Ukraine: military situation update with maps - May 24, 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(Numbered printed material below - Some of the items below may be out of date, and not updated yet)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: <——
https://deepstatemap.live/
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-—> The True State of Russian Army, The 2nd Best Army in Ukraine <——
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.
==
-—> 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.
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-—> How Many of Each Type of Tank Does Russia Have In Storage? <——
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PHUK6zkbpc
Type Good 2023
T-54/55 270
T-62 560
T-64 248
T-72 1841
T-80 942
T-90 50
~3,911 operational tanks in storage as of ~04/07/2023 | Ball park tank number.
==
-—> Contrast & Compare: the T-14 Armada [The AliExpress Tank]: The Best Russian Tank Ever! [very funny] <——
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-opSlCGLGQ4
-—> Russia Claims Ukrainian Drone Boats Attacked Its Navy Ship Off Turkey <——
The Russian military released video of a drone boat blowing up in an attack hundreds of miles from Ukrainian controlled territory.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/russia-claims-ukrainian-drone-boats-attacked-its-navy-ship-off-turkey
-—> Germany’s Taurus Cruise Missile Could Be The Next For Ukraine <——
Pressure is building for the Germany to approve a transfer of the air-launched cruise missiles to Ukraine, following the U.K. and France.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/germanys-taurus-cruise-missile-could-be-the-next-for-ukraine
-—> Su-24 Fencer Is Ukraine’s Storm Shadow Missile Carrier <——
An official photo provides confirmation that Storm Shadow standoff missiles are being employed by Ukrainian swing-wing Su-24 Fencer jets.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/su-24-fencer-is-ukraines-storm-shadow-missile-carrier
[ Storm Shadow Raid | Multiple Russian Convoys Caught on The Move And Destroyed ]
••Day 455: May 24
Today there are a lot of updates along the entire front.
When it comes to the Belgorod region, today, the Freedom of Russia Legion and Russian Volunteer Corps declared that all goals of their special operation were achieved, and they returned back to the base on Ukrainian territory.
Soon, the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, Denis White Rex, gave an interview and elaborated on everything that happened.
[ Link: NBC - Anti-Putin Russian militia holds press conference near Ukraine border. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al9VR9HO_fc ]
First of all, he said that the most important takeaway from the operation is that the Russian bureaucracy makes them completely incapable of reacting to any unusual developments.
The commander of the Freedom of Russia Legion gave the same assessment and specified that they did not face any resistance and moved freely for hours.
This means that if it were a planned large-scale offensive, Russians would have lost Belgorod faster than the Kharkiv region.
Secondly, Russians spent billions on erecting all sorts of fortifications along the entire contact line, which proved to be ineffective.
The first line of fortifications was located around 2 km from the border, while the insurgent forces managed to get 10 km deep by using just 2 tanks.
The Institute for the Study of War gave the same assessment and stated that such an easy and deep penetration emphasizes the weakness of these fortifications, at least when not fully manned by well-prepared and well-equipped soldiers.
The most important objective that these forces managed to achieve is force Russians to relocate their troops from the front.
By the end of the second day, the insurgent forces started facing elements of unspecified Motorized Rifle detachments, which is why they promptly withdrew from the Belgorod region.
The Motorized Rifle elements will not return to the front and will continue to stay in Belgorod because the threat of such attacks remains.
In order to force Russians to relocate even more troops, Ukrainians started destroying Russian forces in the Belgorod region with drone attacks. Russian sources reported that Ukrainians used up to 15 drones of various types.
Russian forces that were deployed to the border reportedly suffered from grenade-dropping drones, while bigger kamikaze drones hit deeper inside the Russian territories.
And this is not surprising because Ukrainian reconnaissance could observe in real time how and where Russians are deploying their forces in response to this crisis.
The strikes will likely continue to intensify, and the accumulated losses of personnel with likely prompt Russians to redeploy even more troops.
But this is not the biggest strike that Russians have been facing recently. As you remember, Russians are redeploying their forces from the south to the north not only because of the situation in Belgorod but also because of the falling apart flanks in Bakhmut.
And on top of the falling apart flanks, the Wagner Group is planning to leave Bakhmut in a few days, which further necessitates filling the void. Such a massive movement of troops is a perfect opportunity for precision strikes.
Today Ukrainians conducted a powerful HIMARS strike on the Russian objects in Khartsyzk.
Local residents reported hearing multiple explosions, and Russian sources reported that Ukrainians targeted areas of DPR forces concentrations.
And this is a very interesting detail because the Russian High Command reportedly decided to substitute Wagner forces in Bakhmut with the DPR forces, so it looks like Ukrainians managed to catch them on the move.
Two days ago, Ukrainians also used their newest weapon and conducted a Storm Shadow missile strike on Berdyansk.
The target of the strike became military facilities next to the airfield, and the missile reportedly successfully reached its predetermined destination.
Some Russian military analysts quickly connected the dots with the recent strike on similar facilities next to the airfield in Mariupol and concluded that Ukrainians are planning to eliminate the most capable pilots in the Russian army.
The continuation of such strikes, in combination with the recently announced supplies of F-16 fighter jets, could mean that Ukrainians can achieve air superiority, especially if they narrowly concentrate on a particular front.
Another potent strike happened near Donetsk. Local residents reported that Ukrainians conducted multiple attacks on warehouses in different parts of the city and on the fourth attempt, managed to destroy an ammunition depot that the DPR forces made on the territory of an auto center.
Lastly, a fierce strike happened in the Kherson region. Several days ago, various sources reported about the relocation of unspecified detachments of Chechen forces.
The information was once again leaked because a Chechen fighter was carelessly using social media.
According to the unconfirmed reports, prior to the strike, around 100 troops arrived in Oleshky on 8 trucks, 5 cars, and 9 armored fighting vehicles, which were likely the targets of the strike.
Overall, Ukrainians continue destabilizing the situation on various parts of the front line by using the most versatile tactics, such as sabotage and reconnaissance activities in the north, successful counterattacks in the east, and precision strikes on command centers in the south.
By losing the initiative, Russian forces caught themselves in a position where they are reacting to the developments put in motion by Ukrainians, while Ukrainians, in turn, are destroying Russian forces that are being redeployed in an attempt to adjust to these new developments.
••With the Belgorod Operation over, the Russians claim 70 of the enemy were killed, but the Russian Volunteer Corps said only 2 were killed and 10 wounded; they captured some Russian vehicles, ammo and took one prisoner. They lost one vehicle.
The results of the breakthrough of the DRG in Belgorod from the commander of the RDK White Rex.
After the operation - 2 wounded, no dead.
An armored personnel carrier, weapons and equipment were seized at the Grayvoron checkpoint.
The burnt equipment shown by the RF Ministry of Defense does not belong to them.
The operation is successful, because “they entered the territory of the Russian Federation without hindrance.”
The guys are ready for the new achievements.
They were unofficially backed up by the UA. This is same game the Russians play in the Donets region with the LNR and DNR: just locals who got weapons from some store.
Russian Volunteer Corps said it could have easily gone to Belgorod, but it was not their objective.
Denys thinks Ukraine must liberate its own territory first, but its just matter of time before their goes into Russia full scale.
==
Belarusians were a component of the Russian Volunteer Corps and may start a similar operation there. An ex-commander of Polish Army said Poland should be preparing for a Belarusian civil war; those ‘rebels’ may come from Belarusians in Poland. “Let’s prepare for an uprising in Belarus, because it will happen,” - Polish General Waldemar Skrzypczak
According to him, the Poles should be ready to support those units that will conduct an operation against Lukashenka. He no longer has the military ability to prevent such an uprising. Russia won’t help him much.
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After the UA unsuccessful drone-boat attack on the Russian surveillance ship, Ivan Khurs, the Russians ‘tested’ a smoke system on the Kersh Bridge.
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Prigozhin said in an interview that the UA is one of the strongest armies in the world. The Ukrainians are fighting for their land, and so he feels the outcome for Russia in this war is pessimistic.
He met with the local Russian local territorial defense troops, urging them to come together under his leadership. He emphasized that there will be another mobilization. This could create a huge force equal in size to the RGF.
This shows the conflicts between Prigozhin, Shoigu and Gerasamov are just beginning.
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Denys hopes that the Leopard 1A5s being prepared in Germany will not be used in the opening of the offensive, since they are inferior to T-72s.
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UA tankers go for Abrams training next week.
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Netherlands approved a 260 million Euro deal supplying 155mm shells
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Russians now claim that Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny was not killed but wounded in his head and had to undergo a craniotomy procedure from their strike in May on his command post. UA National Security bureau dismissed the report. [ And Zaluzhny continues to make his usual through reports daily on his YT channel. ]
There was a video released, featuring Zaluzhny, on May 19th. So he is just fine, speaking with teachers and students. The was no indication of any head wound visible on his close cropped head.
Russian [and trolls on FR ] continue to spread these false reports because they want to demoralize the UA on the eve of their counter attack. Since the UA is decentralized [ unlike the RGF ], if the main commander is lost, they will not lose the war.
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A mass smoking event was photographed at the Russian MoD. There were so many smokers that the entire building was wreathed in a light white cloud. There was no rain. This has been confirmed by Russian sources.
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Russian officials said everything is going according to the Plan.
••Russia does not officially recognize air losses. However, bloggers of the Russian Military show a photo of a Ka-52 attack helicopter and talk about their dead comrades. Judging by this photo, the blogger makes it clear that on May 23, not a Mi-8, but a Ka-52 with two crew members was shot down in the Grayvoron area.
Also, a Russian source confirms the destruction, together with the pilot, of the latest Russian Su-35S fighter, along with the pilot, shot down on May 22 over the Black Sea, as originally stated by Ukrainian sources. The export value of the Ka-52 will be over $16 million, the export value of the Su-35S in contact with China is about $100 million. Training pilots for these machines is not only expensive, but also a lengthy process that takes several years.
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PMC “Wagner” began the withdrawal of units from Bakhmut - Prigozhin. According to him, the Wagnerites will leave before June 1. They took Bakhmut, they leave Bakhmut…
Prigozhin continues to troll the Ministry of Defense and the regular army :). He says that he is withdrawing the Wagner units, but leaves Bieber and Dolik in Bakhmut, who will stand up and block the path of the Ukrainian army as soon as the Russian military gets in trouble :)
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South Korea secretly sent hundreds of thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine - WSJ. Korea reached a “confidential arrangement” with the US and sent the munitions after much resistance.
The move would make Ukraine’s planned offensive against Russian troops effective and South Korea’s supply of ammunition would allow the White House to delay a decision on the supply of cluster munitions, which are banned in many countries.
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Moscow and Minsk signed a document on the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus. At the same time, Russia will exercise control over tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, as well as make a decision on their use. Shoigu stated this.
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Russian officials said everything is going according to the Plan.
Denys says: “After the UA unsuccessful drone-boat attack on the Russian surveillance ship, Ivan Khurs, the Russians ‘tested’ a smoke system on the Kersh Bridge.”
I would call it successful based on new video release by Ukraine.