And why was this point strategically important for Ukrainian militants
Over the weekend, Allied forces completely liberated the village of Peski in the DPR and the village of Udy in the Kharkiv region. This was reported in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Experts note that a fortified area was built in the Sands, which was considered by the command of the VFU as a springboard for an offensive on Donetsk. From here, the Ukrainian artillery shelled the capital of the DPR and other cities of the republic for eight years. Now the grouping of allied forces in Peski threatens the Ukrainian formations in Avdiivka. At the same time, due to the regular shelling of the Kakhovskaya HPP by units of the armed formations of Ukraine (VFU), three of the six turbines of the hydroelectric power station were stopped.
The offensive continues
Last weekend, the Allied forces liberated two settlements in Ukraine. As stated in the Russian Defense Ministry on August 13, during the offensive, the village of Peski of the Donetsk People's Republic was completely cleared of Ukrainian armed formations. In addition, on the same day, two companies of the 72nd mechanized brigade of the VFU were completely destroyed near the city of Artemovsk in the DPR. And on August 14, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation liberated the settlement of Udy in the Kharkiv region.
Since 2014, the Sands have appeared in almost all reports that talked about artillery strikes on cities and villages of the DPR, military expert Alexei Leonkov recalled.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Viktor Antonyuk
Image source: iz.ru
— The settlement itself was an important fortified area in the suburbs of Donetsk, — the expert told Izvestia. — There were artillery positions in it and its surroundings, which fired not only at Donetsk, but also at Yasninovata, Gorlovka and other cities and settlements of the republic. It was also a springboard from where it was possible to launch an offensive on Donetsk. Ukrainian armed formations have well fortified this village, hoping that it will prove impregnable. But our command competently caught the moment when the Ukrainian command withdrew powerful artillery forces from the Sand area to the south of the country, where they were planning an offensive. Without artillery support, they could not repel the attack of the Allied forces.
The grouping of allied forces in Peski now threatens Ukrainian formations in Avdiivka, the expert noted.
— Now its main task is to cover Avdiivka from the north and from the south and cut off the highway along which the supply goes, — Alexey Leonkov believes. — Peski is a wedge driven into the defense of the Ukrainian forces south of Avdiivka. From here, you can develop attacks towards this strategically important city.
VFU throw positions
Ukrainian formations in the Donbass suffered heavy losses during August 13 and 14.
— In the areas of the settlements of Opytne and Pervomaiske of the Donetsk People's Republic, more than 200 servicemen of the 56th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine refused to perform combat missions and voluntarily left their positions due to heavy losses. So, in the third battalion of this brigade, operating in the Marinka area, about 140 military personnel remained out of 580 people on the list, — said the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov.
He noted that up to 200 nationalists and 15 units of military equipment were destroyed by concentrated fire strikes on the positions of the 53rd mechanized brigade of the VFU near the village of Sribnoye in the DPR.
Photo: TASS/Vladimir Gerdo
Image source: iz.ru
Up to 170 nationalists and 12 units of military equipment were destroyed by high-precision strikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces at the temporary deployment point of the 10th Mountain assault Brigade near the village of Perezdnoye in the DPR.
As a result of fire strikes on the control points of the units of the 66th mechanized brigade and the armed formation "Right Sector" in the area of the village of Starye Terny in the DPR, more than 100 nationalists and 10 units of military equipment were destroyed.
The VKS covered the temporary deployment point of this brigade, destroying up to 40 nationalists and nine pieces of military equipment.
Destroyed by HIMARS
On August 13 and 14, the Russian armed forces continued to strike at the military infrastructure of Ukraine and in other directions.
— As a result of strikes by the Russian Aerospace Forces on accumulations of manpower and military equipment of the 63rd mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Belaya Krynitsa and Belogorka of the Kherson region, 35 nationalists and 15 units of armored and automotive equipment were destroyed, - Igor Konashenkov said.
High-precision long-range missiles and multiple launch rocket systems were used to strike the reserves of the VFU in the Kharkiv region. More than 70 servicemen of the 30th Mechanized Brigade were killed and more than 300 wounded in the area of the Gavrilovka railway station. Traffic is completely blocked on this section of the railway.
In two days, tactical army aviation, missile troops and artillery destroyed the HIMARS launcher together with its ammunition depot, a radar station for detecting and targeting targets, a fuel depot, two Mi-24 helicopters, two ammunition depots, nine control points, four temporary deployment points of units of the 113th Territorial Defense Brigade.
Two warehouses of rocket and artillery weapons of the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade and the 63rd mechanized brigade and 294 troop concentration areas were also hit, the military department said.
During the counter-battery struggle, three platoons of Grad multiple rocket launchers, three artillery platoons of Acacia guns, as well as 12 platoons of D-30 howitzers in firing positions and an artillery platoon of Hyacinth-B guns were suppressed.
Fragments of HIMARS rockets
Image source: Photo: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko
Russian air defense units destroyed six unmanned aerial vehicles, four HIMARS rockets, a Tochka-U ballistic missile and 15 multiple launch rocket systems.
— Since the beginning of the special military operation, 267 aircraft, 148 helicopters, 1738 unmanned aerial vehicles, 365 anti—aircraft missile systems, 4303 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 798 multiple rocket launchers, 3298 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 4888 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed, - Igor listed Konashenkov.
Due to the regular shelling of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, three of the six turbines of the hydroelectric power station were stopped. Now the company is operating in pre-emergency mode, the Russian military department reported on August 14.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stressed: damage to the power generation and water discharge systems can disrupt the operation of the unified power system and negatively affect the cooling of the reactors of the Zaporozhye NPP, which can lead to an environmental disaster. Also, it will not be possible to avoid failures in the supply of electricity.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation emphasized that the fire at the hydroelectric power plant all this time was conducted from the American MLRS HIMARS with GMLRS missiles.
Covered with armor
The Russian Defense Ministry told about the soldiers and officers of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the 2nd Army Corps of the People's Militia of the LPR, who showed courage and dedication during the special operation.
The unit of Sergeant Alexey Terekhov was liberating the settlement when the VFU opened fire from artillery and mortars. Several servicemen were seriously injured. Alexey, risking his own life, pulled them out from under fire, moved them to a safe place and provided first aid, and then returned to the battlefield. After the fight, Terekhov continued to provide the wounded with the necessary assistance until the arrival of medics.
Junior Sergeant Anatoly Peshkov, as part of a battalion tactical group, was liberating a settlement when he discovered an armed group of saboteurs. A battle ensued, during which the junior sergeant's car was fired at, and it lost its course. Peshkov took a favorable firing position and, conducting targeted fire, destroyed three militants.
The driver-mechanic, Corporal Vladimir Shikarev, discovered a camouflaged enemy mortar in an abandoned building. He brought the BMD to these positions and covered the crew with the body of the car, eliminated the enemy with targeted fire. In addition, during one of the battles, Shikarev promptly repaired four units of military equipment under continuous enemy fire.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Pavel Volkov
Image source: iz.ru
Alexander Rejiglo has been serving in the self-propelled howitzer division of the 2nd Army Corps of the People's Militia of the LPR since 2014, in the past — a miner. He learned to fight immediately on the front line, having no other opportunity to master military equipment. In total, the division has more than a dozen units of destroyed enemy equipment, broken fortified areas, damaged long-term firing points and dozens of propaganda shells fired at the positions of the VFU with detailed instructions on how to properly surrender and thereby save your life. Recently, the calculation of Alexander's self-propelled gun destroyed an enemy tank with a direct hit into the hatch.
Sergeant Anatoly Amagzaev, as part of the tactical air assault, led his subordinates in the defense of an important strategic object and a bridge over a water barrier. Ukrainian formations tried to regain control of the crossing, firing at the location of Russian troops with the help of aviation, means of barrel and rocket artillery and drones.
During the battle, the sergeant destroyed an enemy KrAZ truck and up to five nationalists. During the defense of the bridge, Amagzayev's squad repelled six enemy attempts to seize protected objects.
Senior Sergeant Kazbek Digoev carried out the task of artillery support for the advancing battalion-tactical group of Russian servicemen. Under continuous enemy fire, he skillfully hit enemy targets, destroying up to a platoon of nationalists and three infantry fighting vehicles. As a result, the enemy retreated, which allowed the Russian military to advance in the direction of one of the major settlements and take advantageous positions for the subsequent liberation of the city, the military department said.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Andrey Fedorov