Don's Weekly, 31 December 2024: Part 2

by Donald Hill

(…continued from Part 1…)

***

Bakhmut

A Russian position on the edge of the woods in central Chasiv Yar is hit. Two days ago, the Russians then took the defenders by surprise and (like in Popasna, back in late April 2022), pushed along the railway berm all the way to the local train station: seem to have secured a narrow corridor to there. They also assaulted through the Canal District in western and southern directions (red arrows in the top left corner of the map below). The ZSU attempts to contain them are still going on. Outcome: uncertain…

Few days earlier, the 5th Assault Brigade and 93rd Mechanized Brigade used artillery, ATGMs and drones to engage 15 tanks and 3 infantry platoons near Klishchiivka. Then they counterattacked there (blue arrow on the map above), and, reportedly, recovered half the village.

***

Toretsk

The Omega special forces unit continues the demolition of buildings in Torestsk held by Russians. Nevertheless, the Russians grabbed a 1400 x 600 meter section of land in northern Toretsk.

A Russian golf cart is attacked by drones during an assault from Niu York. The attack was conducted by a drone unit from the 12th Azov Brigade but there haven't been any reports from the ground units in the sector for a few weeks.

Not graphic in the sense of blood and gore, but infantry are being shot and killed. Specifically, infantry and drones of the 28th Mechanized Brigade killed attacking Russians who attacked as streaming individuals without any unit cohesion. One Egyptian was captured.

The 28th Brigade is now shooting down Russian reconnaissance drones, this this case, six of them. For almost two years the brigade defended positions along the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal north of Toretsk, eliminating every assault over the canal. Their defensive positions are strong and they conduct an active defense, constantly seeking out targets.

“Kurt” is a soldier in the brigade that started out as a sniper. He then received permission to for a sniper unit and that changed into an assault unit that goes by the name “Kurt and Company”. This month they say they killed 51 Russians and wounded 57. Here is a video of his unit in action in October 2023, where the sniper said drones are the future. When looking at the video, notice how well the defensive positions are built and how clean they are. That is an indicator of a disciplined unit.

In this interview, “Kurt” talks about something ‘entirely new’: the shortcomings of training in the Ukrainian army, the Soviet influences that hinder the army and how the leader of a unit determines whether the unit will be successful or not. He also talks about a common event in the Ukrainian army, the unit rotation. If poorly executed, it can lead to disaster, as it has on repeated occasions. If you look at the US army’s checklist for Relief In Place (unit rotation) and compare it to what he says, you’ll find they have a lot in common.

‘Stunning’, to see how many ‘new experiences’ is the ZSU going through in this war, again, and again, and again…isn’t it?

***

Pokrovsk

Since October 2023, Russia has lost 2142 pieces of equipment in the Pokrovsk area (including 38 this week), and Ukraine lost 505 - including 36 this week.

Drone attacks on Russians in Lysivka and Dachenske. A fiber optic cable canister suggests that a Ukrainian drone team caught a Russian drone team on the road. The offices of the Novogrodivka mine were hit by a Ukrainian airstrike.

A report that 9 officers of the 24th Motor Rifle Regiment were killed by a missile strike near Novotroitske. Several troops of the unit didn’t think well of the commander.

A Bradley is destroyed in Vovkove.

Intimate combat, and another body ten meters away.

A two-minute walk through Pokrovsk. It’s not flat yet. A rocket hits the southern edge of the city. Unlike the Russian drone operators in Kherson, this particular drone operator waits at least 15 seconds for a civilian to walk away before attacking a truck.

One advantage of capturing Selydove intact last October is that the Russian troops can now loot the homes.

***

Kurakhove

Essentially, things are developing the way that is unavoidable - when top commanders forget to coordinate different units in this area, and help them by protecting their flanks, as described the last week. And orders for ‘no step back’ remain in force. ‘Absolutely surprisingly’, this is resulting in the creation of yet another cauldron about a group of ZSU units…

Of course, the ZSU troops continue fighting like lions: here the 79th Brigade continues to eliminate Russian men and equipment.

….but, in turn, a Russian drone hits a Ukrainian APC.

Russia now controls three quarters of Kurakhove. To mark the occasion, they planted five flags within 500 meters. One must show something to the crowd in the social media, otherwise it ‘didn’t happen’…

***

Velyka Novosilka

Guess what!

Syrsky had an entirely new idea for this sector. Something so exclusive and unique, nothing similar has ever been seen before. You’re - that’s 1000% sure - never going to guess what did he do, lately…

He’s sent yet another battalion from yet another brigade, to patch up the frontline in the Velyka Novosilka area…

Please, somebody pin another Hero of Ukraine medal to his chest: the guy is not only an inventor, but a visionary…

This time, this was a battalion of the 110th Mechanized Brigade. At least the troops arrived still relatively fresh, and bringing a nice supply of FPVs with them. Their drones and artillery destroy a couple Russian vehiclesmoving into Novy Komar north of Velyka Novosilka. They also attacked the Russian column moving towards Vremivka to the south of Velyka Novosilka. Inside the town, Russian drones attacked sensors

Artillery, FPVs and mines from the 110th Mechanized Brigade destroy a four-vehicle attack 1500 meters east of Novy Komar.

Russia plants the flag in the rubble that is Makarivka and Storozheve.

The 110th Territorial Defense Brigade (not the 110th Mechanized Brigade) destroyed three vehicles 5 km behind enemy lines south of Rivnopil.

A Tor air defense system was destroyed by a drone near Zelenopil, south of Velyka Novosilka and 25 km from the front lines.

***

Southern Zaporizhzhya

Besides the build up in recent weeks, Russia is conductin aerial and engineering reconnaissance near Orikhiv and Huliaipole. The assaults and shelling are increasing.

BTW, the 65th Mechnised Brigade, ZSU, flew its flag over the rubble of Robotyne. Even recovered some of former Ukrainian positions in the north-east of that village. Must hope, nobody is going to do more of that: we might get spoiled by all the ‘good news’…

Mines are important defensive tools.

***

Kherson

For about 10 days now, the Russians are conducting 5-7 assaults across the Dnieper a day. Kozatskyi Island was also assaulted but all the attackers were destroyed.

A cruise missile and a Shahed drone were shot down in the Kherson region by the 208th Kherson Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. The brigade shot down ten other targets, as well, but the Russians also deployed four glide bombs during one of their latest strikes - and that’s something the ZSU can’t counter.

An incendiary bomb is dropped on Russian equipment.

***

Crimea

In 2014, Russia seized a tugboat. Still legally owned by Ukraine, it was damaged by a Ukrainian drone.

The Russians anchored barges in a line in front of the Kerch bridge to prevent naval drones from penetrating. The storm at the end of November sank or swept away some of them. The barges may be a temporary solution as it appears that a permanent solution is being built.

***

Occupied Territories

A car blew up in Berdyansk, injuring the head of the occupation council.

***

(…to be continued…)