Don's Weekly, 9 September 2024: Part 2

(….continued from Part 1…)

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Western Luhansk

Russians were able to advance two kilometers on a narrow front to enter Synkivka, where Ukrainians hit them heavily with FPVs.

The 116th Brigade drips thermite on Russian positions 3,800 meters north of Synkivka. Russians talk about how they learned to deploy nets so Ukrainian drones wouldn’t fly into their dugouts, and how they used capes to mask their heat signature from thermal cameras (with varying degrees of success). Now they figure they have to create their positions with sand, fireproof brick and concrete. As usual in the Russian army, meanwhile, they have to pay for the materials themselves.

A Russian tank is destroyed near Pischane. Russia gained very little ground there this week. The 4th Rapid Reaction Brigade - the Rubzh or Frontier Brigade - is a National Guard unit that fought at Hostomel, Severodonetsk and Bakhmut. They arrived at Pischane to help contain the Russian advance alongside the 77th Airborne Brigade.

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Terny

Russia has used incendiary bombs since sieges of Mariupol and Izyum. Ukraine’s 60th Brigade is now using drones to drop thermite into the Russian trenches. This is burning at temperatures of 2500°C or 4500°F - and thus burning through almost everything in the nature, or human-made. The Russians narrate the attack of a Ukrainian incendiary drone.

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Bakhmut

Russia continues its efforts to cross the Siversky Donets - Donbas Canal. At times they make it to the other side and survive for a couple hours until drones eventually kill them. While thermite is being used in other areas, and the Ukrainian drone teams here are dropping Molotov Cocktails. The Russians have not been able to cross in large enough numbers to push deeper into Chasiv Yar. One reason is that a destroyed MT-LB is blocking a path that vehicles could use and the smaller paths are covered by destroyed motorcycles. This means the Russians have to approach on foot, which is slower and provides Ukraine with more time to react and fire on the advancing Russians.

The location of all the Russian drones destroyed in the video below.

Before moving to Pokrovsk, the 93rd hunted Russian drones in the Bakhmut area, killing 36 Zala, 7 Supercam, 5 Orlan and 1 Lancet drone, as shown in this compilation video.

Another view of the same video: The blue drone symbols indicate each spot where a Russian reconnaissance drone was eliminated by a Ukrainian interceptor drone.

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Toretsk

There’s widespread confirmation that the Ukrainian counter attack by the 12th National Guard Azov and 53rd brigades in Niu York was successful and they pushed the Russians back from Nelipivka by around 1,300 meters. Russia still occupies southern Niu York, though.

The 28th Brigade finds and prosecutes targets in its sector.

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Pokrovsk-Avdiivka

For its very first assignment as a newly formed brigade, the 47th spearheaded the Robotyne offensive from June until October, 2023. They were in the process of being pulled out for rest and recuperation when they had to be rushed to Avdiivka, where they fought from October to August, quite often centered on the heaviest fighting on the front and aiding nearby brigades. They have finally been pulled back and replaced by the 93rd Brigade.

It’s similar few kilometres furhter south. For over two years, the 59th Brigade held its lines and never gave up more than 5 km of ground. Because of the collapse of the defenses on their flanks, and even their rear, they had to start withdrawing to avoid being surrounded. Video sightings indicate the 59th Brigade has withdrawn from at least parts of the threatened pocket around Krasnohorivka and Nevelske. At the same time, they are fighting in Halytsynivka to try and stop the Russians from moving south and cut of their withdrawal route. The 59th also claimed they shot down a Russian reconnaissance drone with a Strela-10 SAM-system (ASCC/NATO-reporting name ‘SA-13 Gopher’) acquired from Jordan, and then modified by Ukrainian electrotechnicians.

The newly arrived 15th National Guard Kara Dag Brigade makes its presence strongly felt by the Russians. They have destroyed three Russian vehicles that attempted moving under the railway bridge near Mykhaliivka, beginning with this one. A tank pushes a burning Russian MT-LB that was blocking a road under a railroad bridge. The fire and any explosions would also damage the bridge if it remained underneath. With the fire out, another vehicle makes sure the passage is open. They also captured a tank the Russians abandoned. Eventually, the Russians demolished the bridge by one of their glide-bombs. Unimpressed, the 15th continued hunting Russians with drones.

(WARNING: GRAFFIC!!) The 15th killed or wounded over 70 Russians in just a few days.

A Ukrainian BTR-70 is hit multiple times by Russian fire in Hrodivka, wounding troops that were still inside after the first hit (gauging by some of them lacking their gear, most likely, they were wounded in the process of evacuation: is one of ‘favourite targets’ for the Russian drone-operators). Presently, it’s unclear to what unit this vehicle belonged.

(WARNING GRAFFIC): There is a body at the end of the video. A Russian soldier running down the road is pursued by a drone. He manages to catch the drone with his hands, walks with it for a while…and then drops it.

With the 47th Brigade (always) in the thick of the fighting, a lot of their vehicles are damaged and destroyed. The brigade mechanics repair the damaged vehicles so they can fight again.

A Russian airstrike on Pokrovsk.

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Vuhledar

The Russians spent a lot of time reducing Ukrainian defenses around Prechystivka. As the 72nd Bridgade was (finally) in the process of being replaced by the 58th Brigade the Russians attacked and took the village. They are continuing their attacks, though not without losses.

Andrew Perpetua compiled an image of all the airstrikes and helicopter guided missile strikes on Prechystivka since June, well before the 72nd was replaced by the 58th. An attack was coming and the exchange of units was a good time to launch it.

In the same manner, the Russians pounded the ZSU positions at the Mine No. 1 in Vodyane - both with MLRS and then drones. Then they assaulted Mine No. 1 at the beginning of the week. They also bombarded Vodiane and assaulted it. Vuledar is still held by Ukraine but is now threatened by the Russian positions in Pavlivka and Mine No. 1. On top of that, the slagheap at the mine is 234 meters high, 130 meters higher than any of the surrounding terrain. They will be able to observe any traffic in and out of Vuhledar, which is only 3 km away. Ukraine has not been counter attacking in this region, so Russian control of the mine and the slagheap has compromised Vuhledar, an otherwise strong defensive position.

The Russians had conducted several attacks towards the mine in months past but the 72nd brigade always stopped them or pushed them back with a counter attack. Within days of the 72nd being replaced by a new brigade, the formidable defensive position began to crumble.

Some Russian bloggers reported that Vuhledar itself was overrun, but the video was of a training exercise 80 km away.

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Zaporizhzhia

(WARNING: GRAFFIC!!!) The Russians sent a group across an open field and they attempted to continue advancing until all were killed by the 65th Brigade.

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Kherson

An airstrike on Kozachi Laheri collapses the center of two four story buildings. More Ukrainian airstrikes with precision munitions.

The 80th Arctic Motorised Rifle Brigade specialized in Arctic warfare along the Norwegian and Finnish border. They were sent to fight over the islands in the Dnieper river. 80% of them have been killed or wounded. The specialists started filling their ranks from prisons. Some recruits last only a week and many die without knowing each other’s names.

A Russian howitzer is destroyed by a drone from the 73rd Naval Special Purpose Center.

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Unknown

An S-400 acquisition radar was destroyed at an unknown location and time (probably: several months ago).

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(…to be continued…)