Now the allied forces will be able to approach Kramatorsk and Slavyansk from the south, military experts say
On Monday, July 4, details of the operation to liberate the Luhansk People's Republic became known. Over the past two weeks, Ukrainian groups have been surrounded and liquidated in the "Gorsky Cauldron", in Lisichansk and Severodonetsk. 25 settlements were taken under control, and the enemy lost 5,469 people and a large amount of equipment. This was reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The Head of State proposed to reward all servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the People's Militia of the LPR who distinguished themselves in these battles. Colonel-General Alexander Lapin, commander of the Center group, and Major-General Esedulla Abachev, Deputy Commander of the 8th Army of the Southern Military District, were the first to receive the stars of Heroes of Russia. Experts note that the successful completion of the operation in the LPR allows us to begin the liberation of the entire Donbass.
Rewards will find heroes
As Sergei Shoigu reported to the President, since June 19, formations and military units of the Center group of troops under the command of Colonel-General Alexander Lapin, in cooperation with units of the second corps of the People's Militia of the LPR and with the support of the southern group of troops under the command of Army General Sergei Surovikin, have successfully conducted an offensive operation to liberate the Luhansk People's Republic.
— Within two weeks, groups have been surrounded and liquidated in the "Gorsky Cauldron", as well as in the districts of Lisichansk and Severodonetsk. 25 settlements were taken under control, the largest of which are Severodonetsk, Zolotoye, Gorskoye, Volcheyarovka. The operation was completed yesterday with the liberation of one of the largest cities of the LPR — Lisichansk," Sergei Shoigu said.
The head of the military department added that the losses of the Ukrainian side amounted to 5,469 people, of which 2,218 were irretrievable, 3,218 were sanitary. The AFU also missed 196 tanks and other armored vehicles, 12 aircraft, one helicopter, 69 unmanned aerial vehicles, six long-range anti-aircraft missile systems, 97 multiple rocket launchers, 166 field artillery and mortars and 216 vehicles for various purposes.
An abandoned and burnt-out artillery piece of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the street in Severodonetsk
Image source: Photo: TASS/Alexander River
In Lisichansk, retreating, the enemy threw 39 tanks and other armored vehicles, 11 guns and mortars, 48 Javelin and NLAW anti-tank missile systems, 18 Stinger complexes, three unmanned aerial vehicles, the Defense Minister added.
The units that participated in the liberation of the Luhansk People's Republic should rest and increase their capabilities, Vladimir Putin noted.
"And other military formations, including the Vostok grouping and the West grouping, must fulfill their tasks according to previously approved plans, according to a single plan, and I hope that everything will happen in their directions in the same way as it has happened in Lugansk up to now," the president said.
He asked to present to the state awards all the servicemen who distinguished themselves during these hostilities.
— Based on your daily reports, I know that there are a lot of such brave, professional warriors in the Russian army, there are enough brave warriors in a good way, and they should all be awarded with the appropriate state awards of the Motherland, - Vladimir Putin stressed, noting that his congratulations and words of gratitude fully apply to the fighters 2nd Army Corps of the People's Militia of the LPR.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting in the Kremlin
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Mikhail Klimentyev
On July 4, it became known that the President of the Russian Federation signed a decree awarding the commander of the Center group, Colonel-General Alexander Lapin and Deputy Commander of the 8th Army of the Southern Military District, Major-General Esedulla Abachev, the titles of Hero of Russia.
The operation just completed to liberate the LPR is of great importance. After the battles in Lisichansk and Severodonetsk, the Russian Armed Forces forced the Seversky Donets on a wide front, entered the operational expanse and released troops for other operations, military expert Alexey Leonkov told Izvestia.
— Severodonetsk and Lisichansk are the northern flank of a large fortified area in the Donbass, which was built for eight years, — he explained. — These two cities were a kind of bridge or gate across the Seversky Donets. After their release, the Russian group received a certain operational scope. In particular, it is now possible to go to Kramatorsk and Slavyansk from the south, to begin an operation to finally liberate the territory of the DPR.
Distribution of humanitarian aid to residents of Lisichansk
Image source: Photo: TASS/Alexander River
Alexey Leonkov recalled that the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, attached great importance to Severodonetsk and Lisichansk and repeatedly said that they would never surrender them.
— He [Zelensky] believed that the struggle for Lisichansk and Severodonetsk is a good media picture for the West, — the expert noted. — Showing how successfully these cities resist, he asked for weapons and money. Now it will be more difficult to do this.
The enemy loses control
On July 4, the Russian Defense Ministry noted that the Ukrainian command had lost control over the units of three brigades.
— As a result of the successful offensive actions of the Russian Armed Forces in the Luhansk People's Republic, the Ukrainian command lost control of the retreating units of the 10th Mountain Assault, 72nd and 115th mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the 118th Territorial Defense Brigade, - said the representative of the department, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov.
The work of calculations of tactical anti-aircraft missile systems "Tor-M1" of the Western Military District, performing tasks during a special military operation
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The enemy continues to suffer heavy losses. In particular, the strike of high-precision weapons of the Russian Aerospace Forces destroyed the temporary deployment points of the 92nd mechanized and 40th artillery brigades of the armed formations of Ukraine (VFU) in Kharkiv, where there were about 200 Ukrainian nationalists and up to 19 units of military equipment.
— During the day, seven control points were destroyed, including the 25th Airborne Brigade in the Seversk area of the Donetsk People's Republic, two warehouses with ammunition and rocket and artillery weapons in Ivano-Dariivka and Artemivsk of the Donetsk People's Republic, a battery of multiple launch rocket systems "Grad" in the recharge area, as well as manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 16 districts," Igor Konashenkov said.
During the counter-battery struggle, four Ukrainian platoons of multiple rocket launchers were destroyed.
The gunner of the MLRS "Hurricane" when performing firing tasks to destroy the positions of the AFU during a special military operation
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Operational-tactical, army aviation, missile troops and artillery hit two control points of the VFU units, three ammunition depots and 61 troop concentration areas during the day.
In an air battle, a Russian fighter jet over the territory of the DPR was shot down by a Su-25 of the Ukrainian Air Force.
Russian air defense units shot down eight unmanned aerial vehicles and 11 shells of the Hurricane MLRS.
— In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 230 aircraft, 134 helicopters, 1,448 unmanned aerial vehicles, 353 anti—aircraft missile systems, 3904 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 706 multiple rocket launcher combat vehicles, 3084 field artillery and mortar guns, as well as 4002 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed, - the general listed.
The MiG-29 was shot down
On July 4, the military department told about the soldiers and officers who showed courage and dedication during the special operation.
The unit of Sergeant Yevgeny Bereza was defending the settlement when the militants' attack began. The commander of the crew of Yevgeny's combat vehicle was seriously wounded. The sergeant carried him to a safe place under enemy fire and provided first aid, which saved his life. After that, Evgeny returned to his position, took the place of the commander of the combat vehicle and continued the fight.
— Thanks to the skillful and decisive actions of Yevgeny Bereza, two enemy armored personnel carriers and up to 25 enemy personnel were destroyed in battle. The militants retreated, suffering significant losses," the Defense Ministry stressed.
State awards before being presented to servicemen who distinguished themselves during a special military operation
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Vadim Savitsky
Senior Sergeant Yuri Shipulin, together with his subordinates, served at a checkpoint near the settlement. During night duty, Yuri found a truck approaching the positions of the unit, equipped for the transportation of personnel. When the car stopped and armed men started jumping out of the body, Yuri drove the BMP in their direction. Taking a position convenient for firing, he fired an ATGM. As a result, the nationalists' car caught fire, and Shipulin eliminated the militants who got out before the missile hit with targeted fire.
— Yuri Shipulin's bold actions made it possible to prevent an attack by an organized group of Ukrainian nationalists on a checkpoint, and also significantly undermined the combat capability of the enemy in this direction, — the Defense Ministry said.
From the first days of the special military operation, Major Igor Loginov's anti-aircraft missile division has been covering Russian units from enemy aircraft. During the offensive, Ukrainian nationalists tried to attack the Russian command post from the air. Igor promptly assessed the situation and, having correctly assigned tasks to his subordinates, personally began firing at air targets. Thanks to the skillful command of Major Igor Loginov, the enemy MiG-29 aircraft and the Tochka-U tactical missile were shot down, the military department noted.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Andrey Fedorov
