More than 23 K in losses for Ukrainian Army
2014-08-19
Posted by: badanov
By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
More than 14,000 dead and wounded have been recorded by the Ukrainian military as of August 15th in its war against Russian nationalists in Donetsk and Lugansk, according to Russian media sources.
A top official with the pro Russian Ukrainian political organization Slavic Guard, Vladimir Rogo, said that documents in his possession say that the total losses for the Ukrainian military in its quest to eliminate pro Russian nationalists from breaking away from Ukraina, have cost a total of 23,498 people, including 14,378 killed and wounded, 158 prisoners of war and more than 9,000 deserters.
Rogov claimed that between August 13th and 14th, last Wednesday and Thursday, the Ukrainian military lost more than 1,000 dead and 100 military vehicles destroyed.
The Ukrainian government claims to have control of Lugansk, and if true, then Donetsk is effectively and fully invested. Last week Ukrainian president Piotr Poroshenko vowed to storm Donetsk by August 26th, known as independence day in Ukraina.
According to the graphic supplied on its website, pro Russian militias are furiously counterattacking the Ukraininan armor unit at the airport.
In Lugansk, meanwhile, Russian nationalist militia claimed to have shot down another Ukrainian aircraft, a MiG-29, according to the pro Russian online edition of Voice of Sevastopol.
Another MiG-29 was shot down in Lugansk Saturday with the pilot safely ejecting, but the news reports say this latest downing resulted in the pilot being captured.
In Krasnodon, further east of Lugansk pro Russian militia say a ground interdiction aircraft was brought down by ground fire, and that the aircraft may have been an SU-25. Local militia also say they have intercepted radio communication leading them to believe the pilot was not Ukrainian.
According to the pro Russian Voice of Sevastopol, the pilot attempted a sharp dive for a bombing run and flew too low to avoid ground gunfire. Not even Ukrainian pilots are willing to fly that low to deliver ordnance.
Pro Russian militia in Ukraina have no anti aircraft means, except for manpacked antiaircraft missile launchers, so they must resort to rifle and heavy rifle fire against aircraft. The MiG-29 is a multirole airframe used in both ground interdiction and air superiority roles, while the SU-25 is strictly ground interdiction. The SU-25 under the best of circumstances is said to be very difficult to bring down.
In Lugansk itself, with the Ukrainian military unit that stormed the airport three days ago was another police unit, colloquially called "punisher units", which had been calling for assistance from the Ukrainian military, claiming their positions are being hit by militia artillery rocket fire from BM-21 MRL units. Ukrainian military units occupying villages near Lugansk are also saying they are under heavy fire in the villages of Novoannovka, Starobeshevo and Peski.
Ukrainian military units are also suffering mortar and artillery fire in Vesela Gora, north of Lugansk and Krasnogorovka, east of Lugansk.
In and around Donetsk are reports of Ukrainian rocket and howitzer fire in towns and settlements east of Donetsk. A reported 10 civilians have been killed between Saturday and Sunday in Donetsk. In Mospino, a suburb of Donetsk, 21 private residences were hit as well.
Heavy fighting between pro Russian nationalist militia and Ukrainian forces have been reported in several towns and settlements east of Donetsk.
In Yasinovataya, which is less than five kilometers from Donetsk, a Ukrainian police unit, failing to defeat a militia unit at a checkpoint, bypassed the area. A counterattack is expected soon in the area.
Further east, Ukrainian units were hit near Torez in the area of the village Ternovoye of Shakhtyorskiy.
According to "partisan units" near Kharkov, well to the north, a total of six Polish mercenaries were killed and a military utility vehicle and one "DANA" self propelled artillery vehicle was destroyed.
Both sides in the war in southeastern Ukraina make lavish use of mercenaries from other countries.
Chris Covert writes news for Rantburg.com
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