Ukraine: military situation update with maps - April 3, 2023
(’Orc’ is associated with the various hoards of 13th century Mongol invaders, as well as LOTR evil villains)
War in Ukraine Explained/Reporting from Ukraine:
https://www.youtube.com/@RFU
Artillery (key to success in this war), Fuller explanation of Orc military structure, Other Bonus articles - see previous postings in “Attack on Europe” (FR title search).
(Numbered printed material below - Some of the items below may be out of date, and not updated yet)
••Denotes Transcribed Dialogue. The entirety of the analysis is from a Ukrainian guy named Reporting from Ukraine’s daily video - I only transcribe it. Extras are just that - from other sites, or my comments marked (Edit: .... ) or { } or [ ].
-—> Current to date and past MAPS: <——
https://militaryland.net/
Daily Battle Maps by Date and Region, Showing Troop Dispositions and Movements
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-—> The True State of Russian Army <——
posted 2 months ago, 21.13 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KiII_2qabk
The Russian military, the second largest military in the world, may not be what it looks like. Lies and systematic corruptions may in fact have dragged Russia into this war with Ukraine, which has been heavily backed up by the US and NATO. We will present the evidence, you make your own decision, because the Russian Army, is not what you think.
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-—> Understanding Combined Arms Warfare <——
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZOGdKANL5s
Designed to support the U.S. Army Captains Career Course, “Understanding Combined Arms Warfare” defines and outlines the important aspects of modern combined arms operations. This is not a complete history of combined arms warfare. It is intended to highlight the most important aspects of the subject.
The beginning of the documentary establishes a common understanding of combined arms warfare by discussing doctrinal and equipment developments in World War I. The second part compares the development of French and German Army mechanization during the interwar period and describes how each country fared during the Battle of France in 1940. The film concludes by showing how the United States applied combined arms operations in the European Theater in World War II.
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-—> Combined Arms Breach, 1990 <——
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ-sCT_maAQ
What UA will have to master to smash Orc Lines. This visualization was developed for the Maneuver Center of Excellence and is closely based upon the National Training Center Breach and Assault exercise executed circa 1990. This visualization demonstrates viable Techniques, and Procedures as discussed in Army Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures March 3, 1990 for the conduct of the combined arms breach against a hypothetical enemy.
Excerpts:
“Several Polish [Mig-29s] have already arrived in Ukraine,” Marcin Przydacz, head of the Presidential Office of International Policy, told the Polish RMF FM radio station Monday. “According to my information, this process has already been completed. Of course, there will be talks about possible further support.”
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Ukrainian Air Force Col. Volodymyr Logachov: “After all, the best pilots are dying - on Soviet planes that lag behind in performance and are at the limit of their capabilities in terms of physical wear and tear.”
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Rheinmetall is pressing ahead with the construction of a military maintenance and logistics center in Romania to service Western armor, artillery and other equipment provided to Ukraine, the company said in a statement. Work has already begun at the site near Satu Mare so that the service hub can start operations before the end of April.
“The service hub is to play a central role in maintaining the operational readiness of Western combat systems in use in Ukraine and ensuring their logistical support,” Rheinmetall said in a statement.
Rheinmetall said the list of weapons and equipment that could be serviced at the new Romanian facility could include German-made Pzh-2000 self-propelled howitzers as well as tanks like the Leopard 2s provided by a host of nations, Challenger 2 tanks provided by the U.K., infantry fighting vehicles like the German-provided Marders, Fuchs/Fox armored transport vehicles or military trucks. NATO combat vehicles and their logistic vehicles will also be serviced there in the future.
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Another group of Ukrainian recruits is undergoing a five-week training program led by the U.K., according to that nation’s Defense Ministry (MoD).
Meanwhile, a second tranche of Ukrainians has completed training on the AS90 155mm self-propelled howitzer, according to the U.K. MoD.
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Russia’s VDV paratroopers have for the first time been provided TOS-1A thermobaric multiple launch rocket systems, according to the official RIA Novosti Russian media outlet’s Telegram channel.
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The Russian Lancet loitering munitions continue to cause problems for Ukrainian weapons. In the video below, a Krab 155mm self-propelled howitzer and an ammunition truck is reportedly observed being destroyed by one of those drones.
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The Russian Rusich Telegram channel claims Russian troops are using drones to drop Chloropicrin-filled grenades on Ukrainian troops.
Chloropicrin PS, according to the Centers for Disease Control, “is used in agriculture as a soil fumigant. It has also been used as a chemical warfare agent (military designation, PS) and a riot control agent. It was used in large quantities during World War I and was stockpiled during World War II. However, it is no longer authorized for military use. Chloropicrin (PS) is an irritant with characteristics of a tear gas. Chloropicrin (PS) has an intensely irritating odor. Inhalation of 1 ppm causes eye irritation and can warn of exposure.”
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Maxmim Fomkin, akaVladlen Tatarsky: He died instantly,” according to TASS. “More than 30 people were injured. The blast’s yield is estimated at 200 grams of TNT. Investigative Committee detectives and forensic experts are examining the crime scene. The explosion might have been a warning to Prigozhin, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggested.
“Fomin’s assassination may have been intended as a warning to Prigozhin, who has been increasingly questioning core Kremlin talking points about the war in Ukraine and even obliquely signaling an interest in the Russian presidency, whether in competition with Putin or as his successor,” according to ISW. “Fomin’s biography and behavior bear a resemblance to Prigozhin’s as both became prominent ultranationalist figures after being imprisoned and receiving pardons.”
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Ukraine has reportedly come up with a clever scheme to attack Russians - by dropping explosive-laden AK magazines from drones.
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... the Ukrainian Cyber Resistance UA hacking group claims it hacked the email of pro-Russian milblogger Mikhail Luchin, who runs the Misha From Donbuss Telegram channel. The hackers say they charged $25,000 worth of adult toys to Luchin’s credit card.
“I will open a sex shop here, make 300% profit and buy 3 times more drones,” he said on his Telegram channel.
[Intense Urban Massage | The Hardest Day so Far Russians Go All in to Crush Ukrainian Defense]
••Day 404: April 03
Today the most intense fights took place in the East.
Here, due to the recent snowfall and rain, all clashes moved from the fields to the city. Russians took advantage of the increased availability of artillery and focused their fire on the central part of the city.
However, such abuse of artillery put a stick in the wheel of their own assault units because all it led to was a creation of a pile of rubble that separated Ukrainian and Russian positions.
Last time I told you that Russian forces secured new gains in the central part of the region and started expanding outwards. I also told you that whenever Ukrainians are forced to step back, they try to make sure to mine and blow up important buildings to prevent Russians from improving their tactical position.
Yesterday night, the Head of the Wagner forces, Prigozhin, announced that they had successfully reached another street in the central part of the region, established total control over the City Hall, and raised Russian and Wagner flags on top of it.
Later, it was revealed that the City Hall was completely demolished, and the Russian flag was stuck on the pile of rubble. For now, it is not known whether it was destroyed by an explosion, artillery, or other means. It is possible that due to heavy fights, the walls did not withstand the fire and collapsed. And the fights in the central part of the city are incredibly heavy.
Wagner forces have to deal with battles for each house in their way. And each building is a well-fortified position because Ukrainians started digging trenches on the main streets already in December.
The Head of the Wagner forces, Prigozhin, said that the tempo of advance is slow because each window is a potential firing point and machine gun nest, which Ukrainians can assume and use at any time. But Ukrainians also receive heavy fire. That is why all streets are covered in debris.
Due to the recent snowfall and rain, all clashes moved from the fields to the city. Russians took advantage of the increased availability of artillery and focused their fire on the central part of the city. However, such abuse of artillery put a stick in the wheel of their own assault units because all it led to was a creation of a pile of rubble that separated Ukrainian and Russian positions.
Yesterday night, the Head of the Wagner forces, Prigozhin, announced that they had successfully reached another street in the central part of the region, established total control over the City Hall, and raised Russian and Wagner flags on top of it. Later, it was revealed that the City Hall was completely demolished, and the Russian flag was stuck on the pile of rubble. For now, it is not known whether it was destroyed by an explosion, artillery, or other means. It is possible that due to heavy fights, the walls did not withstand the fire and collapsed.
And the fights in the central part of the city are incredibly heavy. Wagner forces have to deal with battles for each house in their way. And each building is a well-fortified position because Ukrainians started digging trenches on the main streets already in December. The Head of the Wagner forces, Prigozhin, said that the tempo of advance is slow because each window is a potential firing point and machine gun nest, which Ukrainians can assume and use at any time.
But Ukrainians also receive heavy fire. That is why all streets are covered in debris. Due to the constant use of artillery by Russians, whenever Ukrainians get out of cover, they are always running, even when they are not in the combat zone. The recent deterioration of weather conditions actually helped Russians a lot.
Since infantry fights became almost impossible on the fields, all Russians artillery in the region could concentrate their fire just on Bakhmut. With an increased rate of shelling, the useful life of buildings that Ukrainians are using for cover rapidly shortened. This is the main factor that contributed to recent Russian gains in the central part of the city.
In the southern part, the Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized Brigade still continues to hold the line. Recent footage shows that they are in active defense and try to counterattack Russian positions whenever possible. Today drone operators from the 93rd Mechanized Brigade helped to eliminate yet another Russian squad that tried to hide in the house on the outskirts.
The continuous high level of coordination between drone and artillery crews has already resulted in the elimination of hundreds, if not thousands, of Russian assaultmen only in the southern suburbs because they have been releasing new footage of such operations every day for an extended period of time.
In the northern part of the city, the most intense fights are taking place on the territory of the industrial area. Recently released footage indicates that the fights are taking place in the workshops located on the 4th Sadovyy Provulok. The footage also perfectly displays why moving from one workshop to another is such a difficult task and why the attackers usually sustain much higher losses than the defenders.
Ukrainian fighters from the 1st Border Detachment made holes between the concrete wall plates to throw grenades through them and fire with guns and even RPGs.
Overall, the changing weather conditions fostered rapid intensification of fights inside the city because it is the only place where they could continue. The altered setting allowed Russians to focus artillery fire on one place instead of numerous targets along the flanks, and a focused fire started destroying houses much more rapidly. Nonetheless, Ukrainians are keeping the northern and southern front lines very stable.
The limited gains that Russian forces managed to secure by totally demolishing the area may actually become their biggest handicap. As they reduced the houses in front of them to marbles, it became an additional obstacle in the way of the assault units rather than a useful position where they could hide.
••Bakhmut:
Snow has melted and forces are free to move around the city. Russians advance in the south. Plant flag on rubble.
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No big changes in the frontlines for many days in surrounding areas.
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UA moves takes road and moves closer to the village of Ozarianvka, south of Bakhmut, but has not crossed the river. Shows they are able to go on offensive, in a possible drive around behind Bakhmut where there are only 3 Russian regiments: 51st and 137th Parachute Regiments from the 106th Traffic Police; 217th Parachute Regiment from the 98th Traffic Police.
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Denys says the counterattack will be around April 16th, but not later than the first half on May. No later, because the weather enters the thunderstorm season, and it is hard to predict where the storm cell will form.
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While the US will not sent ATACM rockets [range 190 miles], it may send an air launched similar-range rocket. [What would that be?]
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Denmark and Norway will send 8,000 shells which will be used in the Caesar Self Propelled Artillery systems. Since there are only a limited number of those systems, the amount is fine.
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Kaderov is for building a Mosque in Moscow, and sending protestors to the front.
The fronts as of April 3, 2023
Belomosk and Siver shades - unchanged.
A matchmaking twist - local fighting continues along the contact line and artillery shelling from both sides. To the south of Dibrova, the enemy concentrated a significant number of artillery in order to succeed “with little blood”.
Bakhmut shade - the enemy controls a large part of the city center. Footage has emerged that confirms the complete destruction of the Bakhmut City Council building. Katsaps continue the pressure on Pershina Street. Fighting continues near Bakhmutska and Shiroka streets. Near Verbnaya Street, the enemy is dispersing its manpower and continues to draw up reserves.
Avdiyiv shade - clarification near Pobyeda. Battles continue in Pervomaiskyi and Marinka. The situation around Avdiivka is being clarified.
The Zaporizhia shade is unchanged.
Taurian shade - no changes.
Analytical note. Recently, representatives of the Ministry of Defense raised the issue that only a certain circle of people - the President, the Minister of Defense and the Commander-in-Chief - should comment on the subject of counteroffensives. However, many mass media, various institutes for the study of those who study the war, public intelligence, bloggers, etc. continue to mush this topic.
The information field is reminiscent of 1943 before the “Citadel” operation, when absolutely everyone was talking, absolutely everyone was waiting, knew where and almost knew when. How it ended - we think that everyone knows. For those who don’t know, we suggest taking a school history course. All off-topic conversations about one or another offensive actions put pressure on both those who are currently on the defensive and those who are undergoing training.
BAKMUT HAS FALLEN er ah sorry somehow got on the Macgregor channel