Don's Weekly, 21 April 2025: Part 1

by Donald Hill (intro by Tom Cooper)

Hello everybody!

It so happens that this update it due on an Easter Monday, amid the Spring Break, and also the day Pope Francis passed away… one way or the other: it’s something like ‘working day’ here, regardless of different public holidays. Therefore, here you are: the next Don’s Weekly is in the process of being ‘launched’.

Ah yes, and before anybody asks: nope, didn’t pay attention at Pudding’s ‘ceasefire’. Why should I?

I’m not even sorry to say it any more: I consider anybody who did so for… erm… ‘naive’ (I’m trying to be diplomatic and thus not using certain much harsher expressions)… or at least as ‘skilled’ in understanding (and, in the case of journos: in explaining) modern day ‘politics’ as so many people still voting by the ‘colour’ of some political party, or the eyes-colour of different politicians - and then (and still) being sure things are going to experience a profound change….

It’s simple mathematics: nothing comes out of nothing, and so, expecting ‘politicians’ (and ‘political parties’) that have proven themselves to be corrupt and incompetent babblers for decades already - and that: no matter what politicians, no matter what are their names, and no matter where - to do something different, ‘now’… that’s exactly like expecting Pudding to speak ‘truth’: that whatever he babbles is exactly what is he going to realise, too.

Atop of that, Pudding’s aim is crystal clear. The end of Ukraine. By now, it’s obvious even to sparrows on my roof that he’s ready to vaste everything at his disposal, ruin all of Russia in order to achieve that aim. And, since all the other incompetents calling themselves politicians and decisionmakers are either doing too little, or nothing to stop him, or even supporting him, he’s got no reason to stop. ‘Everything is developing according to the plan’.

Therefore, esteemed reader; if nothing else, mind that in our times, it’s not even a ‘norm’ any more, but THE RULE that politicians are lying all the time, announcing big things, and realising exactly nothing - or if, then exactly the oppostite of what they’ve announced.

With other words: in regards of ‘politics’, there are no ‘Christmas-’ nor ‘Easter Miracles’. The only thing that might work would be informing oneself, properly, before casting your vote. If you haven’t figured this out by now, and by best will: I’m not even sorry for you.

***

Kursk

The Ukrainians identified the 112th and 448th Missile Brigades as the units responsible for the Palm Sunday missile attack on Sumy. They attacked the 448th with 30-41 drones at Klyukva, 10 km east of Kursk. The destruction is still being assessed but a Russian report says that while the brigade is large and only part of it was in the Kursk region, they had heavy losses.

The handars of the 448th Missile Brigade hit by drones.

The 112th Missile Brigade was attacked in Ivanovo for two days, 800 km from Ukraine. A twitter report says 12 were killed but other sources don’t mention any casualties. Some low resolution satellite images and photos of the strike.

Additionally, over the last four or five weeks, Ukrainians have targeted about 20 of North-Korean-made Koksan guns (i.e. M-1978 Koksan self-propelled guns calibre 170mm, made in North Korea and sold to Russia since the last year), and knocked out at least six, more likely seven or eight of them.

The PSU is slowly expanding its ground strike capabilities (as explained the last year, this is taking time because it takes time to train pilots to an initial operational level capability, which is usually related to air defence operations by day; then to more complex operations, like air defence by night, and then to the most complex of all, like strike operations by night). Between others, it hit this pontoon bridge by a Ukrainian airstrike.

The 82nd Brigade hits targets in Guyevo and destroys one BTR and two golf carts north of the village.

Ukrainian and Russian troops fought over a monastery that was 800 meters from the border, before Russia took control.

***

Belgorod

Both sides are deploying air strikes, attack UAVs, and artillery in attempt to isolate the battlefield and prevent supplies and replacements from reaching the front line. The ten destroyed vehicles are some of the results of Ukraine trying to cut off the Russians. Their post says more have been destroyed since the video was made. The Russians used airstrikes to try and isolate the Ukrainians. They also used drones, conventional artillery and rocket artillery.

Russia and Ukraine are interdicting each other’s supplies and reinforcements. Open sources only identify only some of the attacks - and then, those inside Ukraine.

***

Vovchansk

Russians trying to cross the wasteland are hunted by drones.

***

Kupiansk

Two BMPs east of Dvorichna were destroyed and there were a lot of Russian artillery attacks south of Zahryzove but no territory changed hands. There isn’t enough infantry to defend all the ground so Ukraine keeps drones in the sky for persistent surveillance. When movement is noticed then drones and sometimes artillery is used to bombard the attacking forces. If groups of 2-3 Russian infantry manage to make it to the thinly-held defensive lines then small Ukrainian squads are sent to eliminate them. Without the ability to counterattack, defensive lines cannot hold forever. Because of efforts like this, the lines did not move.

A Russian tank shells a Ukrainian position south of Lozova. North of the village, an immobilized Russian tank is destroyed.

To celebrate Pudding’s truce, Russians bomb a building in Kupiansk.

***

Terny

All across their bridgehead on the Zherebets river the Russians sent small groups of infantry forward to try and overwhelm Ukraine’s drone defenses, but Ukraine killed a lot of them. Those that reached Ukrainian defense lines were engaged. Although, again, if your defensive position doesn’t allow you to observe and engage enemy advances, it’s not a good position.

While Russians shell western Nove, Ukraine uses drones in eastern Nove.

A Ukrainian tank and APC were attacked by drones in Terny. The Russians used a precision artillery shell on a building in Torske and said it was occupied by a drone team. They say a lot of the buildings they shell are occupied by drone teams.

Russian report-“Lyman: This is hell! After Katerynivka, they gave us the order to move forward. Who the fuck knows. We're just going like a herd to the slaughter. Zelenaya Dolina, deathly silence. It's even worse than when they're beating us. Because you know they're going to fuck you up soon. Torske is the key. If we take them, we'll cut them off. If we don't take them, we'll put them in a sack. It's either you or me. Almost no one is talking anymore. They just stare. Empty eyes.”

***

Siversk

An isolated Russian soldier is surprised by a Ukrainian patrol in the forests north of Siversk. When he refuses to surrender a Brazilian volunteer (Brazilians are serving with a battalion of foreign volunteers assigned to the 66th Mechanised Brigade) kills him.

Concentrations of Russian dead in large assaults are not uncommon. This site is in front of the quarry by Bilohorivka. The Russians did manage to take the quarry and slagheap. The K2 drone regiment is one of many reasons while Ukraine’s defense of Siversk has been so effective.

Russian assaults south of Siversk were met by the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade.

***

Chasiv Yar

The 5th Assault and 93rd Assault Brigades were attacked by five waves of Russians. Nine Russian vehicles were eliminated and four were damaged and multiple infantry were hit. Russia supported these assaults by yet another thermobaric barrage.

***

Russian report-"Bohdanivka: We secured ourselves in the west. Literally sat on bones. In a couple of minutes, the first FPV. They arrive and whoever didn't have time to lie down, that's 200 [dead]. We're just getting cut up, but we're not leaving. Not because of heroism, just nowhere to go.”

The original purpose of aircraft in WW1 was reconnaissance. Fighters evolved to destroy and defend observation aircraft. Drones have also evolved but reconnaissance is still a primary objective and a HIMARS MLRS was observed 40 km west of Chasiv Yar. If a target is detected and a weapon is in range then the target can be destroyed.

***

(…to be continued…)