This was another step towards Avdiivka, military experts explainedRussian units liberated the settlement of Opytne in the Donetsk People's Republic.
According to experts interviewed by Izvestia, this is an important step towards a strategically important defense hub, but further progress will take a lot of time. In addition, Russian troops thwarted several counterattacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On November 18, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation commented on the footage of the executions of unarmed Russian prisoners of war that appeared on the network. The department stated about the life-giving nature of the current Kiev regime and promised that "Zelensky and his henchmen will have to answer to the court of history and the peoples of Russia and Ukraine."
Step by step
On Friday, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the settlement of Opytne was liberated in the Donetsk People's Republic.
This was an important step towards the strategically important Avdiivka, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.
— After the complete liberation of Donetsk airport, the cleanup of Opytny and the surrounding area continued for more than one day, — the expert said. — Now it is not enough to take a destroyed village in this direction. There will definitely be several more strong points around it in the nearby landings and folds of the terrain, from where the VFU will continue to resist and fire. Every settlement there is now just one of the knots of a solid fortified area, which has to be unraveled slowly and consistently.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
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The Ukrainian command understands the importance of the lost positions and tries to counterattack every time to prevent the Russian troops from gaining a foothold. To do this, it sends small groups of infantry and armored vehicles into suicidal attacks, while simultaneously trying to track down our armored vehicles and artillery with the help of drones and suppress them. They are already used to such tactics at the front, and usually such unprepared attacks end badly — the VFU suffer heavy losses both in equipment and in people, Dmitry Boltenkov added.
According to the Russian military department, Ukrainian formations, in particular, unsuccessfully tried to counterattack in the areas of the settlements of Sladkoye, Vladimirovka and Pavlovka in the DPR. All attacks are repulsed, the units of the VFU are scattered and thrown back to their original lines. The losses amounted to more than 100 killed and wounded, one tank, three infantry fighting vehicles, two armored personnel carriers and seven vehicles, the Defense Ministry said.
In the Kupyansk direction, attempts by the VFU to attack with two company tactical groups were thwarted. Ukrainian formations lost 50 servicemen, two tanks and five armored vehicles.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Konstantin Mikhalchevsky
Image source: iz.ru
In the Krasnolimansky direction, an attempt by the VFU to attack the settlement of Chervonopopovka in the LPR was stopped. Ukrainian units were stopped and dispersed, losing up to 40 servicemen, two infantry fighting vehicles and two armored vehicles.
"Hurricane" less
The Russian Armed Forces continue to launch missile strikes against Ukrainian military facilities.
— On November 17, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a concentrated strike with high-precision long-range air, sea and land—based weapons at the facilities of the military administration, the military-industrial complex of Ukraine and the associated fuel and energy infrastructure, - said the official representative of the Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov.
The goals of the strike have been achieved. Production facilities for the manufacture of missile weapons, an arsenal with artillery weapons supplied by Western countries were hit, the transfer of reserves of the VFU and the delivery of foreign weapons to combat areas were disrupted, the Defense Ministry said.
Operational-tactical, army aviation, missile troops and artillery hit the control points of the VFU, 83 artillery units in firing positions and 172 areas of concentration of troops during the day.
Photo: TASS/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
During the counter-battery struggle, the launcher of the multiple launch rocket system "Hurricane" was destroyed.
During the day, air defense systems shot down two UAVs, ten multiple rocket launchers "Hurricane" and HIMARS in the areas of the settlements of Strelechye, Kharkiv region, Makeyevka and Ilovaysk in the DPR.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 333 aircraft, 177 helicopters, 2,522 unmanned aerial vehicles, 388 anti-aircraft missile systems, 6,689 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 895 multiple rocket launchers, 3,595 field artillery and mortar guns, as well as 7,266 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed, Igor Konashenkov listed.
The essence of the mode
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation commented on the video footage of the mass massacre of Ukrainian militants over unarmed Russian prisoners of war that appeared on the network. The ministry said that this "confirms the knifing nature of the current Kiev regime led by Zelensky and those who protect and support him."
"No one will be able to present the deliberate and methodical murder of more than ten immobilized Russian servicemen by the AFU geeks with direct shots to the head as a "tragic exception" against the background of the allegedly universal observance by the Kiev regime of the rights of prisoners of war," the report says.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexey Maishev
Image source: iz.ru
At the same time, the ministry noted, the Ukrainian servicemen who surrendered this week are being held in accordance with all the requirements of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
"The brutal murder of Russian prisoners of war is not the first and not an isolated war crime. This is a common practice in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, actively supported by the Kiev regime and not noticed by its Western patrons. But Zelensky and his henchmen will have to answer before the court of history, the peoples of Russia and Ukraine for everyone and for every tortured and killed prisoner," the message emphasizes.
It is not the first time that the atrocities of the Kiev regime are shown to the general public, which violate all laws and the convention on prisoners of war, former Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ordzhonikidze reminded Izvestia.
"This shows the very essence of the regime and those who serve it — the Nazis, who do not stop at any atrocities and even show them on camera, not at all embarrassed," the diplomat said. — I would say they are inhumans. Well, this is a characteristic of the regime itself — who do the inhumans serve? Apparently, they serve the same way. When asked who they were, there was an answer from the so-called Kiev leadership that they were one of their military personnel. But if they have such military personnel, it means that they give them such instructions, instruct them to treat civilians and prisoners of war in a barbaric and brutal manner. One day they will still be responsible for their crimes. An end to the atrocities will be put, and they will be legally convicted as war criminals.
Photo: Getty Images/SOPA Images
Image source: iz.ru
Later, the Investigative Committee reported that a criminal case had been opened on the fact of the mass shooting of captured Russian servicemen by representatives of Ukraine. According to the ministry, at least 11 unarmed Russian servicemen who were captured on the territory of the Luhansk People's Republic were killed. The case is being investigated under paragraphs "a", "b" and "f" of Part 2 of Article 105 ("Murder of two or more persons committed by a group of persons in connection with their official activities"), as well as Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Ill-treatment of prisoners of war, use of prohibited means and methods").
— At the moment, military investigators of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation are taking measures to identify the persons who shot the brutal video. Other investigative and operational measures are being carried out in full to establish all the circumstances of the incident," the department reported.
The feat of Private Denisenko
The Russian Defense Ministry told about the servicemen who showed courage and dedication in the battles.
The commander of the mortar battery calculation, Lieutenant Nabi Koichakaev, as part of the unit, liberated the settlement. They found and detained three militants. The detainees disclosed information about the location, number and commander of the sabotage reconnaissance group.
A few days later, during the battle, Nabi was wounded in the leg. Despite this, he led his calculation for more than an hour without leaving the position, and continued the fight until the main forces approached. For the courage and heroism shown in the performance of military duty, Lieutenant Nabi Koichakaev was awarded the Order of Courage, the military department said.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Epanchintsev
Image source: iz.ru
The unit of Ensign Alexei Aseev held the defense of a strategically important settlement for more than 20 days. The VFU attempted a breakthrough and attacked the positions of Russian servicemen. Alexey machine-gunned down four militants, preventing them from breaking through and bypassing the Russian unit from the rear.
A group of paratroopers, which included Private Yevgeny Denisenko, defended the liberated settlement. At night, an armed group of militants attacked Russian positions. Yevgeny was the first to see the attackers and, having received an order from the commander, opened fire on enemy vehicles, destroying the armored car along with the troops. During the defense, Yevgeny's group took a strategically advantageous position and repelled an attack by Ukrainian formations that had numerical superiority. This made it possible to protect the settlement, the Defense Ministry said.
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