Kiev is being pushed to such actions by the catastrophic situation of the VFU in the Donbass, military experts say
The armed formations of Ukraine (VFU) struck the drilling platforms of Chernomorneftegaz on June 20. Seven oil workers are listed as missing, three more were injured, said the head of the Crimea Sergey Aksenov. The shelling of peaceful cities in the Donbass, and now also of offshore platforms, began against the backdrop of heavy losses in Kiev and the catastrophic situation in the Donbass. Experts note that the Ukrainian leadership, which had not observed the rules of warfare before, is now ready to bomb infrastructure and civilians. The attack on the platforms is another confirmation of the policy of state terrorism that the Ukrainian authorities continue to pursue.
The policy of state terrorism
The oil and gas platforms of Chernomorneftegaz, which were attacked on Monday by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, are installed at the Odessa field in the Black Sea.
The Russian Defense Ministry immediately launched a rescue operation, which involved patrol boats and aircraft. Later, the head of Crimea Sergey Aksenov said that seven employees of Chernomorneftegaz were listed as missing. Also, due to the impact, two people received burns, and one received a shrapnel wound.
A total of 94 people were evacuated. According to Sergey Aksenov, after the evacuation, the search operation continued, and 15 Russian servicemen remained to guard the platforms.
The VFU strikes without caring at all about international law, former UN Deputy Secretary-General Sergei Ordzhonikidze told Izvestia.
"The Kiev authorities have elevated the methods of terrorism to the rank of state policy," he noted. — They are hiding behind civilians, as it was in Mariupol and other places, or they are shelling peaceful cities and industrial facilities where there are no military or military production. There is no need to talk about compliance with generally accepted norms and rules of warfare.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Konstantin Mikhalchevsky
Image source: iz.ru
According to the expert, official Kiev understands that things are not going the way it would like, so it strikes at everything that it can get by military means.
— All such attacks fall, as they believe, on the painful points of Russia, — Sergei Ordzhonikidze noted. — For this reason, the nearest regions of Russia, cities and villages of Donbass are under constant and targeted shelling. Now it's the turn of drilling platforms in the Black Sea. They are trying to cause maximum damage to Russia, the LPR and the DPR, completely without thinking about the consequences or peaceful people.
According to the expert, Russia needs to respond as harshly as possible to these attacks.
— The Ukrainian authorities will not stop themselves, — Sergei Ordzhonikidze believes.
Enemy losses
The shelling of peaceful cities and industrial infrastructure intensified after the deterioration of the situation of the VFU in the Donbass. On June 20, the Russian Defense Ministry said that during a special military operation, Ukrainian formations were suffering significant losses.
— So, since May 19, during a month of fighting, the 14th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine alone has lost more than 2,100 people killed and wounded, - said the official representative of the Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov. — Due to the low moral and psychological state, 800 people intended to make up for the losses of this unit refused to go to the combat area, accusing the officers of incompetence, bribery and nepotism in the payment of monetary allowances.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Pavel Volkov
Image source: iz.ru
In the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, about 100 soldiers of the intelligence unit were removed from combat missions due to mass disobedience and taken to Kremenchug for investigation.
A significant part of the command staff of the 30th Mechanized Brigade of the VFU has withdrawn from the management of its units and is evading combat missions. Any pretexts and simulations of diseases are used. Not a single officer remained in most units of the brigade, the Russian military department noted.
Airfield for Onyx
On June 20, the armed forces of the Russian Federation continued to strike military targets on the territory of Ukraine.
— A high-precision Onyx missile of the Bastion coastal missile system struck the airfield of Artsiz in the Odessa region. The Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle control station and two unmanned aerial vehicles of this complex on the ground were destroyed," Igor Konashenkov said.
As part of the counter-battery struggle in the Donetsk direction, 11 platoons of the Grad MLRS and 12 artillery platoons of the VFU in firing positions were hit. Also in the area of Podgorny, two 155-millimeter M777 howitzers were destroyed along with artillery calculations.
Planes and helicopters of the Russian Aerospace Forces during the day hit 47 areas of concentration of troops, as well as the launcher of the Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system and the illumination and surveillance locator of the S-300 anti-aircraft complex.
Rocket troops and artillery destroyed 148 areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 25 control points, as well as 59 artillery units in firing positions during the day, the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation said. 450 nationalists, 13 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, as well as 16 special vehicles were eliminated.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
On June 20, Russian air defense units shot down a MiG-29 aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, nine unmanned aerial vehicles and nine Uragan MLRS shells.
— In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 208 aircraft, 132 helicopters, 1,260 unmanned aerial vehicles, 345 anti—aircraft missile systems, 3,696 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 576 multiple rocket launcher combat vehicles, 2,055 field artillery and mortars, as well as 3,731 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed, - Igor Konashenkov listed.
Fake Factory
The VFU continues to use civilian infrastructure for military purposes, Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the National Defense Management Center of the Russian Federation, said on June 20.
In Lisichansk (LNR), strongpoints and ammunition depots are equipped in schools No. 9, No. 14, No. 28 and kindergarten No. 6, and firing positions and sniper points are equipped in apartment buildings on Pobedy Street. Armored vehicles, artillery and MLRS are deployed in the adjacent territories. Evacuation of local residents was not intentionally carried out.
VFU positions are also equipped in the territories of kindergartens, schools and vocational schools in Zaporozhye, Kramatorsk and Privolye (LNR).
— In addition, according to the available reliable information, the Kiev regime in the Kharkiv region organized another provocation against the local population with the aim of subsequently accusing Russian units of allegedly indiscriminate strikes on civilians, as well as creating conditions for their eviction from apartments and placement of firing positions in empty premises, — Mikhail Mizintsev said.
According to him, in order to implement this provocation, an artillery battery was deployed in Ukraine, which periodically fires at residential quarters of Kharkiv.
— On the instructions of the Kiev authorities, it is planned to involve Ukrainian and foreign journalists to prepare fake photos and videos about the alleged "killings of civilians by Russians", which will be widely distributed by Western news agencies, - said the head of the National Information Center.
Ambushes on the roads
The Defense Ministry on Monday told about the servicemen who showed dedication and courage during the battles.
The department of Sergeant Denis Bovkun participated in the liberation of the settlement. During the attack, Denis found an armed group of militants in an abandoned building. During the battle, the sergeant's BMP was hit by a hand grenade launcher. Denis received a concussion, but pulled his wounded comrades out of the burning car, moved them to a safe place and provided first aid. After that, Denis Bovkun continued the fight, destroying five militants.
"The bold and decisive actions of Sergeant Denis Bovkun, combined with the professionalism and dedication of his subordinates, ensured a rapid offensive, which led to the liberation of the settlement," the military department noted.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Pavel Volkov
Image source: iz.ru
The crew of the infantry fighting vehicle of Junior Sergeant Stanislav Pismarev participated in the liberation of the settlement. Stanislav found a group of militants and immediately informed the commander about it. It was decided to knock out the enemy from their positions at the abandoned enterprise. During the battle, Junior Sergeant Pismarev destroyed seven combat and two lightly armored enemy vehicles. The nationalists, having suffered significant losses, laid down their arms and surrendered.
The unit of Senior Sergeant Konstantin Rudenko ensured the safety of the column. Moving along the route, Konstantin discovered an ambush of Ukrainian saboteurs. Despite their numerical superiority, Rudenko's group entered the battle, during which up to 15 militants and a pickup truck with a mortar installed in it were destroyed.
The Ministry of Defense noted that with his competent actions, Senior Sergeant Rudenko ensured the fulfillment of the combat mission, while not allowing losses among the personnel.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Andrey Fedorov
