Russian nationalists capture US made Javelin ATGMs
2014-08-12
Posted by: badanov
By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
According to information supplied by the pro Russian Voice of Sevastopol, pro Russian nationalists destroyed a Ukrainian ammunition convoy in Izium in Kharkiv oblast (province) Sunday.
According to a news blurb, the supply convoy was caught trying to reach the position of the Ukrainian 1st Tank Brigade when Russian nationalists attacked and destroyed four of the five supply trucks.
The fifth was said to be carrying US made Javelin anti tank guided missiles (FGM-148). The Javelin ATGM is a first generation fire and forget anti tank missile, and amongst the most advanced of its type.
The war is going badly for the pro Russian nationalists who have been trying to establish three separate republics, Donetsk, Lugansk and Kharkiv, by taking territory from Ukraina. It is said in both western and pro Russian press that the Ukrainian Army is close to encircling the city of Donetsk.
Even so, Russian president Vladimir Putin is reportedly planning to send a humanitarian aid convoy to Donetsk, but has been warned by NATO and US President Barak Obama not to. According to western press Russia has amassed 45,000 troops, the rough equivalent to one army corps, on the border with Ukraina, and fears in NATO are that Putin may be close to sending those troops in on any provocation or pretext.
Meanwhile in Gorlovka, which is about 15 kilometers northeast of Donetsk, Russian nationalist troops led by former Russian GRU colonel Igor Bezler have destroyed a Ukrainian armor unit traveling to Donetsk. According to the report a total of 20 armor vehicles, including three tanks were destroyed.
According to Voice of Sevastopol, Ukrainian artillery units have been shelling Gorlovka for two days, causing civilian casualties.
Ukrainian Army units have also been involved in fighting in Krasni Luch, about 15 kilometers east of Donetsk, in another apparent attempt to encircle Donetsk. The special police unit Azov Battalion is said to have suffered heavy casualties in the fighting there. Units in the Azov Battalion also have been reported in Markina, southwest of Donetsk and in Ilovaisk in the southeast.
According to the news report, Russian nationalist troops have destroyed a total of nine armor vehicles in the area, namely near Mospino, as well as in Krasny Luch.
According to news reports, two Ukrainian units, the Ukrainian 72nd Mechanized Brigade and the Ukrainian 24th "Lviv" Brigade have been returned to the Donetsk area of operations despite their battered condition.
Five senior officers of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, along with 400 troops who were caught crossing the border with Russia last Saturday have been allowed to return to Ukraina Sunday, after Russian officials determined they had crossed the border by mistake. The officers were identified as Ivan Voytenko, his deputy commander Vitaly Dubinyak, tank battalion commander Alexander Polyakov, chief of staff Alexander Okhrimenko and the commander of the first company Dmitry Ustilk.
General Offensive on Donetsk to begin today
According to the Russian blogger identified as Colonel Cassad, Ukrainian forces have finished consolidating and concentrating forces for a planned final assault on the city of Donetsk. The fighting northeast of the city is an effort by Ukrainian forces to cut off the city in preparation for the assault. According to the blog posting, shelling begins Tuesday morning. Force have at their disposal "all calibers" of artillery including rocket artillery such as the BM-21.
Ukrainian military officials are expecting large civilian casualties from their shelling.
Russian nationalist troops have kept some Ukrainian forces tied down, especially in the northeast near Krasnii Luch, the fighting of which will likely continue through August 24th, the day the Ukrainian offensive is projected to conclude. The August date is important because that is when miloitary exercises with Moldova, on Ukraina's western border are expected to end around that date.
Russian nationalist armored forces are said to include 200 armored vehicles in or near Donetsk. The only hope of pro Russian forces to stop the coming offensive is to destroy troops and supplies movement during the offensive. It is said now that Putin's humanitarian convoy movement is set to begin Tuesday.
According to commenters on the Colonel Cassad blog Ukrainian forces have been deeply battered by the recent fighting. One commenter identified five Ukrainian formations which have reported available forces a fraction of their book strength.
Those units include the Ukrainian 72th Mechanized Brigade which reported 467 effectives, while the 24th Mechanized Brigade reported 473 effectives. The Ukrainian 51th Mechanized Brigade has "virtually ceased to exist", with a reported 136 effectives in the ranks. The Ukrainian 79th Separate Airmobile Brigade suffered the heaviest losses with 369 effectives remaining. Most Russian and Ukrainian brigades can count around 2,000 effectives in their ranks at "book strength".
Similarly the Ukrainian 3rd Special Forces Regiment has only one battalion left.
Chris Covert writes news for Rantburg.com
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