Voices of Ukraine

Dmitry Tymchuk, Head of the Center for Military and Political Research, Coordinator of the Information Resistance group, Member of Parliament (People’s Front)
08.27.2015
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

Operational data from Information Resistance:

Over the last 24 hours, Russian-terrorist troops in the conflict zone in Donbas continued actively shelling the positions of Ukrainian troops, using small arms (practically along the entire demarcation line) as well as 122 mm and 152 mm artillery, armored vehicles, 82 mm and 120 mm mortars; the use of MLRS was also recorded.

In particular, in the Donetsk sector, terrorists made multiple strikes from 120 mm and 82 mm mortars on the advanced ATO forces’ positions in the area of Opytne – Vodyane, south and northeast of Avdiivka, and in the vicinity of Pisky. Near the settlement of Mar’inka, militants employed 152 mm artillery and 120 mm mortars; over the past 24 hours, terrorists in this area also actively used AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers and 82 mm mortars, which were used for brief fire strikes and then moved along the front line.

In the area of Lozove, Krasnohorivka, Pisky, Starohnativka, Prokhorivka, and Orlivske, the enemy used 152 mm artillery on multiple occasions. Eight 152 mm shells were detonated in the residential sector of Krasnohorivka.

On the Troitske – Novhorodske – Shumy stretch, the enemy opened fire on the positions of Ukrainian troops using 120 mm mortars.

Terrorists stationed in the areas between Druzhba and Zaitseve, and Zaitseve – Dacha, carried out sporadic mortar and artillery fire in the direction of Kurdyumivka. In these areas, militants use mortars of the two main calibers – 82 mm and 120 mm. A militant self-propelled artillery unit (10-12 units of “Gvozdika” 2S1 self-propelled 12 mm artillery) was observed maneuvering along the front north of Horlivka.

In the vicinity of Popasna, Katerynivka, and Zaitseve, the enemy is active in the first line, employing AGS-17 grenade launchers and 120 mm mortars (3 fire groups with mortars operating from the “greenery”). Militant sabotage and reconnaissance groups were also recorded in this area.

Near Novotoshkivka, Krymske, and Shchastya, the enemy carried out continuous shelling from mortars, mobile ZU-23-2 artillery units, and AGS-17 grenade launchers. Militants also used Grad-P 9P132 reactive artillery systems. Similar terrorist activity was observed in the vicinity of Stanytsia Luhanska, where a new reinforced insurgent battalion has been transferred to the front.

In the coastal areas, the enemy is particularly active, employing the whole range of heavy weaponry to shell the ATO forces’ positions: 122 mm and 152 mm artillery, armored vehicles, 120 mm mortars, and MLRS. Enemy artillery positions (a total of 8 batteries) are located in the vicinity of Oktyabr, Kominternove, and Sakhanka. As the IR group reported earlier, these artillery units are combined into three artillery groups operating in this direction.

Ukrainian soldier at the firing position. Photo by Karpatska Sich

During the past 24 hours, terrorist armored vehicles were active on the front line:

– several groups of armored combat vehicles (a total of six BMP-2 armored infantry vehicles and five BTR-80 armored personnel carriers) covertly advanced to the front line in the vicinity of Krymske and Novotoshkivka. Over the past 24 hours, AFVs opened fire from the neutral zone several times on the ATO forces’ strongholds, using 30-mm automatic weapons;

– north of Avdiivka, a solitary militant tank opened fire from a camouflaged firing position in the “greenery”;

– north of Hranitne, in the area reaching as far as Starohnativka, two groups of militant tanks and armored combat vehicles are operating (total of 5 tanks and 11 ACVs). They attempted to conduct en masse shelling on the advanced ATO positions using the on-board weapons of armored vehicles;

– in the area of the Svitlodarsk bridgehead (southeast of Luhanske and Myronivske), a terrorist tank platoon was observed in the first line, carrying out “harassing” shelling under cover of dense mortar fire;

– a terrorist tank unit (8 tanks, up to a company in strength) is operating northwest of Stanytsia Luhanska. During the past 24 hours, three tanks from this unit were used to deliver concentrated fire strikes on the front edge of the ATO forces;

– in the vicinity of Sakhanka and Bezymenna, an incomplete militant tank battalion is operating, using one company at a time. From time to time, 3-4 tanks advance to the front line, as far as the neutral zone, and deliver precision fire on the positions of Ukrainian troops.

Southeast of Krasnohorivka, four terrorist tanks were spotted in the first line, spread out and camouflaged in the civilian residential areas.

Rotation of militant infantry units was observed on the Lozove – Krasnohorivka – Mar’inka stretch. Rotation is carried out by using militant units (mainly Russian mercenaries, with notably low levels of training) transferred to the Petrovskyi district of Donetsk.

The enemy transferred an additional infantry unit on board of BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles and BTR-80 armored personnel carriers to the area of Telmanove.

The “LNR” [Luhansk People’s Republic] instituted emergency fuel-saving measures in militant units. Any movement of equipment not related to “combat missions” (on personal errands) is strictly forbidden, under threat of harsh punishment. In the rear areas, the “commandant’s office” is in charge of controlling vehicle movement, while at the front, the gang commanders are responsible for that.

Source: Dmitry Tymchuk FB 

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

Dmitry Tymchuk, Head of the Center for Military and Political Research, Coordinator of the Information Resistance group, Member of Parliament (People’s Front)
08.26.2015
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

Operational data from Information Resistance:

Russian-terrorist troops in Donbas continue to be active, flouting the Minsk agreements and firing on the ATO forces’ positions and civilian objects (incl. with the use of heavy weapons). Enemy sabotage and reconnaissance activity was also observed in a number of sectors.

On the Opytne-Vodyane stretch, militants opened fire twice from 120 mm mortars. Ukrainian troop positions northeast of the settlement of Pisky came under fire from a wide range of weapons (from 122 mm artillery to small arms). The ATO forces’ positions in the area between Nevelske and Krasnohorivka were shelled with 152 mm artillery, as were those located south of Krasnohorivka railway station and near the settlement of Troitske. In the Avdiivka and Mar’inka areas, the stretch between Novohryhorivka and Hranitne, and in the vicinity of Hranitne itself, terrorists fired on Ukrainian troop positions using 122 mm artillery and 120 mm mortars. During the night, enemy armored vehicles were observed advancing to the front line near the settlement of Hranitne (two tanks, each firing about ten 125 mm shells on the ATO forces’ positions). To the north, near Novolaspa, the enemy was observed repeatedly opening fire with the on-board weapons of BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles and BTR-80 armored personnel carriers.

Over the past 24 hours, militants operating in the coastal regions continued artillery and mortar shelling, alternated with attempts to engage the advanced positions of the ATO forces using small infantry groups operating from the “neutral zone.” The Russian-terrorist forces’ command has made numerous attempts to establish continuous cooperation between militant infantry and artillery operating in this area.

Ukrainian military serviceman, on a break between firefights. Photo: Noah Brooks

At present, identified in the coastal regions are a total of three terrorist artillery groups, including a total of eight 122 mm and 152 mm gun batteries. One artillery group is positioned near the village of Oktyabr, the second, near Kominternove, and the third, southeast of Sakhanka. The enemy mainly uses 122 mm caliber cannon artillery (five gun batteries in this artillery group), occasionally 152 mm caliber guns (three gun batteries). Militants also constantly fired from 82 mm and 120 mm mortars and AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers.

The enemy’s primary artillery targets in this area are the ATO forces’ supply centers and routes, as well as control and command points scouted out by militants. Strikes were mainly made in the area of the M14 highway and on the ATO forces’ advanced positions northwest of Shyrokyne. Militant artillery strikes were also observed on targets and positions near the settlements of Sopyne, Berdyanske, Lomakyne, Talakivka and Lebedynske.

Terrorists in the Svitlodarsk bridgehead area (near the settlements of Novoluhanske, Svitlodarsk, and Luhanske) employed 152 mm artillery during the past 24 hours. The militants’ artillery units are positioned inside the Yenakijeve – Vuhlehirsk – Bulavynske “triangle.” The enemy in this sector also resorted to the “traditional” tanks+mortars tactic.

The ATO forces’ positions near the settlements of Krymske and Novotoshkivka were shelled from mortars and AGS-17 grenade launchers; while their positions near the settlement of Schastya and north of Stanytsia Luhanska came under fire from tanks and BMP infantry fighting vehicles.

In the vicinity of Popasna, Katerynivka, Stepne and Orikhove, the enemy employed several mortar squads simultaneously (a total of eight 120 mm and twelve 82 mm mortar weapons).

“Kitty-Cat” – a weapon of a Ukrainian military serviceman. Source: Karpatska Sich

A sharp increase in militant activity has been noted in Donetsk. Over the past few days, a further 1,500 personnel have been transferred there from the “second echelons.” These are mainly mercenaries with Russian citizenship. A battery of 203 mm 2S7 “Pion” self-propelled guns (five units) has arrived in the Kyivs’kyi district of Donetsk. Some fifteen fuel-tanker trucks have also arrived in Donetsk, and three T-80 tanks have been delivered from Russia on trailers.

A militant motorized infantry battalion, reinforced with two tank companies, has been transferred to the vicinity of Yenakijeve and Vuhlehirsk: twenty BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, nine BTR-70 and BTR-80 armored personnel carriers (including at least four BTR-80A), and six tanks arrived near Yenakijeve; ten tanks (mainly T-72BA, and two or three T-64BV) entered Vuhlehirsk, following the earlier arrival of twelve other armored fighting vehicles (mainly MT-LB multi-transporter trucks, and BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles).

Militants of the “LNR” [Luhansk People’s Republic] continue pulling up armored vehicles and weaponry to the salient between the settlements of Schastya and Stanytsia Luhanska. Deployment of yet another terrorist unit – a reinforced composite motorized infantry battalion with artillery – has been observed in the area of Krasnyi Yar, Pankivka, Hlynyane, Vesela Hora, Obozne, Pryvitne and Khrystove. In total, the weaponry located in the area of the salient includes fifteen tanks, thirty-four armoured fighting vehicles (BMP-1, BMP-2, BTR-70, -80, -80A, -82A, and BPM-97 “Vystrel” armored vehicles, MT-LB multi-purpose transporters, BRDM-2 reconnaissance and scouting vehicles), plus an artillery group (three batteries, comprising six 122 mm D-30 guns, eight 122 mm “Gvozdika” SAU 2S1 self-propelled guns, and eight 122 mm “Grad” BM-21 MLRS).

Intensified “mobilization measures”remain in force in the “LNR” and “DNR” [Donetsk People’s Republic]. Young people are leaving Debaltseve and Vuhlehirsk en masse to avoid “mobilization” (numerous cases of “forced mobilization,” including under threat of execution, have been reported). On the Russian side of the border, men younger than 50 are no longer allowed to enter Russia.

Up to 500 men from the Russian Federation have been transferred to Luhansk. These militants underwent training at the training center of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Rostov-on-Don (Russian Federation). The majority of them are graduates of “sabotage courses.”The arriving Russians are disguised as “Cossacks,” wearing fur hats, trousers with piping, etc.

A column of armoured vehicles (15 tanks, 28 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers) arrived from Russia via Krasnodon. Mobile phone communications were jammed while the column was passing through the area.

Source: Dmitry Tymchuk FB 

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