for a private military company run by the GRU, deployed in Burkina Faso, is in the process of being flown back to Russia to serve as reinforcements in Kursk.
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(…to be continued…)
Good morning. Such an Early morning posting. Reminds me of newspaper runs when I was younger 😏. Ty for the updates and your thoughts. Keep it up.
Thanks for the summary, much appreciated