Don's Weekly, 21 April 2025: Part 2

by Donald Hill

(…continued from Part 1…)

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Toretsk

A battalion of the (Ukrainian) Presidential Brigade attacks various Russian targets in Toretsk with drones. Russian positions in the center of the town are attacked by bombs and drones. Ukrainian positions are bombarded by rockets, followed by a Russian assault north of Druzhba.

2200 meters west of Oleksandropil, Ukrainian positions are bombarded and assaulted and some Ukrainians surrender. Bunkers provide protection from shells and, depending on how they’re built, drones. But if you cannot observe and engage enemy forces approaching the bunker then they become a tomb. If the Ukrainians had any capability to fight back their only chance against the Russian infantry was to fight from the trenches.

This is the video of the Russian assault mentioned the last week: it drove 6 km in an unsupported fashion before being destroyed.

A drone flies through a rocket barrage in Toretsk.

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Pokrovsk

A large Russian assault on the 14th Chervona Kalyna NG Brigade resulted in the documented destruction of 24 armored vehicles, 99 motorcycles, 2 trucks and the death of 229 Russian infantrymen. Mines are constantly being dropped by drones but after Russian movement was detected more were dropped on the expected approaches, especially in restricted terrain, such as a road in between trees.

The village of Shevchenko has a statue of the poet Taras Shevchenko, or at least it did before the war. Last week, soldiers of the 155th Brigade were in the village killing Russians in close combat and with drones.

The 414th hit a BM-21 MLRS. Ten minutes of the 414th’s activities for a week.

The 425th Skala Regiment engages Russians in Pischane at close quarters.

Another Russian on crutches was sent to fight near Udachne. Ukraine is attacked in Dachenske.

A Ukrainian tank shells Vodiane Druhe.

Russian drones attack targets. Russian airstrikes hit targets south of Pokrovsk.

The Russians put armor on the sides and top of a locomotive so the 152nd Brigade destroyed it from below. As far as is known, this was the first locomotive destroyed by the regular Ukrainian forces (quite a few others were destroyed or at least derailed by partisans and in SSO-operations).

Russian report-“Pokrovsk: We're holding out there for now. They've got drones, artillery, everything as it should be. It's salty hell. The artillery is working, then more are flying in for those who didn't make it. At least our drones are fixing something. They cleared a piece of Kotlino. The floodplain is right under our noses. We can see it, almost smell it. All that's left is to not die to take it.”

Russian report-"Pischane, Shevchenko, Lysivka: Pischane is rotten. Shevchenko is meat. There is a fight going on inside the village, like in hell. Lysivka... Quiet. But such silence that it makes your teeth ache. The north is behind us, the south is empty. It seems that even the birds don't fly here. Every sound seems like they came for you."

Russian report-“Novopavliva direction. Came east of Kotliarivka. Thought we'd advance now. Fuck it. As soon as they started storming, we were met like dogs. Artillery, drones, fire from everywhere. We pressed ourselves to the outskirts and that's it, a meat grinder began. Someone was screaming, someone was vomiting, someone was no longer screaming because they were lying down. And the battle did not subside. We clung on like animals. Because there was no way out. Either there or into the ground.”

The pattern of Russian attacks in the Pokrovsk sector in 2025 - where the fighting is heating up again.

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Andriivka

Near Andriivka, a member of the 46th Airmobile Brigade pulls the pin on his grenade just as a Russian grenade lands beside him. Russia was able to consolidate its positions in Rozlyv and advance 1-2 km across a broad front.

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Komar

The Russians hit Ukraine in Vilne Pole during a unit rotation and then conducted a quad bike assault towards Shevchenko.

Later they launched an operation involving 24 vehicles. The assault was planned for 14 April but a general showed up on the 13th, ordered an artillery bombardment behind Ukraine’s front line and sent the vehicles into the attack. The 31st Brigade and 17th Poltava Brigade eliminate some of the vehicles before they come within one kilometer of the front line at Novosilke. Other vehicles were eliminated before they reached Burlatske. At least one Russian vehicle reached the outskirts of Shevchenko. Of the 3 tanks, 18 IFVs, an MT-LB and 41 motorcycles, 2 IFVs and the MT-LB were confirmed destroyed and most of the other armored vehicles and motorcycles were reported at least damaged.

Russian vehicles are attacked between Burlatske and Skudne.

The fight for Dniproenerhiya has been heavy and the place changed hands a couple times.

Russian report-"Fedorivka - Komar: We are sitting in Fedorivka from the south. The village before us was covered, as if it was kneaded alive. Then the drone dropped leaflets. "Surrender and Live." I looked at this piece of paper for a long time, and then burned it. I don't want to die. But I just don't have the strength to live like a rat in a hole. Komar is the next target. Let's go out there and get some breathing room. If we survive that long. to live like a rat in a hole. Komar is the next target. Let's go out there and get some breathing room. If we survive that long.”

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Zaporizhzhia

A Russian assault of 12 armored vehicles was described as a probe that ended badly. Is a good illustration for why are frequent tactical re-deployments important: the Russians are cautiously scouting enemy positions, all the time. But, they can’t keep the situation permanently under control. Thus, if they’ve found a ‘good’ potential point for their assasult, but there’s then, ‘suddenly’ a new position in its way… things are promptly ending bad for the Russians.

In this case, the probe was followed by an attack that included no less than 43 armored vehicles, 10 golf carts and 320 soldiers that approached the villages of Pyatikhatki, Stepove, Lobkove, and Mali Shcherbaky. Ukraine’s reconnaissance drones spotted them early and 3 vehicles were destroyed already 8 km from the front line. Others were destroyed as they continued to advance. After 2.5 hours, 29 vehicles, all three tanks, and 140 troops were lost. For all their scouting, and for all of their losses, the Russians won absolutely nothing in return.

A lot of targets in the occupied territories are hit because of information provided by members of the resistance. This airstrike hit the Russians in Inzhenerne, 8 km west of Polohy.

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(…to be continued…)