Don's Weekly, 4 April 2024: Part 3

(…continued from Part 2…)

Marinka

Despite self-ascertaining social-media-posts about ‘Ukrainian defences of that area almost finished’, Russian attacks on Krasnohorivka failed - although well-supported by airstrikes and rocket attacks from helicopters. After taking the last of Marinka, Russia hasn’t been able to move further down the river. Despite their efforts, they’ve been stuck at the same location for two months. Ukraine also held on to the southern half of the small village of Pobieda.

In Novomykhailivka, Russia is definitely located in the eastern half of the village. The western half has been hit by airstrikes and artillery from both sides, including DPICM from Ukraine. It is hard to determine how many Russian soldiers were killed or wounded by visual evidence (photos and videos) is confirming their loss of about 20 armored vehicles, destroyed or damaged, most on the northern edge of the village.

Either Russian vehicles attack Novomykhailivka from the north. In the thread, as the geolocators were working on this attack, new losses in the same location were posted:

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1774881006861926888

A Russian 120mm mortar is hit 2 km north of Novomykhailivka…

https://twitter.com/giK1893/status/1772730385996173759

South of Novomykhailivka, a Russian MT-LB is immobilized while trying to cross a trench. One drone flies into the open door. Other drones attack the crew…

https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1774406478150979881

Preliminary evidence suggests that two Russian armored vehicles were knocked out 100m east of Novomykhailivka…

https://twitter.com/giK1893/status/1773449599354536213

A Russian leaves a small ammo depot right before a drone arrived…

https://twitter.com/giK1893/status/1772784465976152206

***

Zaporizhzhia

No territory changed hands in the end. Yes, sure: it does appear as ‘if Russia would only launch a heavy assault, they would probably take Robotyne’ - but the fact is: they have already paid an excessive price in troops and vehicles, without managing this. Of course, the last week, the Russians have mounted several additional attacks, but only lost six additional vehicles, plus two towed artillery pieces, a 240mm self-propelled mortar, and an air defence piece. For comparison: Ukrainians are known to have lost only two armoured vehicles.

Six kilometres south of Verbove a (Russian-operated) Strela air defense system was spotted and a GMLRS rocket soon arrived. Then the drone saw a towed 122mm gun on the way back to base and it was attacked…

https://twitter.com/giK1893/status/1773439126257225813

6 km southeast of Robotyne, a Russian tank hits a mine…

https://twitter.com/giK1893/status/1774253765299728588

1600 meters east of Urozhaine, a pair of gliding cluster bombs hit Ukrainian positions…

https://twitter.com/giK1893/status/1772356322471584012

Drone bombings of Russian positions around Robotyne…

https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1773756101508424181

A Russian air defense vehicle is destroyed by a GMLRS rocket…

https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1773675455842795574

Russian losses north of Novoprokopivka…

https://twitter.com/moklasen/status/1771593901398274432

Six Russian vehicles and infantry attacked north of Pryyutne…

https://twitter.com/giK1893/status/1773782591545467335

***

Kherson

A lot of attrition warfare by both sides here. Ukraine is dominating drone warfare in this sector, which aided in spotting targets for their guided munitions.

A guided munition on its vertical descent before impact.

A house in Kozachi Laheri is disassembled…

https://twitter.com/giK1893/status/1773400933390586191

Another house used by Russians is destroyed…

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1772983994344177664

A house on the Ukrainian side of the river is hit by accurate glide bombs…

https://twitter.com/giK1893/status/1772363029453189448

A house 10 km south of Nova Kakhovka was targeted. No report on the activity that was observed there…

https://twitter.com/alexskichambe/status/1772344026328654086

The evolution of drones in this war has some similarities to the development of aircraft during World War I. Another slowly developing aspect of drone warfare is air to air combat. Both sides are periodically attacking each other's drones with their own drones. In this case, a Ukrainian FPV drone attacks a Russian reconnaissance drone from its six o’clock position…

https://twitter.com/giK1893/status/1772285146957217877

Ukrainian soldiers on the left bank count on supplies, evacuations and replacements from boats crossing the river. The Russians mine the river with drones and boats. Here, two Russians gain experience in mining operations…

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1773273236702150770

From the right side of the Dnieper, Ukrainians use their 20 meter height advantage and the 5 km range to destroy a Russian target on the left side of the river…

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1773754785759375361

An Orlan drone team is targeted by a Ukrainian drone…

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1773042390766383484

Russia not only uses dummies as decoys, but also Pringle cans…

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1774042604864237887

***

Another ‘Look Back’…

On March 1st, 2022, a Russian column of 300 vehicles drove north from Kherson, on their way to Kryvyi Rih, until they reached the village of Bashtanka. (19 minute video here). When they encountered resistance, they stayed in column formation for speed instead of deploying to engage the militia that was armed with rifles and ‘Molotov cocktails’, only. The militia couldn’t stop the tanks so they attacked the trucks and looted the vehicles they destroyed for weapons to keep on attacking, Father Makhno-style. One Ukrainian jet bombed and strafed the column. 50 armored vehicles made their way through Bashtanka but their support vehicles did not, and without ammo and fuel their ability to fight was limited.

Unsurprisingly, Ukrainians captured 40 Russian military vehicles at Bashtanka, including two Pantsyr air defense systems (actually: three were captured, but the farmers burned at least one). In the vehicles, Ukrainians have found beer, microwaves and coffee makers - but, surprisingly enough: no washing machines.

Six Ukrainians died in that battle: four at a roadblock, one at a fight at a bridge, and then there was a wounded security guard at a supermarket. The Russians shot him as he lay there.

***

Crimea

The Ukrainian government said that the attack on Sevastopol a week ago on Saturday damaged not just the landing ships Azov and Yamal, but the intelligence ship Ivan Khurs and the amphibious ship Kostiantyn Olshansky, which belonged to Ukraine before Russia seized it in 2014. The level of damage wasn’t reported. In addition to the ships, port facilities and an oil depot were hit, all by Neptune missiles. Russia has used civilian ships to blatantly transport equipment from Syria to Russia, which is not supposed transit the Bosphorus by international treaty and is supposed to be enforced by Turkey. The Ivan Khurs escorted many of these ships carrying military equipment…https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/ukraine-says-a-third-of-russian-warships-in-the-black-sea-have-been-destroyed-or-disabled

Russia often credits the destruction of their aircraft to their own air defenses. This Su-27 was over Sevastopol when a Storm Shadow alert was triggered. Ukraine’s air defense was definitely not responsible…

https://twitter.com/maria_drutska/status/1773393825949503707?t=P1nGoZ-F_70grX5_JKA-yA&s=19

Many civilians entering Crimea are sent to filtration centers for interrogation, even if they have a Russian passport. This individual spent seven hours at a center as his phone was checked, his political beliefs were checked and his car was checked…

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1774115131535802519

(…to be continued…)