MOSCOW, June 20 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. The Ukrainian offensive has been going on for two weeks. Kiev has not yet used the main reserves. However, the operation, which was being prepared for several months, faced serious problems due to several factors.
A red herring
The hottest section of the front in the south is in the Zaporozhye region and on the so—called Vremyevsky salient, at the junction with the border of the DPR. It was here that the Kiev regime concentrated most of the fresh brigades, including those equipped with Western equipment.
On the eastern flank of this direction, the AFU is trying to cut off the Russian defense with counter strikes and wedge itself between Ravnopol and Staromlinovka. The capture of this settlement will allow the development of the offensive on Volnovakha.
"For ten days now, the cannonade has not stopped," says Olga, a resident of Staromlinovka, who moved with her family to Donetsk. — We haven't seen any Weseushnikov yet, but shells arrive on the outskirts every day. Everyone who could have already left. There are those who have nowhere to go. Some are taken to Donetsk by the rector of the local church in his car. There is a difficult situation in the village — there is no light, electricity, communication. There are a lot of our military, they help civilians in any way they can."
Combat firing of the Hyacinth-S self-propelled artillery installation in the area of its
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Konstantin Mikhalchevsky
A little to the west, the Russian Armed Forces withdrew from Novodarovka and Levadnoye, occupied the dominant heights and unleashed a barrage of artillery fire. Kiev has made more than modest progress in this area in two weeks. Although, apparently, the Vremevsky ledge was expected to be cut off quickly in order to then introduce reserves to a new bridgehead and move in the southern and eastern directions.
"It is possible that the attack on the Vremevsky salient is a distraction," says an officer of the 1st Army Corps with the call sign Klim. — The APU has long proved that they prefer to fight from urban development. And here there are no large settlements where they could gain a foothold. I strongly suspect that the main blow will still be inflicted to the west, where their activity has noticeably increased in recent days."
Big losses
There is a fierce battle for the small village of Pyatikhatki, ten kilometers from the Kakhovsky reservoir. The Russian troops used a proven tactic — they allowed Ukrainians to enter the settlement and covered them with heavy flamethrower systems. Those retreated several times. Now they are trying to take this village in a pincer.
If they can gain a foothold here, they will open the way to Vasilevka. And from there — to Dneprorudnoye, Energodar and Zaporizhia NPP. Or to the south, to Melitopol.
At the same time, the APU continues to press on the Orekhovsky site, advancing from Novodanilovka to Rabodino and from Malaya Tokmachka to Novopokrovka. Their goal here is Tokmak and further south. According to the military, there have been no special changes in the Polish sector of the front in recent days: positional battles continue.
The Russian Defense Ministry showed footage of destroyed tanks.June 10, 2023
Image source:
Having lost a lot of Western equipment at once, Kiev has changed tactics: now they are trying not to throw large tank fists into frontal attacks. Infantry fighting vehicles and armored vehicles deliver troops to the "gray zone", and from there — an attack on Russian fortified areas on foot. Western media openly write about such "meat assaults".
"Frontal-frontal attacks in the direction of Orekhov — Tokmak were very difficult,— The Economist reports. — The APU suffered significant losses in armored vehicles and manpower. According to sources in the military intelligence of Ukraine, "many dozens of soldiers were killed." One of them added that a well-equipped 47th brigade was thrown into battle. But they faced great difficulties and failed to cope with Russia's traditionally great capabilities to create fortifications and conduct electronic warfare."
Kiev is trying to kill several birds with one stone by attacking the Zaporozhye direction: to regain control of the Azov coast, cut the land corridor to the Crimea, cut the southern Russian grouping into two parts and reach the isthmuses connecting the peninsula with the Mainland. However, the APU has not yet managed to even get close to the first line of defense.
Looking for gaps
In other areas, the intensity of the fighting is lower. On the Donetsk front, Russian troops, supported by artillery, tried to advance near Novomikhailovka and in Maryinka. They also counterattacked from Vodiane and stormed the south-western approaches to Avdiivka. The APU, in turn, managed to advance to Vesely.
Ukrainian soldier on the front line near Avdiivka
Image Source: © AP Photo / Libkos
In the Artemovsky direction, they were met with fire at Ozaryanovka, Kurdyumovka, Kleshcheyevka, Yagodnoye, Berkhovka and Krasnopolovka. It was not possible to gain a foothold. The Russian army quite successfully cuts off the advanced units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from reinforcements and ammunition supply routes — largely due to the active work of artillery on targets in Belaya Gora, Konstantinovka, Ivanovo, Chasov Yar and other settlements.
In the Luhansk direction, the Russian Armed Forces, after artillery preparation, attacked at Belogorovka and in the Berestovoye area. Ukrainian positions in Serebryanka, Torsky, Nevsky, Stelmakhovka, Kislovka, Zapadny, Dvurechnaya, Figolevka and Kamenka are under fire.
In Kiev, they say that the main blow is still ahead. So far, they are groping for weaknesses in the Russian defense. And if they find it, then, as Western analysts note, they will throw reserves there to collapse the front. And the second attempt may not be presented.
