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Reporting From Ukraine:
Note: other versions of this report are found elsewhere on FR, but this is guaranteed to be the complete transcript - unlike the others.
https://www.youtube.com/@RFU

[ Ukrainians Break Behind Russian Lines And Bomb Them ]

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Day 727: Feb 20

Today there is a lot of interesting news from the Bakhmut direction.

The most interesting event happened on the southern flank near Klischivka.

Ukrainians started engaging their aviation in this direction a few days ago, while now they launched a successful aerial incursion hitting Russian targets several kilometers behind the frontline.

Based on geolocated footage a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter managed to fly very close to Russian lines and fire a salvo of S-8 rockets at enemy positions 3 kilometers behind the frontline.

The helicopter maintained a low altitude and launched countermeasures. They contributed to preventing portable air-defense systems from shooting it down. If Ukrainians were targeting positions three kilometers behind the frontlines then they likely targeted forces concentrations.

It is not headquarters because in this case they would use HIMARS to destroy stationary targets. Force concentrations enable them to launch one wave after another, so a successful airstrike here should alleviate pressure on Klischiivka, which is good news.

When it comes to the northern flank the situation is much more difficult.

Last time we talked about this section of the front, Russian airborne forces managed to advance and occupy the small cemetery and a forest to the north of Ivanivske. Russians forces are trying to maintain the momentum and keep their advance towards Chasiv Yar.

Here, Ukrainian fighters reported that the enemy continued with their repeated attacks where extensive artillery and aerial bombardments combined with FPV drone strikes that were launched before the attacks which were undertaken by armored columns.

In the videos published by Russian forces we can see BMD-4 infantry fighting vehicles providing fire support while dismounting Russian infantry proceeded to assault Ukrainian positions.

Unfortunately for the Russians, many of these armored units found themselves targeted by Ukrainian FPV drone operators from the 42nd Mechanized Brigade that left many Russian vehicles destroyed around Berkhivka and Khromove before they even had a chance to engage the Ukrainians.

Ukrainians published videos showing how their anti-tank operators are taking out Russian tanks. Operators of Ukrainian made Stugna-P systems have a laptop-like panel wired to the AT system by up to 50 meters in distance, enabling the operators to acquire targets from the safety of their fortified position, away from the exposed AT system. Operators of First Border Guard Detachment took out the first Russian tank.

Right after that a 2nd one was destroyed by Territorial Defense and the 3rd one was disoriented and left abandoned. Moments later, drone operators were sent to finish off the remaining vehicles and their crews that attempted to escape.

Some sources claimed that Russians have entered Ivanivske and that fighting is taking place on the eastern edges of the village, but geolocated footage proves that Russians are only near the road to Ivanivske approximately 200 meters away from the farthest edge of the village.

Simultaneously, Russian sources claim to launch assaults at the hills to the north of Ivanivske, after they have capitalized on their advances in the forest, but so far we do not have any confirmations of any gains around here.

In the previous video I have stated that Ukrainians were pushed out of the forest by sheer number of attacks launched by Russians, one after the other.

As it turns out, based on geolocated footage, Ukrainians still control western edges of the small forest and a tree line behind it which links it to Chasiv Yar. This puts the distance of Russian forces from Chasiv Yar at some 1.90 kilometers.

When it comes to Chasiv Yar itself the town is the main hub for deployment and rotation of Ukrainian forces engaged in the Bakhmut direction which caused extensive Russian glide bomb strikes on the town, however Russian bombs seem to have inflicted the most damage to civilian homes.

The latest updates come from Bohdanivka direction. There are claims of intense clashes with a seven hundred meters deep advance by Russian forces.

However, military analysts from the Institute for the Study of War did not find any evidence of such claims. The Ukrainian Spokesperson for the Eastern Group of Forces, Captain Ilya Yevlash, stated that Russians are redeploying units from an unknown section of the frontline to assist in the assault on Bohdanivka.

This implies that Russians are sustaining heavy losses amid the repeated assaults on Bohdanivka.

If we look at the topographic map we can see that Bohdanivka is in the lowlands while the tactically important elevated areas around it are controlled by Ukrainians.

That puts Russian forces here at a very disadvantageous position, because Ukrainians can detect and destroy Russian units at an angle from which it is impossible to fire back or dislodge Ukrainians without a costly battle uphill.

In spite of all Russian progress and advances, Ukrainians maintain strong resistance and do not let any enemy gains without high cost in life, equipment and time while Ukrainians are preparing a defense in depth for the coming months.

And holding the line along Chasiv Yar is extremely important after the fall of Avdiivka, because Russian forces are planning a new offensive operation.