Dmitry Tymchuk, Head of the Center for Military and Political Research, Coordinator of the Information Resistance group, Member of Parliament (People’s Front)
06.14.2016
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

(See end of post for acronym glossary)

Operational data from Information Resistance:

Russian-terrorist troops continue shellings and armed provocations. The bulk of militant activity is recorded in the Donetsk and coastal directions of operation, plus more erratic activity in the Luhansk direction of operations.

OSCE monitors recorded hits at Avdiivka coke-coal plant, June 14, 2016. Photo source

The situation remains especially tense in the vicinity of Avdiivka, where the weaponry deployed by terrorists ranges from machine guns and sniper rifles to 82 mm and 120 mm mortars. The latter are mainly used from positions along the motorway passing through the Yasynuvata junction; however, enemy mortar batteries from positions further east are joining in to also cover the area of the Tsarskaya Ohota restaurant. In this area, the ATO forces’ positions and terrorists’ positions are located very close to each other, so some of the mortar shells fired by poorly-trained militants hit their own positions (“friendly fire”).

The enemy is actively shelling Ukrainian troop positions in the vicinity of Mar’inka, Krasnohorivka, Pisky, and southeast of Nevelske. Terrorists mainly use sniper fire, heavy machine guns, and AGS-17’s, occasionally, SPG-9M’s.

Butivka mine after powerful shelling by the Russian horde. Photo source

Following the strike on Butivka, militants shelled the ATO forces’ positions along the entire arc near the DAP during the past 24 hours. In three instances, armored vehicles were used (once, BMP-2, and twice, the on-board guns of BTR’s, firing from the private residences area, from the direction of Vesele and Spartak).

Butivka mine. Source

Terrorists remain active in the area of the “Horlivka garrison.” Militants fired on the eastern and southeastern outskirts of Novhorodske from positions near the waste banks of the Lenin Mine and Zalizna Balka. From their positions near the Haharin Mine, terrorists also used 120 mm mortars on the ATO forces’ positions east of Leninske, in the course of fire adjustment; later, three militant 122 mm 2S1 self-propelled guns shelled a farther area, shifting fire across the village of Artemove and striking civilian objects.

The enemy used grenade launchers and machine guns from the direction of Holmivskyi and from the forested area north of Terrykonna station, firing in the direction of Mayorsk, Zhovanka, and parts of Zaitseve.

Southeast of Luhanske, a pair of enemy BMP-2’s fired on the ATO forces’ advanced observation points and strongholds, before retreating behind the combat lines under covering fire from ZU-23-2.

East of Troitske and southeast of Novhorodske (from the side of Shyroka Balka), a militant fire team shelled two of the ATO forces’ advanced strongholds and observation points, using a ZU-23-2 supported by a BMP-1.

South of Donetsk, in the area of Dokuchajevsk, the enemy deployed 82 mm and 120 mm mortars and machine guns. Further south, in the areas of Talakivka, Vodyane, and Shyrokyne, small arms fire was continuous, with the occasional use of 82 mm mortars and grenade launchers.

Notably, militant reinforcements and supply convoys keep moving through Makiivka almost constantly, heading towards Mineralne–Yakovlivka (Avdiivka direction of operations), as well as towards Yenakijeve and Debaltseve from the southern direction. The IR group’s network recorded convoys of 8-10 vehicles and columns of 4-6 armored vehicles (mainly MTLB, BMP-1, BMP-2, with some BTR-70, BTR-80, and BDM-2M).

The reformation of the Stakhanov-Alchevsk group of the “LNR 2nd AC”  is practically complete. Tanker trucks with fuels, supply trucks, and specialized vehicles (mainly CSM, bringing up command and staff structures) are moving through Bile [Beeleh] and the Mykhailivska junction.

In the coastal regions, the rotation of Russian-terrorist troop units was carried out in the area of Kominternove. Units staffed by local militants (mainly members of disadvantaged groups with alcohol and drug dependencies) were replaced by Russian mercenaries and a unit of the Russian Armed Forces. Directly in the town of Kominternove, we spotted three BMP’s and motor vehicles on which Russian mercenaries and servicemen had arrived. The new arrivals make no contact with locals. The mercenaries wear chevrons with a likeness of [Vladimir] Putin.

Information is circulating in the “DNR 1st AC” about “the Ukrainian command preparing for provocations in the Donetsk and Mariupol directions of operation.” Namely, according to terrorists’ “military intel,” the Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly have a mission to heavily shell militant objects and civilian targets along the “southwestern borders of the republic,” in the period between June 17 and 20, 2016, as well as to use DRGs to destabilize the situation in the Mariupol direction of operation as much as possible, in order to divert [militants’] attention from the mythical planned ATO offensive near Avdiivka, Yasynuvata, and Horlivka. At the same time, another wave of rumors started among the “DNR” militants about their own side’s offensive, discussing the allegedly planned increase of combat activity in the next few days. Supposedly, a diversion militant strike would be made in the area of Mayorsk, with the bulk of the offensive being in the Mariupol direction of operations.

The “DNR” is preparing for “local elections.” Namely, the “DNR” chief Alexander Zakharchenko instructed to ensure that representatives of civil movements and structures created at the initiative of the Russian Federation, as well as those controlled by the “DNR” chieftains, are registered with the “DNR judicial authorities” as a matter of priority. At this time, appropriate [registration] document packages have been submitted by the “civil association” “Veterans of Novorossia” and the “inter-regional civil association” “Union of Donbas Volunteers” (both structures controlled by Vladislav Surkov, aide to the president of the Russian Federation).

A number of settlements in the “DNR” are experiencing problems with power supply. According to the information spread by militants and “local officials,” the problems are caused by the shelling of power lines by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, or, in another version, by sabotage on the part of Ukrainian DRGs.

Clerics of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate are stepping up anti-Ukrainian propaganda in the villages of the Starobeshevskyi and Novoazovskyi districts. Church sermons increasingly feature “Ukrainian demons and sodomites” and the “horrors” awaiting the locals should Ukrainian troops come to their territory.

Chermalyk, Donetsk – June 14, 2016.

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
GRU – Russian Defense Intelligence, the main military foreign-intelligence service of the Russian Federation
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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