Effective missile attacks do not allow the enemy to launch a large-scale counteroffensive, experts sayOn the night of May 17, the Armed forces of the Russian Federation struck an accurate blow at a large ammunition depot equipped on the territory of a ship repair enterprise in Nikolaev.
Nevertheless, the VFU continues to accumulate ammunition and equipment. Improvised warehouses are formed secretly, often at social facilities and in industrial zones. Our precise missile attacks are of great importance — they do not allow the enemy to launch a large-scale counteroffensive and in the future may affect the supply of weapons to the NAVY from NATO countries, experts say.
Plans under attack
On the night of May 17, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a group attack on a large ammunition depot equipped on the territory of a ship repair enterprise in Nikolaev. The targets were hit with high-precision long-range sea-based weapons, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
As sources familiar with the situation told Izvestia, Ukrainian armed formations continue to accumulate forces and means at the line of contact. Massive strikes are being carried out on suitable reserves, as well as weapons and military equipment.
The interlocutors of Izvestia also noted that the enemy is actively accumulating ammunition. Improvised ammunition depots are formed secretly, often at social facilities and on the territory of industrial enterprises. Russian intelligence monitors such shipments, after which massive strikes are carried out on the identified storage sites.
Military personnel of the VFU
Image Source: Photo: Social Networks
This is not the first such missile attack. In particular, on May 14, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported a number of high-precision strikes on the bases of the VFU, ammunition depots, weapons and military equipment provided by NATO countries. As a result, targets in Ternopil and Petropavlovsk, Dnipropetrovsk region, were destroyed.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, with its strikes on warehouses, destroys the military infrastructure of Ukraine and does not give an opportunity to launch a large-scale counteroffensive, military expert Alexey Leonkov told Izvestia.
"Now we are destroying all the aid from Western countries that the enemy has been accumulating for many months," he said. — In preparation for offensive operations, he accumulated large stocks of weapons and ammunition. They were needed to provide the Ukrainian formations with everything necessary during the counteroffensive and in the period after it. The losses of such warehouses are very painful. We see that after their destruction, a large-scale counteroffensive did not begin, although no one canceled it.
Alexey Leonkov noted that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have become better at identifying military warehouses of the VFU — this is the work of our intelligence, including space. According to him, the enemy is taking all measures to preserve secrecy, but we are overplaying it.
The expert noted that these resources are very important for the VFU: the help of the West does not stop, but it cannot be eternal.
— Shells and weapons were given for the performance of specific tasks, but this is not visible, — he noted. — Ukraine says that it is conducting a counteroffensive, it has successes, but they are exclusively media. We don't really see them. And the West will not pour in funds just like that. Ukraine will not be able to restore what was destroyed quickly either — they collect ammunition and equipment from all over the world.
Patriot air defense system
Image Source: Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org/Sgt . Alexandra Shea
The history of the destruction of the Patriot anti-aircraft complex in Kiev also played against Ukraine, Alexey Leonkov believes.
— This is a huge failure for their propaganda, big image costs for Americans, — he believes.
In addition, the fact that NATO countries are emptying their arsenals, but there is nothing to fill them, plays against the VFU.
— European countries tried to drain all the junk in the hope of new revenues from the American military-industrial complex, but it began to slip, and they are losing their defense potential due to a reduction in stocks of equipment and ammunition. As a result, new arrivals, at least, will be more modest," Leonkov summed up.
T-90 are clearing landings
In the Donetsk region, the Russian army suppresses all attempts by the VFU to move the line of contact. T-90 tanks are actively involved in repelling counterattacks.
— The fighting here goes along roads and forest belts. Soldiers of the VFU enter one of them, a tank immediately shoots at them," said Stanislav Grigoriev, a correspondent of Izvestia.
The first projectile is a target, the second and third are already hitting the target. The latest Russian T-90 tanks are involved in this section of the line of contact.
— Every time some movement starts on the other side, this iron monster crawls out of the forest and literally drives the enemy back into hiding with its shots, - the correspondent says.
Next, our multiple rocket launchers strike the forest belt. Meanwhile, the tank leaves the front line to the rear areas to hide until the next fire raid. The crew is fighting and has seen a lot with their T-90.
T-90 tanks
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev
There are a lot of splinter marks on the combat vehicle, but it is absolutely serviceable — for it, the furrows on the armor are no more than scratches.
— We went to evacuate the tank, 500 meters remained to the "front", an explosion sounded nearby, fragments flew here to us, – the tank driver with the call sign Egypt recalls the combat episode.
The T-90 is protected from anti-tank missiles. He has a system for this, which confuses the guidance lasers.
— There are aerosols ahead. They make a cloud of small chips, so it's hard to hit us," said one of the fighters.
But now the most dangerous enemies of tanks are all kinds of drones and artillery, which is guided by the same drones. Saves the green foliage on the trees. After firing a few shots, the T-90 immediately retreats to cover so as not to fall under the enemy's return fire.
The paratroopers are attacking
On May 17, at least 765 people and 47 pieces of military equipment, including tanks, howitzers, self-propelled guns and armored vehicles, were lost in the special operation zone in all strategic directions of the VFU, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
In the western part of Artemovsk, Russian assault detachments continued to fight to liberate city blocks. The units of the Southern Group of troops supported them, pinning down the enemy on the flanks.
In the areas of the settlements of Krasnoe and Bogdanovka, Russian troops repelled seven attacks by the VFU. In addition, the airborne units occupied a more advantageous line of defense after the attack.
Aviation made seven sorties during the day, and the artillery of the Southern Group of Troops completed 64 firing tasks.
Broken Ukrainian armored vehicles
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Averin
During the day, the total losses of the VFU in the Donetsk direction amounted to up to 360 servicemen and mercenaries, four armored personnel carriers, five armored vehicles, two cars, an L-119 howitzer made in Great Britain, as well as a self-propelled artillery installation "Carnation".
In the Kharkiv region and the LPR, the actions of six Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups were suppressed.
Units of the 252nd Motorized Rifle Regiment in the LPR repelled two attacks by assault groups of the VFU.
In addition, during this period, the ammunition depot of the 110th mechanized Brigade of the VFU and the US-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar station were destroyed in the DPR.
In the area of Kherson, the control point of the Ukrainian tactical group "Thunder" was hit, in the Zaporozhye region — the control point of the 44th artillery brigade. In the area of Veliky Island in the Kherson region, an observation post of the special operations forces of the VFU was hit.
Gunners' Day
Vladimir Putin awarded the honorary name "Guards" to the 50th self-propelled artillery regiment. The decree of the President of the Russian Federation states that the unit became the Guards for mass heroism and bravery, fortitude and courage shown by the regiment's personnel in combat operations to protect the Fatherland.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation told about the servicemen who showed courage and dedication in the battles.
Lieutenant Sergei Voronin's platoon supported motorized rifle units with artillery fire. The VFU attacked the positions of our servicemen with infantry reinforced with tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. Having received the task of destroying and coordinates of enemy targets, Sergei's howitzer division opened fire on the enemy.
Voronin correctly determined the aiming points and transmitted the coordinates of the enemy, ahead of him in time. As a result, the gunners destroyed a branch of the militants' motorized infantry, two foreign-made armored fighting vehicles, and also hit a field ammunition depot.
Thanks to the skillful leadership of Sergei Voronin and the coordinated actions of his subordinates, the enemy's attack was thwarted.
Military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Konstantin Mikhalchevsky
During the defense of the settlement, Senior Sergeant Magomed Ismailov promptly revealed the advance of the militants' personnel and equipment in the direction of our positions.
He promptly determined the scope of fire tasks and the general order of defeat, after which an accurate blow was struck.
As a result, the crew of the MLRS combat vehicle destroyed an armored personnel carrier, an armored car and up to ten militants. After the defeat of the enemy, Ismailov brought the combat vehicle to a safe area. The militants' attack was thwarted, and the settlement remained under the control of Russian units.
Alexey Ramm
Andrey Fedorov
Bogdan Stepovoy
