THE REST OF THE STORY>>>>>>>
The Battle of Severodonetsk has begun.
It’s an artillery fight. Ukrainian gunners, perhaps deploying their new, American-made M777 155-millimeter towed howitzers, did most of the killing at the Seversky Donets bridgehead.
Russian gunners meanwhile have brought in their biggest cannons and mortars. Videos that circulated online in recent days depict both 2S7 203-millimeter self-propelled howitzers and 2S4 240-millimeter self-propelled mortars firing on Ukrainian positions in Donbas.
These massive artillery pieces with their 200- or 300-pound shells can penetrate earthworks and bunkers to a greater depth than smaller-calibers guns can do.
And fired indiscriminately at towns and cities, they’re devastating to civilians. Intensive Russian shelling earlier in the war around Chernihiv, east of Kyiv in northern Ukraine, damaged thousands of homes and businesses. “The scale of this damage indicates Russia’s preparedness to use artillery against inhabited areas, with minimal regard to discrimination or proportionality,” the U.K. Defense Ministry explained.
At the same time, it’s possible the Russians are learning an important military lesson. That poorly-aimed shelling isn’t an effective method of dislodging a dug-in enemy—and certainly can’t replace tanks and infantry working in close coordination with targeted fires.
“What we saw the Russians trying to do at the top of this was, you know, just pounding away at what they believe the line of contact was of the Ukrainians in large artillery barrages—and then trying to move against them in frontal assault after that, and were being rebuffed,” an unnamed U.S. Defense Department official told reporters on Thursday.
More recently, there are signs that, in the bombardment of military targets if not civilian ones, the Russians are making a greater effort to pinpoint targets—using scouts, drones or other means—before opening fire.
“And so, I think what you’re seeing is a result of their failure to make much progress using large artillery barrages against larger units,” the official added. “I think they’re adjusting because their previous tactics have been unsuccessful.”
Deliberate targeting during combined-arms operations might not spare the thousands of civilians who haven’t yet evacuated Severodonetsk, of course. For the Russians, shelling cities is a terror tactic, not a military one.
They might be taking pains to aim their guns at Ukraine’s defensive works. But that doesn’t mean they won’t also lob 200-pound shells in the general direction of some Ukrainian town.
They just lost Mariupol and now are losing Donbass.... Ukraine lost this war a long time ago.
I'm not in the military, but everybody who has learned about D-Day and the invasion of many Japanese islands knows that. We're supposed to believe the Russians didn't know that?
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I thought Russia said they had taken Donbass a few weeks back?
Where is all this “giant artillery” positioned? Ukraine. Where are all the shells landing? Ukraine? Whose infrastructure is being destroyed? Ukraine’s.
Not to worry. Yellen has promised a new Marshall plan for Ukraine. The more devastation of Ukraine, the bigger the bill for the US taxpayer. Put it on the tab. Our kids and grandkids will pay the bill. What’s another $trillion or two?
There was a large mechanized brigade sized convoy spotted just south of Popasna.
This is the area where a very skilled Orc commander has managed to create a large salient some days back and has been expanding it ever since. He’s now attacking the flanks of UA bunkers, strongholds and trenches. These are set for frontal assaults so they don’t do well with flank attacks.
The UA force is the 24th Brigade which has been there since the start and is weakened. One of better brigades was pulled to reinforce Severodonetsk salient.
Thing is the UA has a number of Brigades that have not seen any combat - like the 46th nearby. Will the genius UA commanders throw them in? Who knows. They are drive-by commanders - stop by, give orders, leave, and are not to be found until they show up again to issue more orders. Very Soviet-style high command.
It does look bad for the UA forces which are all mixed up in the Severodonetsk salient - not a good sign in itself.
Foreign weapons will not arrive until July, and when they are ready to be deployed to the front, will be at least a month after that.
Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian 2S4 Tyulpan 240 mm self propelled howitzer in Rubizhne, #Luhansk Oblast
“can’t replace tanks”
Tank is now a Russian army term for metallic coffin.
I watched video this morning of a Soviet self-propelled mortar getting zotted by drone directed Ukrainian artillery. It was very satisfying to see the orc crew burning to death in the resulting inferno.
Hopefully the Soviets send more such easily killed targets to the battlefield.
Russia is going to get its corridor cutting off Ukraine from ports and will take the Donbas. It is going to happen unless the USA enters the war with troops and aircraft. That would be courting nuclear exchange. It almost seems as if that is what the regime in DC desires.
You're sure about that?
