3 more Ukrainian military aircraft go down subject logo: DONBASWAR
2014-08-22
Posted by: badanov

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

Pro Russian militia fighting in a region south of Lugansk have claimed three more Ukrainian military aircraft shot down Thursday, according to the pro Russian news website Voice of Sevastopol.

Two of the aircraft are Mi24 attack helicopters, downed near the junction of Ukrainian highway E40 and H21, near Georgievka. Much of the area where the birds went down is contested between Ukrainian police battalions and pro Russian militias.

A militia air defense unit southeast of Lugansk claims it shot down a fixed wing aircraft in the vicinity of Novosvetlovka. The report failed to identify the type of aircraft, but did note the pilot ejected. Militia units are searching to find the pilot.

The three downed aircraft brings the total of downed Ukrainian military aircraft to six this week. Militia units have downed three other ground interdiction airframes, so it is likely the aircraft shot down in Novosvetlovka is the same type.

Intense fighting south of Lugansk continues as Ukrainian police units surrounded by fire are unable to breakout. Reports hint that militia gunners are trying hard to eliminate Ukrainian heavy equipment in a bid to force surrender.

Further southwest, Ilovaisk is still 75 percent under pro Russian militia control. Reports are that Ukrainian police units attempted to take the town center by a coup de main, but were driven back. Videos posted on the Colonel Cassad blog show Ukrainian heavy armor abandoned in the streets of Ilovaisk even though the armor appeared to have suffered only light damage.

Pro Russian militias claimed to have destroyed nearly all the armor of the Ukrainian 17th Tank Brigade. Elements of the Ukrainian 93rd Brigade along with three rifle companies from the Ukrainian 51st Brigade and units from the "Donbass" police battalion remain in place in or near Ilovaisk, unable to move.

A separate police battalion, "Shahtyorsk" was engaged in fighting in Ilovaisk all night, and managed to capture part of the city. Pro Russian militia now report that "Shahtyorsk" is surrounded. It has been reported that nine Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the fighting and 30 wounded.

Meanwhile, about 20 kilometers due east of Ilovaisk in the area of Petrovskoye, Ukrainian military units are being pinned in place by militia artillery fire. A firefight was also reported in the village of Blagodatnya west of that zone.

Artillery fire continues to hit Donetsk as Ukrainian forces appear to be filtering into the city. A three man artillery spotter team was detained near Makeyevka, but one managed to escape.

A separate Ukrainian artillery spotting unit was eliminated in Shcherbakov near downtown Donetsk in the Voroshilov district. Another spotting unit was located near the railway station.

Artillery hits were recorded in the Petrovsky district and on the Yasinovka Coking plant. Artillery strikes in Makeyevka have claimed the lives of 10 civilians. The toll in wounded was not provided.

Chris Covert writes news for Rantburg.com

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