Don's Weekly, 5 August 2024, Part 3

by Donald Hill

(…continued from Part 2…)

***

Staromaiorske (Southern Zaporizhzhya)

The Fall of Urozhaine

During Ukraine’s summer offensive, it took Ukraine a month to take Staromaiorske and Urozhaine fell two weeks after that. From November 2023 to January 2024, Russia hit the two villages with an airstrike about every third day. By the end of February the airstrikes came every day and were occasionally massive. The Russian assaults were moderate during April and increased in magnitude by May, as did the bombardments, and the Russians grabbed a toehold in Urozhaine by May 1st. While most of the bombardments and assaults were focused on Urozhaine, Staromaiorske was suddenly attacked and occupied at the end of May. The Russian bombardments of Urozhaine during May-July were just tremendous, and by mid-July, Ukraine had withdrawn.

The fighting inside the village was mostly from the basements of destroyed houses and the ruins of concrete buildings, but also in the treelines outside the village. This mid-June video shows Russian troops firing from a trench at Ukrainian infantry while Russian artillery lands further north and a Ukrainian vehicles moves out of town.

(Top Left) A Ukrainian soldier listens for Russian drones, (right) while another uses an electronic device in hopes of jamming a drone. (Bottom Left) A Ukrainian moves from a bunker to a trench.

According to one soldier from the 58th Brigade, withdrawals were being planned as his unit was ordered into the village on July 8th, and they then endured four days of heavy bombardment. By July 12th, the friendly unit in front of them withdrew and his position was being targeted by drones. At this point, the wounded could only be evacuated at night. In the morning, they were ordered to fall back one position, which they did just as another bombardment began.

(Top Left) A view of Russian vehicles from a Ukrainian bunker. (Top Right) A soldier uses his periscope to view Russian positions. (Bottom Right) A Ukrainian patrol passes a fire started by Russian mortars. (Bottom Left) A Ukrainian with a swollen injured foot improvises a shoe to walk back to an evacuation point.

On July 14th, three Russian BMPs ran right through the front line to take up positions in the Ukrainian rear, blocking their retreat. This was followed up by Russians advancing on the Desertcross 1000-3 carts, quickly entering the village and beginning their assault. The Ukrainian units were ordered to withdraw through the fields filled with mines, because Russia controlled the roads. They were told to leave their heavy weapons behind so they could move quicker. It was several kilometers to an evacuation point. From there, any wounded were then drug 5 km to a point where vehicles could pick them up.

Like vultures, Russian drones hovered over the battlefield and corrected the artillery fire. At the same time, Ukrainian drones hovered over the different groups of Ukrainians trying to make their way to safety and guided them by radio away from Russian positions. Then the drones went looking for Ukrainians that didn’t make it back.

Still, the artillery took its toll. The dead were left behind, as were some of the wounded. Those that could, made their way to a casualty collection point. Some of the wounded had to crawl across the stubble of the fields in the intense heat. It took some of them 12 hours to reach safety. Others never made it back.

From mid-May to mid-July, the 58th Brigade suffered about a hundred dead and missing. They didn’t provide figures for the wounded. There are no figures for Russian casualties but from October 1st to July 14th they suffered over 150 armored vehicles, artillery, air defense or EW vehicles that were damaged or destroyed in this sector.

***

Mariupol

Back on July 16, ATACMS destroyed the power generator, command vehicle, radar and a launcher for an S-300 SAM-system 17 km southwest of Mariupol.

***

Kherson

A Ukrainian drone intercepted a Russian drone. After a near miss, they collide on a second pass. The wing of the Russian drone is damaged and it pops a parachute. Since it was flying over the right bank, Ukraine would be able to recover it.

A Shark drone sees Russian tents set up in the open near the mouth of the Dnieper. A JDAM turns the tents into a crater.

Digging in saves lives. This Ukrainian mortar team did a good job.

It’s hot and Russian troops build a water storage site.

***

Crimea

An Ukrainian attack on the Saky AB damaged three Su-30SM aircraft.

Back on 13 September 2023, the Ukrainians badly damaged a Kilo-class submarine. Following months of repairs, the Russians then patched up the damaged submarine sufficiently to move it to a new location.

In May, there was no submerged object near the dock. In August, there was damage to the dock and Ukraine reported that they sunk a submarine.

When a submarine in Sevastopol was damaged in September, 2023, the British government said it would take years to repair. The Ukrainian government reported the sub was sunk last week. An S400 system was also reportedly hit.

Four substations were knocked out causing power outages for 50,000 people in Ukraine.

Because the Russians destroyed Nova Kakhovka dam the reservoir was emptied. This meant the canals were dry, fields were not irrigated, the terrain reverted to its arid origins and there was a water shortage in the population and military. The Russian soldiers in the islands and bank of the Dnieper are drinking from the river and abandoned wells. Cholera broke out among the troops in mid-June and some number of them have died. To date, there have been no reports of settlements being infected but the leader of the Tartars is warning of the danger of the spread of the disease. Shortly after the dam was destroyed last year, the flooding caused water shortages among the Russian troops and led to a limited outbreak of Cholera.

***

(…to be continued…)