Russian special military operation in Ukraine #7

New movements, more recon attacks around Kiev reported.

Mir wrote:

No ways are they going to give free marketing to any Ukr/Soviet systems. It's on the ignore list

Yes, they all talk that Ukraine has crappy Soviet equipment and all that, but according to DNR soldier reports, they say that the biggest killer in this war is artillery. All the engagements are answered with artillery strikes from both sides. Not ATGMs, not optics on rifles, and not cool gadgets that decide the outcome of battles. I rather believe guys on the ground than some western "experts" like RaLee85 talking through the prism of Afghanistan/Iraq insurgencies.

Hole wrote:
Forpost-R dropping KAB-20

so forposts have some aiming pods to use dumb bombs?

Regular wrote:
Surely, Ukrainian ATGM platforms are as deadly as western ones and in ambush scenarios, the remote control option of Stugna/Corsar and etc. is even more useful than fire and forget capabilities. Tanks have little to no chance to survive hit from the side with let's say, 152 mm Skif ATMG. It should be more capable than Konkurs. I think to kill probability should be higher than of Javelin, not to mention crew survivability is insane, they can be in an underground bunker operating it and it's a very accurate system. But everyone keeps mentioning western ATGMs...

They are, but theirs is already a solution in the works. The Russians are hardly going to let Ukraine - or whatever is left of it, retain any military potential after this. The Ukrainians would be lucky if they can still manufacture small arms ammo much less ATGMs. Belarus also manufactures the guidance system for the Stugna so whichever stocks Ukraine has of the weapon are the very last ones Ukraine would ever have.

Russian Defense Ministry
Briefing of the Russian Defense Ministry (20.03.2022)

️ The group of troops of the Donetsk People's Republic, developing the offensive, took full control of the settlementSTEPPE and pursues the retreating units of the 53rd separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces. Up to 25 personnel, 2 tanks, 2 infantry fighting vehicles and 5 off-road vehicles were destroyed.

In the direction of NOVOSELOVKA TWO, the Donetsk Republic units advanced to a depth of up to three kilometers, crossed the roadKAMENKA-VERKHNETORETSKOYE, and are engaged in combat with the first parachute battalion of the 25th separate airborne brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

During the night, most of the settlement was taken under controlVERKHNETORETSKOYE, where battles are being fought with the second battalion of the same brigade. In total, up to 40 personnel, 5 armored personnel carriers and 4 off-road vehicles were destroyed in this direction overnight. Offensive actions continue.

In the evening of March 19 and in the morning of March 20, long-range precision weapons were used to hit Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities. From the Black Sea, sea-based Kalibr cruise missiles destroyed repair shops for Ukrainian armored vehicles damaged in combat operations at the Nezhinsky Repair Plant.

A large fuel and lubricants storage base of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the village of Kostiantynivka was destroyed by sea-based Kalibr cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea, as well as by Kinzhal aviation missile systems with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles from the airspace over the territory of Crimea. Mykolaiv region. From this base, the main supplies of fuel for Ukrainian armored vehicles in combat areas in southern Ukraine were carried out.

High-precision air-launched missiles hit the training center for special operations forces of the Ukrainian armed forces, where foreign mercenaries who arrived in Ukraine were based, near the village of OVRUCH, Zhytomyr region. More than 100 special operations forces and foreign mercenaries were killed.

During the night, operational-tactical and army aircraft hit 62 military facilities in Ukraine. Among them: three two command posts, one multiple launch rocket system installation, two warehouses of rocket and artillery weapons and one fuel depot, as well as 52 places of accumulation of military equipment.

Russian air defense systems shot down in the air: one Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force near the village of Kohannoe, six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, including one Bayraktar TB-2 near SHIBENNOE, and one Ukrainian tactical ballistic missile "Tochka-U" in the area of Chistovodovka north of the village of IZYUM.Six were destroyed by artillery fire. Ukrainian mobile electronic warfare systems "Bukovel".

Since the beginning of the special military operation, 207 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1,467 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 148 multiple launch rocket systems, 573 field artillery and mortar guns, as well as 1,262 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed.

Good article on Mariupol,

it answers my question, says ukrops might be from 15 thousand to 20 thousand there. It explains why there was no choice but storming the city.

https://slavyangrad.es/2022/03/20/la-importancia-de-mariupol/#more-24110

Gold

I can already see how this pep talk with Xi is gonna go.

Biden: Stop helping Russia or else…

Xi: Or else what?

Biden: We stop selling you technology that you need like semiconductors.

Xi: You already did that.

Biden: We impose tariffs on half your imports.

Xi: You already did that.

Biden: We arrest your corporate executives when they are in our ally countries.

Xi: You already did that.

Biden: We expel and arrest your scholars doing research in our universities.

Xi: You already did that.

Biden: We unleash bioweapons on your home soil then blame it all on you.

Xi: You already did that.

Biden: We label you hostile totalitarian regime that practices genocide on your own people.

Xi: You already did that.

Biden: We start up a color revolution in HK and accuse you of hostile suppression of dissent.

Xi: You already did that.

Biden: We egg on hostility against you in Taiwan and urge them to buy more weapons from us.

Xi: You already did that.

Biden: We unleash swine flu on you and kill off all your pigs.

Xi: You already did that.

Biden: Fine! We take back Eileen Gu.

Xi: We already got our use out of her, the Olympics is over, don’t need her anymore. Go ahead.

And on and on it goes.

Ispan wrote:Good article on Mariupol,

it answers my question, says ukrops might be from 15 thousand to 20 thousand there. It explains why there was no choice but storming the city.

https://slavyangrad.es/2022/03/20/la-importancia-de-mariupol/#more-24110

What 15 to 20 thousand

Azov battallion is nowhere near that size. They have some Ukrainian naval infantry there, some armed police, maybe some territorial defense auxiliaries.

And 3000 fighters in a city is a lot

Kharkov is going to be a nightmare if they storm it

Ispan wrote:Good article on Mariupol,

it answers my question, says ukrops might be from 15 thousand to 20 thousand there. It explains why there was no choice but storming the city.

https://slavyangrad.es/2022/03/20/la-importancia-de-mariupol/#more-24110

More thanks. Via Yandex

In recent hours there has been talk of significant progress in the advance of the troops of the DPR and the Russian Federation in the central part of Mariupol. What is the importance from the military, symbolic and industrial point of view of this city for Donbass, what Ukrainian troops defend it and what will be done to eliminate them? It is difficult to overestimate the value of Mariupol in both strategic terms and in the context of the current circumstances.
The Importance of Mariupol

First of all, Mariupol was one of the symbols of the war in Donbass since 2014. It was initially under DPR control and held the Ukrainian independence referendum, but was captured by nationalist and openly fascist groups and passed to Ukrainian control. A phase of terror began in the city.

During the offensives of 2015, the issue of the need to regain control of Mariupol by the DPR arose several times, but it did not happen for political reasons. The Minsk agreements were being prepared and the continuation of the offensive contradicted diplomacy. So this issue caused numerous complaints among participants in military operations. Now Kiev has turned Mariupol into a military fortress with the clear intention of using it for propaganda purposes. "The defense of Mariupol“ is presented as something comparable to ”the defense of Donetsk airport" and is sold to the West as propaganda material. It is there that numerous fakes about “Russian atrocities” are being created.

Secondly, Mariupol is a large industrial center with two major factories - Azovstal and the Ilyich Plant - and a moderna through which a large amount of the coal mined in Donbass and the products produced there leaves. The whole empire belongs to Rinat Akhmetov. At the same time, Azovstal has a monopoly in Ukraine on the production of metal products and is one of the world leaders in marine steel. Initially, the Mariupol factories (there are more than 40 of them) were formed as a single economic complex integrated into the Donbass industry and now depends on supplies from the DPR. And the port of Mariupol has long been the main transport hub for all products of the region.

Thirdly, this is the most important logistical point on the Taganrog-Izmail route, built in Soviet times and stretching along the entire coast of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea from Russia, through Kherson and Odessa, to the Romanian border. It is the most important route that opens a direct way not only to the Crimea, but also to the entire northern Black Sea region as a whole. With the capture of Mariupol, any convoy has a direct line from Rostov and Taganrog to the west by the shortest way.

The fourth place, the liberation of Mariupol will lead to the elimination of one of the most combat-ready Ukrainian Army and nationalist groupings. The liberated forces will be transferred to other sectors of the front (specifically the Russian units to the area west of Donetsk and Gulyay-Pole and those of the DPR to Gorlovka), which facilitates the destruction of Ukrainian defenses there. And that will bring the end of the special operation closer.

All this is not to mention the fact that the liberation of Mariupol will raise morale, since this port city has become in these eight years not only a symbol, but an incentive for the soldiers of the DPR. It is difficult to estimate how many civilians there are in Mariupol, approximately 400,000 or 500,000, of whom 30,000 will have already left the city, and more than 100,000 may be in areas already controlled by the DPR and the Russian Federation. although it should be borne in mind that these estimates are very approximate.
Tactics and objectives

At the moment, Russian troops and the DPR control about half of the city, albeit unevenly. The initial tactic was to blockade Mariupol and gradually occupy the suburbs. Then they advanced to the central district of the city by the shortest way from the north-west, from the villages of Stary Krim and Osaviakhim along Shevchenko Street to Stroiteley Avenue. Shevchenko Street leads to the bridge over the Kalmius, the main artery connecting the two parts of the city. It has not yet been blown up and it is unlikely that it will be done, since all other bridges over the river have been destroyed and that would leave the Ukrainian units on the left bank and on the territory of Azovstal without supplies.

The goal of the Russian and DPR units is then the exit to the bridge, which not only makes it possible to block the enemy's movement at the Azovstal factory, but divides the defense of the city in two. In the southern part of the city, advances are limited for the moment to Stroiteley Avenue. So the “numbered” microdistricts from 17 to 23, Stroiteley Avenue, which passes through the central market and the local university, are under the control of the Russian Federation and the DPR.

On the left bank, the advancing units of the DPR (Khodakovsky's Vostok battalion), supported by Chechen soldiers, has reached the Azovstal plant, leaving behind a group of the Ukrainian Army and surrounded Azov in the residential areas adjacent to Kalinovka and Vinogradny. The direction of this offensive is autonomous, since the bridges have been blown up, and the Vostok battalion and the Chechens block the encircled enemy and prevent him from retreating from the Azovstal territory.

The description is only partial, and the street-to-street battle is getting worse by the hour, which indicates a desire to accelerate events. Meanwhile, there is no “standard” of such operations and the front line in the city is always conditional. There are certain landmarks (intersections, bridges, tunnels, important buildings, factories) by which the parties are guided, but there can be no talk of a definite front. Another thing is that residential neighborhoods from which the population is being evacuated and in which humanitarian aid is being distributed have already been left behind. The port is seriously damaged, but there is no sign of a serious assault attempt in those areas of the city, which are considered secondary.

At the same time, there is evidence that the liberated territories are being swept from in search of militants of nationalist groups and fascist movements infiltrated among the civilian population. Ukrainian sources themselves claim that some of the figures of the Azov battalion who have been turned into heroes by the Ukrainian press for years have been captured or surrendered. For example, Yulia Paveskaya, former president of the aikido federation and a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was captured.
What are you dealing with?

The figures of the Ukrainian garrison in Mariupol are estimated at 15,000-20,000, of which 3,000 belong to the fascist Azov battalion, consisting of local Nazis, representatives of neo-fascist organizations from other regions of Ukraine (such as Mosiychuk's “men in black”) and foreigners. The 36th separate brigade, the 10th Carpathian assault brigade and the 56th mechanized separate brigade moved with the regular units of the Ukrainian Army to Mariupol from the eastern suburbs.

These are in all cases elite units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 56th mechanized brigade was formed as recently as 2015 specifically as a garrison for Mariupol. Initially its combat capacity was limited - it was basically formed from nationalist battalions and local population - and participated in the battles of 2015. But in recent years it has gained combat capability and has a large percentage of local units.

These units were joined by the 23rd and 25th Kiev territorial defense brigades, the 37th Zaporozhye and the so-called 109th brigade (Volkssturm), whose units are located along the entire front from Kramatorsk to Mariupol until it was split in two. The headquarters and reserves of these units are in Mariupol, and their combat capability tends to zero.

Who's in charge is a good question. By position, it would be Colonel Vasily Zubanich, commander of the 10th brigade. But it may also be Colonel Andrey Gnatov, commander of the Marines. Considering the influence of the Azov battalion in this region, its current commander, Denis Propopenko [named hero of Ukraine by Zelensky last Friday], can also claim that he shares the command. Both the Russian and Donetsk authorities have opened criminal cases against all of them for the 2015 bombings.

Zubanich, born in 1983 in Transcarpathia and a graduate of the Odessa Military Academy, is considered a great hero of Ukraine. He is a cyborg from the Donetsk airport, who later participated in the battle of Debaltsevo and was wounded twice. He was the flag bearer of the Ukrainian Independence Day parade at Khreschatik in Kiev. Gnatov is a tankman, appointed in 2016 commander of the Marines in the absence of real marines in Ukraine.

Over the past 24 hours, there have been signs that Mariupol's defense has broken down. It has long been clear that the Ukrainian units will not be able to escape from the city and no one will come to their aid from the outside. The propaganda calls of the first commander of the Azov battalion, Andriy Biletsky ("help is on the way, the army will break through to you”) no longer matter. Increased pressure from the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the DPR is beginning to bear fruit.

The main reason for the destruction of enemy forces in the east, is that they make up the biggest VSU positions in the whole country

We speak of 111th Teroborona, 24th brig, 25th brig, 26th brig, 54th brig, 55th brig, 56th brig, 95th assault brig, and several others near severodonetsk

They are "encircled" by aviation and drones, no need to send anyone behind them, so they attack the front

Remember 95th brigade the most combat capable of Ukraine from KFOR and Iraq, is in front of Gorlovka, 20km against them, means that they are taking a beating and cannot go anywhere

The situation after the destruction of this grouping will be, Kiev has more or less same brigades and they are also being destroyed, with mass surrender of the 14th brigade

After these two groupings are eliminated, Odessa has 5 brigades at most, Nikolayev 3, Dnipro 3 or 4, Zaporizhia 2, and so on

Most of the reserve brigades in the West are pummeled by kalibr nightly and early morning so they cannot help Kiev or Donbass groupings

At Karkhov, 3 major brigades of the VSU are destroyed, leaving 2 or 3 which are being wiped out as well from long range fire

Russia accomplishes this, with small forces, no volunteers, no mass mobilization, just technical superiority

So that is why the operation proceeds as such, the individual brigades of the VSU must be destroyed, not captured or encircled

Russian army also goes to Fastov south of Kiev for the same reasons they go for Kurakhovo in Donetsk

To stretch the brigades of the VSU as far as possible and to destroy them one by one

The Kalibr strike this morning struck Zhitomyr, so they are preventing relief from ever arriving to Kiev

Same with the strike on barracks of the 79th, there will never be a counter attack on Russians at Nikolayev

In order I'd say, Mariupol, then Donetsk, then Kharkov, then Kiev, then you will see quick fall of Dnipro and Zaporizhia

Already Krivoy Rog is being surrounded

Ending with Odessa, and those 6 brigades there will face most of the forces of special operation Z so it will be fast there once that operation begins

I'm only affraid Russians will run out of kalibr and iskander missiles...I think Nazis are just asking for moree democracy

weather update: -100 Celsius Fahrenheit scum

Ministry of Defense: Russian Armed Forces destroyed more than 100 military and foreign mercenaries near Zhytomyr

The Russian Armed Forces (AF) launched a strike with precision-guided missiles at a base with foreign mercenaries in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine . This was announced on March 20 by the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Major General Igor Konashenkov.

In addition, on March 19 and 20, a large military fuel base of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Nikolaev region was liquidated by the strike of hypersonic missiles "Dagger" and cruise "Caliber".

https://iz.ru/1307830/2022-03-20/minoborony-vs-rf-unichtozhili-bolee-100-voennykh-i-inostrannykh-naemnikov-pod-zhitomirom?utm_source=yxnews&utm_medium=desktop

Updates

1) Russian National Guard Has Captured Ukrainian Radicals and Conspirators Amid Liberation of Kharkov Region

2) Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Says 7 Humanitarian Corridors Negotiated for Sunday

3) DPR Militia Liberated 98 Settlements in Donbass, Authorities Say

4) MoD: Over 100 Ukrainian Covert Op Troops and Foreign Mercenaries Eliminated West of Kiev. Russian Ministry of Defence, high-precision missiles were used to strike a Ukrainian base in Ovruch, in the Zhitomir region

5) Russian Kalibr Missile Eliminates Ukrainian Fuel Base in Nikolaev Region, MoD Says

6) Boris Johnson Discussed Possibility of Offering Zelensky Refuge in UK

7) Russian Armed Forces Wipe Out Major Ukrainian Military Base Using Hypersonic Missile
Konashenkov said that the Kalibr missiles were launched from the waters of the Caspian Sea, while the Kinzhals were fired from "the airspace over the territory of Crimea". According to him, the strikes destroyed "a large storage base for fuel and lubricants of the Ukrainian armed forces located near the village of Konstantinovka in the Nikolaev region".

8 ) Ukrainian Presidency: There is a danger of an attack from Belarus on the west of the country

9) Russian Ministry of defense accuse Ukraine: in preparations of attack on western diplomats in L'viv, in planting explosives at cylinders with ammonium and chlorine in Sumy, deploying cylinders with chemicals to school in Kotlarovo village of Mykolaiv region

In terms of Kalibr I'd say only 150 maybe we're used

When they say 1000 missiles they don't mean all Kalibr

Same for Iskander, maybe 50 to 70 strikes

So they have huge missiles

To destroy reserves of VSU , I'd say another 100 Kalibr can be reserved if they don't surrender

And another 100 Iskander

Even then the stock of weapons is enough for ww3

Also more drones are being used , this is why we see forpost and Orion a lot more

Tolstoy wrote:Most individuals talking about high Russian casualties do not take into account the fact that Russia is doing so to protect Ukranian citizens. This aside the number of casualties is normal.

Wait for the China-India war to breakout in the near future. Casualties will be in millions.

We will then realize how effective Russia was in keeping casualties to a bare minimum.

According to Yuri Podolyaka, one of the best analysts on Youtube and who has direct contacts with people from relevant locations for
tracking of the war, Russian losses initially were mostly because the Russian army was moving too fast and falling into traps. They
changed their tactics to move slower and not let Kiev regime forces work on their rear and now their losses are much smaller.

Russian losses according to the MOD were 498

Maybe since then +50 to 100

Russia takes very little casualties at this stage

With rare loss of a tank crew but not for a while

Arkanghelsk wrote:In terms of Kalibr I'd say only 150 maybe we're used

When they say 1000 missiles they don't mean all Kalibr

Same for Iskander, maybe 50 to 70 strikes

So they have huge missiles

To destroy reserves of VSU , I'd say another 100 Kalibr can be reserved if they don't surrender

And another 100 Iskander

Even then the stock of weapons is enough for ww3

Also more drones are being used , this is why we see forpost and Orion a lot more

I doubt they want to spend a big part of their stocks in Ukraine.

They have increased the use of armed drones which should destroy plenty of targets on the front.

They have destroyed most of ukrainian weapon stocks. Cruise missiles will be used now mostly to hunt foreign fighters.

Yugo90 wrote:I'm only affraid Russians will run out of kalibr and iskander missiles...I think Nazis are just asking for moree democracy

no sweat, they wont. It's not like Russian planners dont count how many was actually used already and how many do they need to repel NATO aggression in case.

d_taddei2 wrote:Updates

7) Russian Armed Forces Wipe Out Major Ukrainian Military Base Using Hypersonic Missile
Konashenkov said that the Kalibr missiles were launched from the waters of the Caspian Sea, while the Kinzhals were fired from "the airspace over the territory of Crimea". According to him, the strikes destroyed "a large storage base for fuel and lubricants of the Ukrainian armed forces located near the village of Konstantinovka in the Nikolaev region".

Kinzhal number two.

EDIT

JohninMK wrote:

LMFS wrote:https://t.me/russnasledie/1892

Russian cities.

What does Ukraine have to do with it?

Donetsk - founded by Emperor Alexander II in 1869 during the construction of a metallurgical plant in Yuzovka. What does Ukraine have to do with it?

Nothing but Wales did!!! A small Cossack town of Oleksandrovka had its name changed to Yuzovka in honour of Welsh miner John Hughes, a famous coal and steel industrialist brought to the area to exploit the coal by Alexander 11 in 1869 as Russia needed iron rails for its railway system. He and his family plus many other Welsh specialists established the mining industry so starting the industrial revolution in the area. Virtually the whole expatriate group left in 1917. The name changed to Donetsk at some point.

When I was there in 2014 when it kicked off in Donetsk I found the Liverpool club. And a monument to the Beatles which amwere apparently big in Soviet Union. The monument had speakers built into it playing Beatle's songs it was kind surprising and weird lol. I have posted pics if my time there in 2014 on this forum before can be found here.
https://www.russiadefence.net/t3372-my-pics-and-vids

I do have more pics and videos but too many to post. I have a YouTube channel which I just use to store videos and allow friends to view them. The channel is called: dtads tads have a few videos of firing a few weapons and even a faulty RPG-2 which ended up me getting a shrapnel wound the shrapnel is still in me lol.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfxEWOgzyW42Ue8-QfRwgxg

To note in the pictures below the metal sculptures I presume is the link of the city being home to metal work industry etc etc enjoy

Only in Surzhyk-Russian. After the ridiculous lie about the Mariupol maternity hospital we now have the
ludicrous lie about how all the civilians escaping from Mariupol being sent to concentration camps by the
Russians where they are tortured and murdered. This "fact" was pulled from the anus of some Ukr "journalist"
a couple of days ago and is being spread and believed all through the Ukr information space.

This is the sort of excrement that "Ukrainians" have been fed for over 8 years. They are being kept on the
reservation through nauseating propaganda. This shows us again that the information space can be controlled
by "democracies".

JohninMK wrote:

d_taddei2 wrote:Updates

7) Russian Armed Forces Wipe Out Major Ukrainian Military Base Using Hypersonic Missile
Konashenkov said that the Kalibr missiles were launched from the waters of the Caspian Sea, while the Kinzhals were fired from "the airspace over the territory of Crimea". According to him, the strikes destroyed "a large storage base for fuel and lubricants of the Ukrainian armed forces located near the village of Konstantinovka in the Nikolaev region".

Kinzhal number two.

Oh yes. And it seems they are showing the west that the one they fired the other day wasn't a one off attack using it.