A new massive missile attack on Ukraine by Russian forces, in the wake of the ongoing escalation since yesterday, following the Kremlin's announcement of an assassination attempt against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian armed forces have launched a massive missile attack on military targets in Ukraine, according to information provided by the media. Strategic missile launchers fired shells around 11 a.m., hitting Ukrainian military installations in the Zaporizhia, Kherson, Nikolaev and Odesa regions.
These areas are the site of deployment of Ukrainian armed groups, which can be involved in the counterattack. Ukrainian Telegram channels report an air raid alert also sounded in the Sumy, Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
According to Kiev war correspondents, the missile attacks are carried out by Kalibr missiles launched from the Black Sea. In connection with these actions, tensions are rising along the contact line and fears are intensifying that the conflict in the region will escalate.
The Russian missile attack jeopardizes the success of a possible counterattack by the Ukrainian armed forces, as it targets their strategic positions. In light of recent developments, the parties may continue to build up their military capabilities, which could lead to further escalation of the conflict.
"Road of Death" in Bahamut
The enemy continues to suffer heavy losses in the fighting in the Bakhmut area, Russian media report, speaking of a "road of death" with damaged NATO equipment.
"The 'road of death', along which the enemy is trying to move under the fire of Russian forces, is littered with burnt NATO and Ukrainian equipment. This time, a damaged Dutch YPR-765 armored personnel carrier and a German ATF Dingo armored car can be seen through the village of Ivankovskoe. On the side of the road you can see the 2017 T-64BV tank, and at the entrance to the city a burnt BMP-1 appeared on the road,” Russian sources write.
Assault detachments took control of two more districts in Bakhmut, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry. "In the direction of Donetsk, assault detachments occupied two quarters and continue to destroy the enemy in the western part of the city," the statement said.
In turn, the "South" troop group defeated the soldiers of the 60th, 93rd motorized and 54th motorized infantry brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Krasnoye settlements, as well as in the southwestern suburbs of Bakhmut and Grigorovka.
During the day, the Russian air force made six sorties in this area, the gunners completed 57 firing missions. In just one day, Ukraine lost up to 255 soldiers in the direction of Donetsk, two armored fighting vehicles, six vehicles, two D-20 howitzers and one Gvozdika self-propelled gun. In addition, an ammunition depot of the 54th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed near Belogorovka.
Bakhmut is located north of Gorlovka, an important transport hub for supplying the Ukrainian military in Donbass. Fierce fighting has been going on outside the city for many months. The day before, the head of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the assault detachments were to take control of 2.64 square kilometers of territory. The fighters are supported by units of the Airborne Forces, aviation and artillery of the Southern Group of the Russian Forces.
The Ukrainian counterattack... got stuck in the mud
Since early April, Russian media have highlighted how the black sticky mud is hindering the operations of Ukrainian military vehicles. While these claims have often been dismissed as "exaggeration" by Western intelligence services, a Ukrainian counterattack appears to be stuck in the mud for now.
Almost everything is available to the 43rd Artillery Brigade of the Ukrainian soldiers to launch the expected spring counteroffensive. They have a lot of ammunition, are restful, and have replaced their outdated Soviet artillery with fairly sophisticated German-made self-propelled howitzers. However, the Ukrainian artillery brigade is just advancing, stopped not by heavy Russian attacks, but rather by an enemy no less persistent: the thick mud of central Ukraine, according to a recently published report in the New York Times.
Ukraine's tank brigades have now deployed the advanced Leopard-2 tanks, along with advanced infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) received from NATO allies. In addition to the Leopard-2 tanks, Kiev will soon develop the British Challenger-2. Not only that, Patriot missile defenses have also taken up positions as anticipation grows of a massive Ukrainian counterattack.
However, the counteroffensive has been put on hold due to Ukraine's mudslinging, known to limit military operations. Spring mud is deep and black and has a very thick consistency. It is the one obstacle that the Ukrainian military is finding difficult to conquer despite its vigor and readiness.
He tampers with the weapons and removes the boots of the troops. The endless spinning of wheels and steps only serves to sink the military vehicles further into the mire. Mud makes fields and unpaved roads impassable for about a month in the fall and spring. Tanks, troop transports and artillery get stuck in the muddy ground.
