Don's Weekly, 4 March 2024: Part 2
(….continued from Part 1…)
…now to the developments on the ground of the last week…
Western Luhansk
After many months of static battle lines, Russia took Krokhmaine six weeks ago. Five weeks ago they took Tabaivka. This week, Ukraine took Tabaivka back and Russia is trying to reclaim it.
There is heavy fighting in Terny and Yampolivka, west of Kremmina. There’s a report that Russia made some territorial gain but it wasn’t specific as to where that was or how much they gained.
Ukrainian Vampire drones, better known as Baba Yaga drones, can carry 20 kg payloads. This is what it looks like…
https://twitter.com/AndrewPerpetua/status/1763779021890846913
Months earlier, Russian bombs destroyed this bridge across the Oskil river. Ukraine built another bridge and Russia just destroyed it…
https://twitter.com/JohnH105/status/1763662480729952761
***
Bakhmut
The beginning of the week was characterized by heavy Russian bombardments, multiple assaults on Bohdanivka and Ivanivske and heavy Russian losses. The assaults paused for a couple of days and Ukraine began clearing Russian infantry out of the eastern half of Ivanivske. Once the Russians reorganized and received replacements they began attacking Ivanivkske again and taking heavy casualties again.
Russian vehicles are destroyed by artillery, drones and ATGMs. At 0:27, an ATGM impacts a vehicle and the round exits the other side and impacts the ground about 50 meters away…
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1762373211486904746
A Ukrainian BTR-70 is hit twice at speed with a drone in Ivanivske…
https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1762907924991492425
***
Avdiivka
It turns out that when Ukraine was withdrawing from Avdiivka, Russian artillery deployed mines to the west of the city to try and inhibit their movement. Some of the Russian vehicles attacking Lastochkyne earlier ran over those mines. After pulling out of Lastochkyne, Ukrainians made a stand in Orlivka and multiple Russian assaults succeeded in gaining control of the southern and eastern edge of the village. There is one report that Ukraine evacuated Orlivka, but the 3rd Assault is denying this: indeed, there were no Russian troops in the village as of yesterday morning.
This Rusisan advance is putting pressure on Tonenke to the south, and the Russians have also encroached on the eastern edge of the village.
At the 0:06 point in this video you are looking at Orlivka facing east. The coke plant is 2,500 meters away and the slagheap (just to the left) is 4,000 meters away. At the 0:33 point, southern Orlivka is on the left and you can see the river right in front of the main line of defense…
https://twitter.com/JulianRoepcke/status/1763520565887766565
In the north, Russia is losing a lot of vehicles and men on the road between Stepove and Berdychi. Here’s one example…
https://twitter.com/saintjavelin/status/1763634107760640290
An M1 was knocked out by a drone near Berdychi early in the week…
https://twitter.com/miladvisor/status/1762141203062009890
Another M1 lost its track to a mine. A recovery vehicle sent to retrieve it was destroyed…
https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1764311881995432350?s=20
A Bradley was hit by two ATGMs and kept on moving with no injuries among the crew…
An ATV is targeted by an FPV from the Russian POV. A lot of these ATV’s are used in this sector…
https://twitter.com/Blackrussiantv/status/1764296671226188080?s=20
A common Russian tactic now is piling a lot of infantry on top of a vehicle and rushing toward an objective. In this case, a single drone was effective in stopping this assault…
https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1764266599391822041
For months, Russia bombed the coke plant. Now Ukraine is bombing it. The fact that the buildings are still upright shows how strong buildings, and defenses, can be when made from the ‘right stuff’. Balancing that out is the cost of materials and the time needed for construction…
https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1763696170210078814
On the road to Orlivka, Russian vehicles pay a price…
https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1762912661900046593
Walking to Orlivka, Russian infantry pay a price with airburst and direct strike FPV drones…
https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1762891594179523025
A drone bomber attack on Russian infantry openly walking the street in eastern Orlivka…
https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1763919713053065630
A Russian BMP is knocked out by a mine and five survivors evacuate…
https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1762498923846115533
As observed by a drone, multiple Russian bodies are collected by the treeline east of Stepove…
https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1763567614037532939
At a point 17 km east of Avdiivka and 23 km from the front lines, six SU-25s fly west…
https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1763300285143814276
A list of equipment losses in the battle of Avdiivka…
https://twitter.com/naalsio26/status/1761206101108724109
More videos of the battle for the city.
GRAPHIC: A Russian walks among the bodies of his unit…
https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1762762268163424497
At a different location, a Russian walks past in comrads in body bags…
https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1763486961715511778
A more complete story of the tragic events at Zenit…https://kyivindependent.com/avdiivka-defenders-forced-to-leave-wounded-behind-escape-encirclement-by-foot/
(….to be continued…)
#2 read on to #3 thanks Don
Thanks don . .