MOSCOW, May 12 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz.The Ukrainian military has been increasingly shelling the cities of Donbass in recent days. They are beaten with both barrel and reactive systems. There are dead and wounded among the civilians, including children. And the closer the closure of the "big Donbass boiler" is, the more brutal the gunners of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are. About what is happening in the combat zone — in the material of RIA Novosti.
Terror tactics
The APU resumed shelling the DPR on Wednesday from early morning. First, Yasinovataya, north of Donetsk, came under attack. More than ten MLRS Grad rockets were fired at the long-suffering city. Then — a 122-millimeter artillery raid on the village of Alexandrovka. Next, the shells destroyed several houses in Mikhailovka and Pantylemonovka. And closer to noon, Makeyevka and Donetsk got — Kuibyshev and Petrovsky districts.
On the eve of the AFU, they hit the capital of the DPR with cluster munitions. Two local residents were killed, five more, including a nine-year-old child, were seriously injured. Ukrainian gunners hit the Mercury market in the Kirovsky district, where there are no military facilities. This proves once again that Kiev is using terror tactics, seeking to intimidate the civilian population as much as possible.
In total, according to the DPR representative office in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire Regime (JCCC), 110 civilians, including four children, were killed in 84 days of escalation in the republic. 499 people were injured, including 31 children. This is without Mariupol — the counting has not yet been completed there. According to the Donetsk authorities, it is the Ukrainian gunners who are responsible for the majority of civilian casualties.
The consequences of the shelling in Donetsk
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Alexey Kudenko
"We are particularly annoyed by the artillery of the 25th separate parachute brigade, sitting in Avdiivka, and the 56th separate motorized infantry brigade, occupying positions west of Donetsk in the village of Peski," an officer of the DPR army with the call sign Klim told RIA Novosti. — We cannot storm head—on - for eight years, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have strongly strengthened in these areas. The guns are rolled back into shelters immediately after firing, so it is very difficult to cover them with counter-battery fire. However, they bear losses. Plus, Russian aviation helps us a lot."
Western Artillery
Indeed, the Russian Aerospace Forces seriously battered the AFU artillery. According to the latest information from the Ministry of Defense, since February 24, aviation has destroyed 1,455 guns and 360 MLRS installations. In addition, the AFU is experiencing acute shell starvation: many ammunition depots have been successfully hit with precision weapons, and some, such as the country's largest arsenal in Balakleya, have come under the control of the Russian army.
However, the West is increasing the supply of NATO-style artillery systems and ammunition for them. So, the Americans have already handed over to the APU about 90 155-millimeter M777 howitzers and trained more than 300 Ukrainian soldiers to handle them. Canada and Australia are planning to send similar equipment. Germany and the Netherlands will hand over to Kiev 12 self-propelled artillery systems PZH-2000, which are considered among the best in the world. And Italy will allocate M109 self-propelled guns from stocks.
The artillery systems are capable of firing the entire range of 155-millimeter ammunition in service with NATO countries. The greatest danger is posed by guided active-rocket projectiles M982 Excalibur. Western howitzers throw them at a distance of up to 57 kilometers with a circular probable deviation of only four meters. Due to the folding aerodynamic consoles, the projectile plans to the target from the highest point of the ballistic trajectory. The satellite control system provides high accuracy.
Launching the M982 Excalibur 155 millimeters from the barrel of the M777 howitzer during firing, USA
Image Source: © Photo : U.S. Army / Sgt. Sean Harriman, 2nd BCT, 1st AD, Public Affairs
It is unlikely that the APU will receive many such shells. After all, this is a very expensive toy, even by NATO standards: one shot costs about 70 thousand dollars. However, these howitzers also hit 30 kilometers with conventional high-explosive fragmentation ammunition, which is quite comparable to the capabilities of modern Russian 152-millimeter Msta-S self-propelled guns.
Inciting conflict
On Monday, US President Joe Biden signed the Lend-Lease law for Ukraine. The document approved by both chambers of Congress will simplify military assistance to Kiev, as well as expand the range of equipment and equipment that Washington is ready to share. Nevertheless, many experts are confident: this will not tip the scales on the side of the APU.
"The Lend-Lease law will not affect the outcome of the conflict, but it will affect its duration," says Prokhor Tebin, an expert at the Russian Council on International Affairs. — The Biden administration, as well as the Western world as a whole, benefits from delaying time to strengthen its positions and weaken Russia. And the strengthening of military support for Ukraine serves this purpose: Kiev, using the help of Western countries, will become even more dependent on them."
On the other hand, Moscow is not going to sit idly by and watch as Western weapons flow in an endless stream to the east. The Russian Aerospace Forces have already inflicted high-precision strikes on traction substations of Ukrainian railways, disabling long sections of communication routes. In addition, measures are being taken to destroy strategically important bridges. Of course, it is unlikely to be possible to completely prevent deliveries, but the lion's share of deadly iron will not reach the front.
