Dmitry Tymchuk, Head of the Center for Military and Political Research, Coordinator of the Information Resistance group, Member of Parliament (People’s Front)
05.03.2016
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

(See end of post for acronym glossary)

Operational data from Information Resistance:

During the past 24 hours, shellings by Russian-terrorist troops were recorded in the ATO zone, mainly from small arms and grenade launchers; in two instances, militants used 82 mm mortars. Terrorists continue actively reconnoitering the ATO forces’ combat formations, at the front line as well as in the tactical rear, including with the use of aerial drones (two cases were recorded).

Russian militants firing from the roofs of private houses. Photos: liveuamap.com

During the “Easter ceasefire,” militants actively attempted to provoke Ukrainian troops into opening fire. In addition to the shelling, terrorist sniper groups operated during the past two days along several stretches of the front, west and northwest of Donetsk. Enemy snipers were also active in the coastal region (in the Mariupol direction of operations).

The movement of militant combat equipment and weaponry was on the rise during the past three days, in the vicinity of Donetsk and Luhansk. The given reason for the transfer of weapons is “preparation for the May 9 [Victory Day] parade,” but in reality, the Russian-terrorist troop command uses this pretext to carry out large-scale regrouping of its units from one sector into another. In the vicinity of Donetsk, the enemy units operating near Spartak, Putylivka, and the DAP (Vesele) received considerable reinforcements under the guise of “parade preparations.” Additional force included at least one “motorized rifle company” and eight armored vehicles, while four 120 mm mortars and two MT-LB’s with ZU-23-2’s were seen on the move near the railway station. In Luhansk, 10 BTR-80’s were transferred to the northern part of the city.

The “DNR” started reforming the “DNR 1st Army Corps” into a so-called “Donetsk  Operational Command.” According to the official version of the “DNR Ministry of Defense,” moving from a corps system to operational command – the latter being a more effective troop command system – is carried out based on the experience acquired by militants during combat operations. In reality, this reformation was ordered by the Russian military command, which concluded that the staff structures of the “DNR 1st AC” require expanding, because they can no longer effectively control the amount of units and division that currently comprise the “1st AC” (and their number is excessive for one army corps). This also takes into account the Russian command’s plans to continue increasing the numbers of the “DNR” units and divisions. At the same time, similar reformation is considered for the “LNR 2nd AC.”

By “strong recommendation” of the Russian supervisors in the “DNR Ministry of State Security,” the “DNR” command intends to create a database of fingerprints of all firearms owners. This intention caused a panic among militants, especially Russian mercenaries, many of whom are voicing their wish to terminate their contract with the Russian MoD early and return to Russia immediately. Mercenaries believe that this decision is the Russian command’s way of preventing Russian citizens currently fighting in Donbas from returning to the Russian Federation.

Militants are trying to conceal non-combat casualties that took place during the “Easter ceasefire” – namely, in the course of shoot-outs caused by conflicts between terrorists in a state of intoxication. These losses are being used for propaganda purposes, officially attributed to shellings by the ATO forces, which, allegedly, took place during the ceasefire. The command of the “LNR people’s police” made an official statement that a terrorist killed during a drunken brawl in Sokilnyki (Novoaidar district, Luhansk Oblast) was killed by a “mercenary sniper group from the Baltics,” which, allegedly, is fighting on the side of the ATO forces in said area.

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

This translation work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The rights pertaining to the original work remain unaffected.