Ukrainians say Rooshuns are moving military equipment into Donetsk
2014-11-20
Posted by: badanov
For a map, click here. You can enlarge the map, if you open it separately.
By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
A spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that Russia has moved more than 100 pieces of heavy military hardware into Donetsk, according to Russian and English language news reports.
According to the Ukrainian news outlet, censor.net.ua, Yevhen Perebiynis said that since November 15th, Russia has moved tanks and artillery pieces through border control points at Izvarino (eastern Donetsk) and Novoazovsk (southern Donetsk, near the Sea of Azov).
Perebiynis said that military equipment has been moved further into the interior of Donetsk towards Debaltsevo, which is northeast of Donetsk city and at Dokuchaevsk, which is 20 kilometers south of Donetsk city, at a location that Donas rebels calls its front line to the west.
Perebiynis said that a total of 500 personnel, "30 tanks, three air defense missile systems, six multiple rocket launchers, six heavy howitzers" and other military equipment have been moved to Dokuchaevsk.
A railroad train with 30 cars full of ammunition, presumably from Russia was said to be at Ilovaisk as well.
Ukrainians officially, and some private individuals, have been saying for months that Russia has been sending troops and equipment into Donetsk and Lugansk to help the Donbas rebels, which Russian officials have repeatedly denied, they say, to the point they don't even address the charge.
Donbas rebels admit receiving some military hardware from Russia, but Soviet era surplus military equipment, equipment now at least two generations older than the latest equipment the Russian Army now fields. Rebels also deny that any Russian combat units have been operating in the Don Basin on their behalf.
Even NATO officials up to and including the US commanding general of NATO forces in Europe. General Phillip Breedlove have been saying Russia is sending combat formations into the fight in the Don Basin.
Ukrainian officials are hoping now with the return of republican control of the US Senate, to have a more sympathetic hearing on their request for lethal military aid. So far, Ukrainian military are receiving non-lethal aid in the form of uniforms and combat rations, and other items for military use.
Lugansk Fighting Continues
According to reports from Donbas rebels, Ukrainian artillery units hit militia positions south of the T1303 highway in northern Lugansk, while Donbas rebel artillery units continued to hit Ukrainian checkpoints along the road and at Ukrainian Army positions further north..
Locations which suffered from Ukrainian artillery fire include Stakhanov, Kirov and Pervomaiskii. Donbas rebels charge that two civilians were killed and another seven were wounded by Ukrainian artillery at Kirov.
Militia artillery units hit Ukrainian positions in Schastye, Trehizbenka, Zolotnoye, Crimean and Borovsky. Donbas rebels say one of their artillery units hit a Ukrainian Army checkpoint, presumably along the Northern Donetsk River at a locality called Novaya Kondrashevska.
The Ukrainian military press center said Tuesday that rebel artillery killed one soldier and wounded nine others in three separate artillery strikes in Soloniki, Trehizbenka and Stanitsa Luganskaya (northeast of Lugansk city) over night. Ukrainian artillery units reportedly responded in kind, but the rebel target areas were not disclosed.
Ukrainian military analyst Roman Burko reported two days ago that Donbas rebels are conducting line straitening operations in the area of T1303 highway. Line straitening operations are usually meant to draw in extra forces into reserve or for deployment elsewhere.
According to Burko, Donbas rebels control the river crossing at Trokhizbenka, the result of the capture of Ukrainian Army checkpoint 32 two weeks ago by rebel forces. This is a single crossing the Donbas rebels control, presumably by artillery observer, but Burko warns that rebels want other bridges near Lysychansk and Rubizhne. Taking those two bridgeheads will allow rebels to conduct operations north of Schastye, presumably cutting off the main supply route the Ukrainian hold into town.
Burko also said that rebels have concentrated a large number of BM-21 122mm rocket artillery launchers just south of Schastye, so that an artillery attack on the area is expected soon.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraina by clicking here.
If you have something to add, Fire Away!
Number of Comments so far: 0
Click here for a list of stories in the The 2014 War in Ukraina category