Dmitry Tymchuk, Head of the Center for Military and Political Research, Coordinator of the Information Resistance group, Member of Parliament (People’s Front)
04.20.2016
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

(See end of post for acronym glossary)

Operational data from Information Resistance:

We observe a relative decrease in the activity of Russian-terrorist troops in the ATO zone in Donbas. Nevertheless, the enemy continues shelling the positions of Ukrainian troops with small arms, grenade launchers, and mortars of both of the main calibers (82 mm and 120 mm). The bulk of attacks and shellings took place in the vicinity of Avdiivka, including positions near Vodyane and Opytne, “Zenith,” the air vent of the Butovka Mine, as well as northeast of Avdiivka, as far as Mayorsk and Leninske.

Ukrainian Armed Forces at Stanytsia Luhanska in front of “New Donbas” Phoenix rising graffiti. Photo: screenshot from Military Television of Ukraine

Militant DRGs are active along the front line in the Luhansk direction of operations, along the Severskiy Donets river (Shchastya, Stanytsia Luhanska, and several sections near Trokhizbenka). The enemy is also using UAVs and radio surveillance. Namely, north of Luhansk, two militant “Taran” R-381T radio intelligence complexes were spotted on the move north of Luhansk.

Units of Russian-terrorist troops continue active offense-focused combat exercises in a number of terrorist “training centers” (including the two main ones: the “Lutuhyne camps” and the base near Torez). The exercises are mainly centered around test runs for the “reserve” battalions of the “motorized rifle brigades” within the “1st and 2nd Army Corps,” combined with the increase or resupply of their combat capacity. In a number of cases, the personnel of the so-called “territorial defense battalions” become involved in the training for this purpose.

Militants withdrew a motorized rifle company and an armored group (a tank platoon of 3 tanks) from the area of Yasynuvata towards Yenakijeve.

We established the enemy’s self-propelled artillery positions in the Yasynuvata direction of operations: namely, ten self-propelled artillery units were identified at firing positions on the territory of the slag quarry in the Chervonohvardiiskyi district of Makiivka (the so-called “Hrigorievski banks“). The length of the beeline to the contact line is 10 km. Ammunition for these units is delivered during the day, along the motorway. Security units are stationed at approach roads within 1.5 km of the positions.

In the vicinity of Pervomaisk (Luhansk Oblast), we identified two “Grad” BM-21 MLRS units, three ZU-23-2’s, and two militant tanks, at camouflaged positions. The launching installation of an “Uragan” 9K57 MLRS was spotted near Chornukhyne (east of Debaltseve).

A motorized rifle unit and a tank company (part of the “1st DNR AC”) arrived near Olenivka (Volnovakha district).  At this time, active efforts are underway to equip a new line of defense in the southern outskirts of this town. Militants are also setting up protective shelters for tanks.

According to the information propagated by the “1st DNR AC” staff, two groups of “Polish mercenary snipers” totaling 32 men arrived to join the ATO forces near Krasnohorivka and Mar’inka. The mission of the mythical “Polish snipers” is to “train Ukrainian snipers” and “carry out demonstrative anti-sniper operations against the units of the “1st AC.” It is obvious that this information is being disseminated as a cover story for the activity of a terrorist sniper group near Mar’inka. This group consists of local militants and residents of Crimea, who underwent extensive specialized training under the supervision of Russian specialists – some in the Rostov Oblast of Russia, some in the training center in Perevalne (occupied Crimea). This group, which has several pieces of exclusive sniper weaponry at their disposal, is not part of any illegal gang, but is subordinated directly to the “1st DNR AC” command.

The staffs of “battalions and brigades” of the so-called “1st DNR AC” stationed in the area of Yasynuvata and Donetsk keep mentioning in their official correspondence some “American instructors” – who, allegedly, arrived near Avdiivka and Horlivka to take part in “setting up the counter-battery fire and radio intelligence systems delivered to Ukraine from the USA.” The tone of the correspondence indicates that the terrorist command genuinely believes that US specialists arrived at the front. Specifically, militants at the front are instructed to “pay attention to the nature of artillery fire” and immediately report to the higher-ups “in case of any drastic and unusual change in the firing regime of the Ukrainian troops.”

In the “DNR,” a commission from the Russian Federation finished its investigation into the embezzlement of fuel delivered from Russia. The investigation results showed that up to 1/3 of all fuel supplied to the “DNR” is being embezzled on several levels at once: starting from its loading in Russia (the real amount of fuel was often lower than specified in the shipping documents) and its unloading at railway stations in Donetsk, Ilovaisk and Yasynuvata. The bulk of embezzlement involves fuel “for military needs” – that is, fuel intended for the units of the “1st DNR AC.” The commission also established that the stolen fuel is sold through some 35 gas stations in the occupied parts of the Donetsk Oblast, and a share of profits is sent directly to “DNR” leaders.

Source: Dmitry Tymchuk FB 

Glossary:

AC – Army Corps
ACV – armored combat vehicle
AGS-17 – automatic grenade launcher
ATO – Anti-Terrorist Operation
BMP – infantry fighting vehicle
BTG – battalion tactical group
BTR, APC – armored personnel carrier
BRDM – armored reconnaissance and surveillance vehicle
BRM – armored reconnaissance vehicle
DAP – Donetsk International Airport
DNR – “Donetsk People’s Republic”
DRG – sabotage and reconnaissance group
ELINT – Electronic Intelligence
GUR – Defense Intelligence
KSM – command and staff vehicle
LNR – “Luhansk People’s Republic”
MGB – Ministry of State Security
MOD – Ministry of Defense
MT-LB – light multipurpose tracked vehicle
MLRS – multiple-launch rocket systems
OMSBR – Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade
SBU – Ukrainian Secret Service
SPG-9 – stand-mounted grenade launcher
TZM, TLV – transporter-loading vehicle
UAV – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (drones or other)
ZU-23-2 – anti-aircraft artillery system

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