Don's Weekly, 6 May 2024: Part 2

(….continued from Part 1…)

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Mariinka

Russia continues to attack Krasnohorivka from the east and south. Based on the artillery fire from both sides, Russia still doesn’t have a foothold on the eastern side but they do have one in the south and repeatedly drive the gauntlet of attrition to enter the town from the south and assault the center of the town. The fact that they repeatedly attack the center suggests that Ukraine pushes them out at some point.

Russia still hasn’t been able to advance out of Marinka. They continue to try moving south and west from Pobieda. The fact that they haven’t really helped out the defense of Novomykhailikva. That village fell after a few months of attacks and a lot of Russian vehicles and infantry. Ukraine is holding firm at Paraskoviivka at the moment.

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Vuhledar

Vuhledar is a key position in Ukraine’s defenses and Russia has been unable to breach them here despite months of effort and casualties last year. Russia has stepped up its bombardment in this area over the last month and Vehledar is an objective once again. Assaults from the south and 13 km to the east were defeated.

Throughout the month of April, the Russians hit the area with alternating light and heavy airstrikes. The 72nd Brigade which defends the area reportedly suffered a mass casualty event recently: two troops were killed and more than a dozen wounded when one of positions was hit by a glide bomb. Foremost: almost the entire stockpile of medical supply for this brigade was damaged. Always short on medical supplies, they are asking for help. Moreover, mind that the troops there do feel a sort of ‘forgotten’: for more than a year and a half, they’re fighting on the sector of the frontline furthest distanced from Kyiv… even from Dnipro and Zaporizhzhya, and enduring all the Russians are throwing at them. Thanks to YOU, some help is already underway (we’ll update you on this in the coming days), but be sure: there is never enough of it. For details, please check:

https://twitter.com/TopCargo200_com/status/1785728461073441147

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Zaporizhzhia

With heavy airstrikes, unguided rocket attacks from helicopters and shelling, A heavy rush from the south and east allowed Russia to advance a kilometer into southern Urozhaine. The Russians even used a heavy smoke screen to try and mask their advance but they still lost 23 vehicles.

The northern end of Urozhaine is hit by a Russian airstrike…https://t.me/voin_dv/8201

Russian losses around Urozhaine have been stacking up over the months but “only” ten vehicles were knocked out in April. They lost twice that amount in just one assault this week…

https://twitter.com/lost_warinua/status/1786133260331880693

A drone that was paid for by donors found a Russian air defense system for a GMLRS attack…

https://twitter.com/GloOouD/status/1786337259282649287

Russia was able to reach the northern part of Robotyne briefly but the village is mostly a gray zone for both sides.

Ukraine still controls a woodline west of Robotyne. After dropping off infantry, a Russian AFV is destroyed by a mine…

https://twitter.com/GermanObserver1/status/1785990274369396742

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Kherson

Ukraine liberated Nestryha Island in the Dnipro delta. Russia claims ten Ukrainian soldiers were ‘eliminated’…

https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1786293675665900005

Five Ukrainian Marines make a daylight crossing with just paddles while under small arms fire…

https://twitter.com/PStyle0ne1/status/1786130405201998249

An honest video showing the eight drone strikes needed to destroy a Russian T-90 tank with reactive armor…

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1786572462206988632

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Crimea

Damage assessment of the strike on Dzhankoy airfield. What hasn’t been damaged or destroyed has been moved…

https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1785985257411379316

The October, 2022 Kerch bridge attack happened after solid rocket fuel was hidden in rolls of polyethylene film. It was then shipped through several countries, including Bulgaria, Georgia and Armenia, and then to the Russian city of Armavir. The truck driver picked the load up were it was detonated by a GPS signal and exploded with the force of ten tons of TNT…

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1786295780740862053

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Russia

Diesel prices rose 10% in a week. Gas prices have risen 20% in 2024. Fuel exports were 712,000 tons of diesel and gasoil last week, compared to more than 844,000 during the same week in 2023. Russia does have an unstated amount of fuel reserves in Belarus it could use at some point…https://www.politico.eu/article/vladimir-putin-russia-diesel-prices-skyrocket-ukraine-war-drone-strikes-oil-refineries/

Gazprom’s flow of natural gas to Europe fell 55% last year. It posted its first financial losses in over 20 years…https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/may/02/gazprom-first-annual-loss-in-20-years-trade-europe-gas-sales-russia-ukraine?CMP=share_btn_url

This passes for training in Russia now: Dodge the drone…

https://twitter.com/666_mancer/status/1784966146686406685

In Ryazan, Russia’s third largest refinery has a fire. Here is a close up image…

https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1785538672902672867

Satellite images before and after an April 20th attack on a Smolensk storage facility…

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1785755850298060805

Another clash between separatists and Russian police…

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1784848374002323877

Traction power and transformer substations supporting a Russian railroad were attacked by drones. Russia has 20k+ troops dedicated to building and repairing railroads. What’s unclear is how fast they can repair the electrical components and how many of these components they have in storage or production. In any case, it’s one more target that Russia has to decide whether or not to defend it…

https://twitter.com/UKikaski/status/1786026026285367301

Both Russia and Ukraine have been hitting targets across their border. Here, a Russian fuel truck near Belgorod is hit…

https://twitter.com/front_ukrainian/status/1785936155181301928

Not far from Sumy, a Russian air defense system is destroyed…

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1786008028791103848

“Turtle” tanks are providing a measure of survivability. EW has varying effects, depending on the measures and counter-measures taken. But the Russian infantry is still plagued by drones…

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1785568239742841132

An inspirational speech before an assault…

https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/1786429360700117056

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Occupied Territories

Russia is building new rail lines that are out of artillery range and to decrease dependence on the Kerch bridge. A flat car is placed in front of the locomotive in case there is a mine on the tracks…

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1786056206852686174

(…to be continued…)