Dmitry Tymchuk, Head of the Center for Military and Political Research, Coordinator of the Information Resistance group, Member of Parliament (People’s Front)
06.07.2016
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

(See end of post for acronym glossary)

Operational data from Information Resistance:

Russian-terrorist troops in Donbas continue shelling the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements under Ukrainian control, as well as settlements under terrorist control. During the last 24 hours, the situation began to deteriorate. Militants opened fire practically along the entire demarcation line, using heavy weapons, including 122 mm cannon artillery and armored vehicles (both light infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, as well as heavy tanks).

Avdiivka’s industrial zone. Photo: Armed Forces of Ukraine

Constant enemy fire attacks from small arms, light and heavy machine grenade launchers, including anti-tank LNG-9M and automatic AGS-17, 82- and 120 mm mortars were observed near Avdiivka and its outskirts (including “Butovka” mine, Opytne, Tsarska Okhota, “Shakhta,” and Pisky), Dokuchajevsk (including Berezove, Yasne, and Novotroitske), Horlivka on the perimeter from Novhorodske to Holmivskyi (militants are particularly active in the area of Mayorskyiv–Zhovanka–Zaitseve), almost across the entire Svitlodarsk arch (from Svitlodarsk to Novozvanivka), almost the entire seaside flank (from Hranitne to Shyrokyne) and areas to the west and south of Donetsk, including Mar‘inka and Krasnohorivka, Shchastia–Stanytsia Luhanska (in the latter area, the enemy was particularly active in the nighttime).

Terrorists twice shelled the positions of ATO forces in the area of Stanytsia Luhanska from a BMP-1, from their positions to the northeast of Veselenke, firing also from large-caliber machine guns and AGS-17, providing cover for the maneuvers of armored vehicles.

Moreover, militants opened fire twice from 122 mm artillery in the Donetsk area, namely from camouflaged positions between the village of Vesele and Stratonavtiv Street (three 122 mm self-propelled 2S1 “Carnation” guns); the shells from 56-58 rounds spread in the fields between Netaylove– Yasnobrodivka–Tonenke. Meanwhile, terrorists attempted to correct artillery fire using UAVs.

In addition, the enemy used artillery applied in the area of Styla. A firing battery (four D-30/D-30A 122 mm guns) opened rapid fire on advanced settlements and strongholds of the ATO forces. Militants fired about 35 rounds during the raid on Ukrainian troop positions in the vicinity of Viktorivka and north of Bohdanivka.

In the area of Avdiivka, terrorists fired from tank weapons. A militant tank fired up to 10 rounds from masked positions in the area of the 251.2 elevation, mainly with RP-shells, towards ATO forces’  positions  in the industrial area, after which the tank moved back to the terrorist positions. The tank’s departure was covered by mortar fire (from at least a full battery of 82 mm mortars) from the direction of the “Hospodar” market.

From the trenches in the industrial zone of Avdiivka. Source: Right Sector video

Of particular importance are increasing enemy attacks that purposefully use anti-tank missile systems to destroy ATO forces’ light armored vehicles located directly at the front line. Analysis of the militant anti-tank missile system detachments shows that in the course of their work, the militants are actively using information obtained from enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups on the ground, who refine and ‘tag’ the targets (including benchmarks and tracking the movements of ATO forces’ armored vehicles). For example, in the vicinity of the 175.9 elevation (located south of Sokilnyky) militants set up an “anti-transport ambush” by carrying out two strikes from anti-tank missile systems in the “greenery” at previously explored positions of Ukrainian armored vehicles (both shots missed their targets).

The situation remains difficult in Dokuchajevsk where militants are actively trying to push Ukrainian units as far away from the settlement as possible; armed confrontations are in their fourth day in the area. Terrorist infantry groups continue to infiltrate the flanks and junctures of embankments and the advanced positions of the ATO forces from time to time, in order to force Ukrainian troops to withdraw at least to the Mariupol–Donetsk highway, or even all the way to Novotroitsk. The main point of tension is an advanced ATO forces’ position at the so-called “gray waste heaps” (an elevation south of the Central quarry dumps), which effectively prevents terrorists from operating [in areas] south of Dokuchajevsk, because it allows the ATO forces to sweep all the entrances to the city from this direction.

In addition to attacks and provocations, the enemy actively regroups its personnel and equipment, equipping several units and detachments, both on the front line and in the second tier. Of particular importance is the transfer of crossing means to the area between the settlements of Shchastia and Zhovte. In addition, attention should be paid to the fortification of Stakhanov–Alchevsk  enemy groups – the IR group has detected the transfer of at least one militant “motorized infantry battalion” using several convoys from the direction of Lutuhyne and Petrovskyi (14 MT-LB and BMP-1 and ten vehicles passed through Bile [“Bee-leh´”], 15-16 armored vehicles passed through Seleznivka–Perevalsk, including a BMP-1, BMP-2, MT-LB, five BTR-70 and BTR-80, and 14-15 motor vehicles, including 8 vehicles, part of a mortar battery (120-mm mortars). The transfer was carried out in small groups (likely platoons) over a period of two days.

In addition, a secret transfer of a militant tank platoon and eight armored vehicles was observed in Olenivka; the transfer was carried out by bypassing the settlement from the east. The enemy also transferred eight APCs from the eastern part of the Petrovskyi district of Donetsk via the Donetsk Bypass road towards the south. The enemy continuously supplies ammunition in the Styla area. According to preliminary data, militants set up an advanced base in the eastern part of the Petrovskyi district of Donetsk or behind it in the are toward Lisne.

Avdiivka’s industrial zone. Photo: Armed Forces of Ukraine

In an area from Staromykhailivka and to the north of it, up to Spartak and Putylivka, militants have launched a network of mobile roadblocks and checkpoints in the tactical and operational-tactical zone. In effect, they have “closed” the entire northwest corner of Donetsk, south of Avdiivka, and the Donetsk International Airport. The purpose of these activities is currently being assessed – most likely, a large terrorist formation will be set up and deployed in the 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
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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