How does the approach of the NATO summit in Vilnius affect the situation in the SVO zone
During the last knocks during unsuccessful attacks in the zone of a special military operation, the VFU lost over 760 people and 54 units of military equipment, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported on July 5. Experts believe that by the end of this week, the enemy may launch a new offensive attempt, as it is vital for Ukraine to declare the success of its troops at the NATO summit, which will open on July 11 in Vilnius. The Russian Defense Ministry also commented on the words of British Admiral Anthony Radakin, who said that Russia had lost "half of its combat capability." The military department recalled that hundreds of units of Western equipment sent to Ukraine burned down, "barely coming into contact with the allegedly lost combat capability of the Russian army."
We are waiting for the second wave
During the day, the armed formations of Ukraine continued to attack in the Donetsk, Krasnolimansk, Yuzhnodonetsky and Zaporozhye strategic directions, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on July 5.
— In the Donetsk direction, the competent and courageous actions of the defending units of the Southern Group of troops successfully repelled nine enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Belogorovka, Pervomaiske, Severnoye, Nevelskoye and Krasnogorovka of the DPR during the day, — said the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov.
In the area of Artemovsk, the accumulations of manpower and equipment of the VFU were defeated at three points. Also, not far from Nevelsky, a field ammunition depot of the 109th Theroborona brigade was destroyed.
In the Krasnolimansky direction, units of the Center group of troops repelled two attacks by assault groups of the 63rd and 66th mechanized brigades in the area of Makeyevka and Chervona Dibrova in the LPR. In addition, they defeated the manpower and equipment of the 21st, 42nd, 63rd mechanized and 95th airborne assault brigades of the VFU.
In the South Donets direction, the Vostok group of troops repulsed five attacks by the VFU forces up to a motorized infantry company in the direction of the settlements of Staromayorskoye and Urozhodnoye.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Dmitry Makeev
Image source: iz.ru
In the Zaporozhye direction, the attack of the units of the 128th mountain assault brigade of the VFU in the area of the settlement of Zherebyanka of the Zaporozhye region was reflected.
According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, on July 5, the VFU lost over 680 people and 40 pieces of military equipment in these areas, including three tanks, two Krab self-propelled guns of Polish production and D-30 howitzers.
According to Izvestia sources familiar with the situation, the Ukrainian forces continue to regroup forces and means. At the same time, the enemy is trying as much as possible to bind our troops with combat. Also, now the VFU is constantly striking civilian targets. So they want to distract the Russian artillery and thereby reduce the losses of their troops.
The regrouping will soon be completed, and then a new phase of the offensive will begin, military expert Vasily Dandykin believes. In his opinion, the Ukrainian forces will try to achieve at least some result before the July meeting of NATO countries.
— I think one of these days — and most likely at the end of the week — they will try to do something, - said the expert. — In fact, their capabilities are melting away. If we take today's summary of the Ministry of Defense, they have lost more than 700 people only killed. It's almost two battalions. They have to present something before the NATO summit. The countries of the alliance pay money, they must get results. There people know how to count both money and shells. The Ukrainian forces still have serious reserves, but they are unlikely to help them. Moreover, our decision-making centers are being hit every day. Where are these main reserves? They are not boundless.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov
Image source: iz.ru
"And there won't be a foot under the keel"
On July 5, the Russian Defense Ministry commented on the speech of the Chief of the British Defense Staff, Admiral Anthony Radakin. Speaking in parliament, he said that "Russia is so weak that it cannot conduct an offensive," Ukrainian troops inflicted "critical damage" on Russian troops, and Russia lost "half of its combat capability."
According to the admiral's estimates, Russia allegedly spent 10 million artillery shells with the ability to produce 1 million, and also lost 2.5 thousand tanks while producing no more than 200 vehicles per year.
The Russian military department stated on this occasion that the admiral's estimates of the losses of Russian armored vehicles "discourage the universal scale of lies."
In addition, the Ministry of Defense noted that all these statements were made "against the background of the lamentations of other British military leaders, and even Minister Ben Wallace, about the total emptying of their own weapons stocks."
The military department recalled that hundreds of pieces of equipment sent for the Ukrainian counteroffensive "unexpectedly burned down, barely coming into contact with the allegedly lost combat capability of the Russian army."
"And intercepted Storm Shadow cruise missiles are increasingly hitting civilian infrastructure facilities, unfortunately, causing civilian casualties. Or they fall flat, without bursting, and scare only steppe carcasses with their "blows"," the statement of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation says.
Fragments of Storm Shadow cruise missiles
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti
The ministry noted that "all this British scrap metal delivered to the Kiev regime" after melting will still serve as good raw materials for the new Russian regions during the restoration work.
Radakin's statements in the British parliament were made in order to obtain funding for the purchase of new weapons for the army "instead of junk sent to Ukraine," according to the department.
"There is only one problem — how to convince your taxpayers that military supplies to Kiev have at least some sense and were useful for something. In the absence of any results of the Ukrainian army on the battlefield, and now it is increasingly clear - even their prospects, it remains only to fantasize about the "loss of combat capability" of the Russian army. And most importantly, the British defense headquarters has long since been retrained from a strategic analysis and planning body to a non—standard branch of the BBC. With such analytical abilities as Admiral Radakin, the defense of the United Kingdom will not have a foot under the keel," the report says.
Up to 40 shells
The enemy's attempts to attack under Ugledar ended in complete failure. Kirill Olkov, the military correspondent of Izvestia, was convinced of this.
— We walk to the positions of the gunners, we stick to the trees. There are no clouds in the sky: it's the best thing for enemy drones, but you can deceive them even in such clear weather," he said.
According to the correspondent, our gunners mislead the enemy by constructing fake positions for their self-propelled guns.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Dmitry Makeev
Image source: iz.ru
The real combat crew of the self—propelled gun "Carnation" is located a little further away - in a disguised waiting point. An anti-drone grid protects it from enemy drones.
— We beat absolutely all the equipment: pickups, armored cars. Deceiving the enemy. We lure them to cars that are no longer working. We are taking real positions ourselves," said a serviceman of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with the call sign Magician.
The 122-millimeter "Carnation" destroys armored vehicles, artillery and infantry of Ukrainian militants.
As soon as the task came to the combat crew, work began. To get into a firing position, load a projectile and aim the gun at the target, it takes him a couple of minutes. After destroying the support, the crew moves to another place and goes into standby mode for new targets.
VFU clung to Ugledar with a death grip, as it is their last powerful stronghold in the South Donets direction. Ukrainian militants equip firing points in residential buildings and dig in areas of coal mines.
Recently, the enemy has become bolder. He used to hide in city blocks, but now he constantly makes sorties to our positions. They always end the same way — with a defeat, as happened with the 37th brigade of the VFU.
— They fled from their positions. They recorded an appeal to the president, they cried that they did not succeed, they were deceived, they were sent to the wrong place, everything was abandoned. A typical situation for them," said the battery commander with the call sign Kama.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov
Image source: iz.ru
The crews of howitzers keep the armed formations of Ukraine at a distance of a shot. Only one self-propelled gun "Carnation" produces up to 40 shells per day. For the enemy, our self-propelled artillery installation is inaccessible.
Destroyed "Crabs"
During the day, at least 760 people and 54 units of military equipment, including tanks, three M777 artillery systems made by the United States, two Bukovel electronic warfare stations and two Krab self-propelled guns made in Poland, were lost in the special operation zone of the VFU, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on July 5.
An AN/TPQ-50 US-made counter-battery radar was destroyed in the Kharkiv region. Ammunition depots and military-technical equipment of the VFU were destroyed in the DPR, the command post of the 115th mechanized brigade of the VFU was defeated. Also in the DPR and the Zaporozhye region, the activities of six Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups were suppressed.
Russian air defense systems destroyed six HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and six Ukrainian UAVs during the day.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Roman Kretsul
Andrey Fedorov
