Don's Weekly, 21 October 2024: Part 2

by Donald Hill

(…continued from Part 1…)

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Kharkiv

When Russia built up forces in Zhuravlevka to conduct attacks into Lyptsi and Hlyboke, Ukraine conducted cross border drone attacks in the months before the attacks and continued them in recent weeks, eliminating Russian sensors, troops and equipment.

Last week, the Ukrainian 3rd NG Brigade, crossed the Russian border 10 km northwest of Hybloke and attacked the village of Zhuravlevka in a very limited incursion. Here, Russian reinforcements are destroyed by drones as they attempt to enter the village from the north. Other Russians are attacked in and around the village. The forest west of the village is bombarded by a Russian MLRS.

This video is a montage of activity of the GUR clearing the forest north of Lyptsi.

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Western Luhansk

Russians entered Kruhliakivka on the Oskil river but the 77th Airmobile Brigade and Timur Special Operations unit pushed them out. Then they stopped a large attack. While that is good news, the situation is still critical and will remain so unless the Russians are removed from Pishchane.

Counterattacks are a vital part of defensive operations. Not all Ukrainian brigades conduct them because they are short of ammo, short on personnel or they are missing other capabilities. The 3rd Assault Brigade is one of those that do counterattacks, and that regularly. For example, two months ago they conducted a counterattack west of Novovodiane. Last week one of their units was moved 12 kilometers south to assault Nevske.

A Yastreb-AV counter battery radar was destroyed in January, April, July, and now last week, 44 km east of Synkivka.

Driving through the streets of Kupiansk shows the results of months of bombardment.

A Russian major in occupied Luhansk was killed by an IED.

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Siversk

A small Russian force moved 5 km behind Ukraine’s front line before being eliminated. Small penetrations that were ultimately eliminated have happened several times before, but they don’t result in a change of territory.

An eagle is reported to have captured a Ukrainian drone at Spirne, only to lose it. Coincidentally, an injured eagle (at an unknown location) is helped by a medic.

South of Siversk, Ukrainian drones work on Russian troops and a sensor. Multiple Russian units are engaged in the Siversk area.

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Bakhmut

For the last two months, Russia and the 30th Brigade have been fighting over a 1 square kilometer field. This week, it was Ukraine’s turn to take it back.

Russia extended control of the eastern side of the canal to the north, and then - in the course of relentless assaults - established first two, and then three small bridgeheads. The furthest penetration extends two kilometers. If Ukraine had the capability to counterattack these crossings it could potentially maintain this defensive line for months. Ukrainian counter attacks are rare, though, due to a shortage of personnel and ammo or a shortage of capabilities. Without the counterattacks this excellent defensive line will unravel.

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Toretsk

Russia advanced into southern Toretsk but it’s unclear how much territory it secured.

The 28th Brigade engages a Russian position north of Druzhba.

A wounded soldier is brought to a collection point for evacuation.

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Pokrovsk

The 15th NG Brigade in Selydove is holding out against brutal frontal attacks, but Russia is continuing to make advances further south. These advances threatened the 59th Brigade: this was forced to withdraw to avoid encirclement. The breakthrough at Hostre a month ago directly contributed to the fall of Maksymilianivka with pressure from the north.

The 15th Kara Dag brigade is using mines to protect its defensive positions at Selydove, but the Russians continue to advance on the flanks, as shown by the fighting to the south of the town.

Russian assault troops on motorcycles were hunted by drones.

In October 2023 the SSU disrupted an FSB network with the arrest of two agents that reported the movement of tracked vehicles in the Avdiivka area. One agent evaded capture. A native of Selydove, she provided information on Ukrainian fortification and artillery positions. Last week she was arrested as she planned to escape to Europe as an internally displaced person and then make her way to Russia. At the time of her arrest, she had a Russian passport and the phone she used to talk to her handler. It is not known how many Ukrainians lost their lives because of her actions.

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Bohoyavlenka

Russia moved towards Katerynivka from the south, which forced the evacuation of the last western defenses of Kostiantynivka. North of Novodonetske, they secured 1500 x 3000 meters of territory.

The 79th Brigade has been killing Russians for a year in this sector. Last week, Russia sent 33 armored vehicles in an assault. They lost 14 and four were damaged in addition to the 73 that were killed and wounded. The video is GRAPHIC. This video is not.

Bohoyavlenka is now being bombarded by UMPKs.

Zaporizhzhia

Russians assembled for training were hit again. The 128th Brigade used a Shark reconnaissance drone to call in a GMLRS strike.

Kherson

Russia continues to expend its ammo on civilian targets in this sector. This video looks at the damage from one attack.

A Russian boat is hit on the Dnipro.

South of the Antonovsky bridge and north of Oleshky, a bridge over the Konka river was severely damaged.

Supply deliveries to Russian forces along the Dnieper river have been low for months. Water is a heavy and bulky consumable and has not been prioritized. As a result, Russian soldiers were collecting water from ponds and small wells they dug. Drinking that water created an outbreak of cholera that was reported from June to August. It spread throughout the Russian garrison in Crimea. There haven't been any reports since August but the Russian’s still collect water in any way they can.

Unknown Location

A view from a Russian squad leader begins with him ordering his squad to retreat after someone is wounded and they are attacked by multiple drones. At the end, the leader is lightly wounded. What’s missing is Ukrainian mortar and artillery fire because they are insufficiently supplied.

Unless a fiber optic cable is being used, tactical drones are controlled by radio signals: One for the video and one for the control signals. Each side intercepts each other’s drone signals fairly often. In this case, Ukrainian drone operators intercept a Russian video drone signal as the Russians were flying the drone to hit the building they were occupying. They were able to see the attack on their position from the Russian point of view.

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(…to be continued…)