The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on August 18 2022

The #Donbass Offensive: The Situation in Eastern #Ukraine at the End of 18 August 2022⚡️

▪️ Fighting continues in the north of the #Kharkov region along the line of contact, with no significant changes to the frontline.
During the night, Russian missile troops hit targets in Kharkov, including the deployment point of the Sirka Commando Group in the railwaymen’s recreation centre. There were also civilian casualties in the attacks on other targets.

▪️ In the #Slavyansk direction, medium-intensity fighting continues around the village of Mazanovka and in the surrounding forests.
➖ Ukrainian artillery shelled #Izyum, including with PFM-1 “petal mines” cluster munitions.

▪️ In the #Soledar direction there are no significant changes on the front line:
➖ Fighting continues in the eastern part of #Bakhmut (#Artemovsk) as well as in #Yakovlevka, #Kodema and Soledar.
➖ Ukrainian artillery hit the centre of Svetlodarsk, killing two residents.

▪️ In the #Donezk direction, allied forces continue to try to develop an offensive against Ukrainian strongholds:
➖ After occupying #Peski, units of the DPR People’s Militia are fighting for strongholds near the Donetsk Ring Road.
➖ Ukrainian artillery has hit neighbourhoods in Donetsk as well as #Makeevka and #Gorlovka.

▪️ Russian artillery has again hit targets in #Nikopol, from where Ukrainian formations are shelling the area of the #Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.

Fiend Analysis of the situation in Ukraine from American Muzzlewhores Institute for the Study of War (ISW):

August 18; Key Takeaways 😹

▪️ There were no claimed or assessed Russian territorial gains in Ukraine on August 18, 2022 for the first time since July 6, 2022.

▪️ Russian sources reported a series of unidentified and unconfirmed explosions across Crimea on the night of August 18.

▪️ The Russian Ministry of Defense may be setting information conditions to blame Ukraine for a false flag attack at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

▪️ Russian forces conducted ground assaults south of Siversk and northeast and south of Bakhmut.

▪️ Russian forces continued conducting offensive operations north, west, and southwest of Donetsk City.

▪️ Russian forces conducted an unsuccessful ground assault on the Zaporizhia axis.

▪️ Ukrainian officials confirmed additional strikes on a Russian military base and warehouse in Kherson Oblast.

▪️ The Kremlin is likely leveraging established Cossack organizations to support Russian force generation efforts.

▪️ Russian occupation officials continued preparations for the long-term integration of occupied territories of Ukraine into Russia.

Excerpt from:
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-18

Military expert Boris Rozhin on the situation at 13:00 Moscow time on August 18, 2022 during the operation to denazify and demilitarize Ukraine especially for the Voenkor Kotenok Z @voenkorKotenok channel:
one.
Avdeevka.
To the north of Avdeevka and in the industrial zone – no significant changes, positional battles.
To the south of Avdiivka, the pressure of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the army of the DPR is intensifying in the direction of Vodiane, which is still under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The enemy is still holding out in Pervomaisk and Nevelskoye, although he has lost a number of positions during the offensive of our troops, which are gradually moving towards these settlements. It is too early to talk about the real semi-environment of Avdiivka. The Orlovka-Avdeevka highway is still actively used to supply the Avdeevskaya group.
2.
Artemovsk.
Fighting on the Zaitsevo-Kodema line. The enemy is still being held in these settlements, but in the area of   Kodema he is gradually being pushed back.
On the outskirts of Artemovsk from the side of Pokrovsky – no significant changes.
The Artemovsk-Soledar highway is still under enemy control.
3.
Soledar.
Street fighting in the western part of Soledar.
Fighting on the outskirts of Yakovlevka, in Belogorovka, Bakhmutsky. Reports of the complete capture of Yakovlevka and Bakhmutsky are ahead of events.
four.
Seversk.
Positional battles in the area of   Serebryanka, Verkhnekamensky, Ivano-Daryevka. The enemy controls Seversk and the Seversk-Soledar road.
5.
Slavyansk.
The main activity is in the area of   Bogorodichny, where our troops made little progress, and in the area of   the ruins of Mazanovka, which was occupied by the Armed Forces of Ukraine last week. According to the RF Ministry of Defense, in the Mazanovka area, the enemy suffered serious losses in manpower as a result of missile attacks on combat groups of the 92nd brigade.
6.
Kharkiv.
Our troops continue to press on the enemy northwest of Kharkov from the area of   the recently liberated settlements of Odnorobovka and Udy.
There is pressure in the area of   Nursery, Dementievka, Cherkasy Tishki. Regular flights continue to Kharkiv and Chuguev. At night, a large location of foreign mercenaries was covered (on a tip from local residents, a new Nazi hunt for anti-fascist Kharkovites is expected, following the example of Nikolaev).
The enemy transferred up to 3 BTGs near Kharkov to strengthen the defense.
7.
Marinka.
There is some progress in the village, but it is too early to talk about a radical change in Marinka. The enemy has not yet shown a desire to retreat.
Fights for Novomikhailovka (it is too early to talk about his release). Fighting a few kilometers from Ugledar. Reports of the complete capture of Pavlovka are still ahead of events.
Fighting near Yegorovka, Shevchenkovo   plus further to the west in the region of Velikaya Novoselovka, but positional tendencies dominate there.
eight.
Nikolaev.
Our troops are probing the enemy’s defenses in the area of   Blagodatny and Aleksandrovka. The enemy is not conducting any “offensives on Kherson”.
Positional battles on the Ingulets River, where the enemy suffers heavy losses, trying to hold a bridgehead near the settlement. Andreevka.
Positional battles near the settlement Vysokopole, Potemkino in the Nikopol direction.

#YURI BRIEFING Residents of Zolochev hear the sounds of infantry gunfire, meaning that the battles are a couple of kilometers away from the city, but no definive data yet whether the first lines of defense of Zolochev fortified area were breached yet. Slow advances elsewhere: less than 5 kilometers left to the city limits of Ugledar. Battles for the central part of Solidar are underway, the Ukrainians cling to the high-rise buildings of the center, their last feasible defense position in the city. Relative lull in Bakhmut itself, the Allied troops regroup, battles continue in Kodema, with outcome yet unclear. Unchanged in Maryinka. Nevelskoye-Vodyanoye-Pervomayskoye – slow, but steady advances. State of the fronts as of August 18, 18:00 CEST

Summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Russian troops continue to advance, strike in all directions

▪️ In the Kramatorsk direction , the Russian army is advancing in the Nikolaevka – Vyemka area;
▪️ In the Artemivsk direction, Russian troops are conducting assault operations from the areas of Vladimirovka, Pokrovsky, Klin, Semigorye and Golmovsky to Artemivsk;
▪️Attacks and strikes by Russian troops on the AFU positions in the areas of Verkhnetoretskoye – Kamenka, Novoselovka Two – Avdiivka, Peski – Pervomaiske and Lozove – Pervomaiske continue in the Avdiivka direction;
▪️ and along the entire line of combat operations, the Russian army carries out artillery shelling and air strikes on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

MoD Russia] Top News Today

◽️ On August 19, the Kiev regime is preparing another provocation at Zaporozhye NPP  (https://t.me/mod_russia_en/3483)during the visit of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to Ukraine, as a result of which the Russian Federation will be blamed for creating a man-made disaster at the power plant.

☢️ Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, Chief of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, held briefing on results of analysis of possible provocation at Zaporozhye NPP (https://t.me/mod_russia_en/3489).

◽️ On August 18, 2022, 3 MiG-31i with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles (https://t.me/mod_russia_en/3495) were redeployed to Chkalovsk airfield in Kaliningrad Region as part of additional strategic deterrence measures.

◽️ As a result of use of Russian Aerospace Forces operational-tactical aviation (https://t.me/mod_russia_en/3485) near Avdeevka, 37th Battalion of 56th AFU Motorized Infantry Brigade has completely lost its combat effectiveness. Personnel losses have exceeded 60 per cent. Donetsk Task Force command has withdrawn the battalion’s remnants to the rear for re-forming.

💥 High-precision ground-based weapons (https://t.me/mod_russia_en/3485) have hit a temporary foreign mercenary base in Kharkov. More than 90 militants have been eliminated.

⚠️ Russian Federation’s Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response continues to record numerous facts of criminal actions by Kiev regime against civilians (https://t.me/mod_russia_en/3501), as well as the use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes by Ukrainian armed formations.

⚠️ In Toretsk Donetsk People’s Republic, AFU have equipped strongholds and ammunition depots  (https://t.me/mod_russia_en/3501)in the premises of the music school and the Palace of Culture (Druzhba Street) and have equipped artillery and MLRS positions in the adjacent territory, from which they systematically shell nearby settlements, while civilians are not allowed to leave their homes and the nationalists actually use them as human shields.

📹 Footage of combat operation of Western MD’s Uragan multiple rocket launcher crews (https://t.me/mod_russia_en/3482) in course of their fire mission to destroy AFU positions has been published.

📑 Another day of work at ARMY 2022 International Military and Technical Forum has come to an end. Since the start of the Forum, 137 events on the scientific and business programme have been held (https://t.me/mod_russia_en/3488), attended by around 9,000 people. At the plenary session of ARMY 2022 International Military and Technical Forum, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov (https://t.me/mod_russia_en/3498) spoke about the results and future plans regarding the restoration of vital infrastructure facilities on the territory of Donbass.

🌠International Army Games continue. More than 113,000 spectators have visited the competition sites over the past 24 hours. According to preliminary results (https://t.me/mod_russia_en/3496), the Russian Federation team is in the lead in the overall standings of the Games, followed by Belarus and Uzbekistan.

Politico: The United States has allowed the Ukrainian army to use Western weapons for strikes on the Crimea, if Kiev deems it necessary.

“Of course, we do not choose targets, and everything we have provided is intended for self-defense.

Any goal they decide to pursue on sovereign Ukrainian soil is, by definition, self—defense,” a White House official told the publication on condition of anonymity.

At the same time, he stressed that, according to the US position, “Crimea is Ukraine.” https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily/2022/08/17/u-s-approves-of-ukraine-striking-russian-occupied-crimea-00052364

Air defense work in the area of the Belbek airfield in the Crimea – a drone was shot down
There were shots of air defense work from a relatively close distance. The work of air defense in the area of the Belbek airfield. The most interesting question is whether the destroyed UAV came in (and whether it was alone) from the sea, or we are talking about an artisanal UAV launched by the DRG from the territory of Crimea.

An unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down near Kerch, Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the military-civil administration of the Zaporozhye region, said in his Telegram channel.

Traffic on the Crimean Bridge connecting the peninsula with the Krasnodar Territory is carried out in normal mode, the press service of the FKU Uprdor “Taman” reported. 

https://t.me/rezident_ua/13697

Our source in the Office of the President said that the Office of the President was pleased with the method of pinpoint strikes against Crimea, which made it possible to shift the focus with the transfer of the counteroffensive and created a good informational background by August 24. The strikes will continue further, and the priority is the Crimean bridge and Sevastopol.

Air raid sirens going off in Kiev Metropolitan area, possibly as a response to the sabotage actions on Crimea and attempted damaging of the Kerch/Crimea bridge.

Zelensky says there’s no obstacles for IAEA mission to visit #Zaporozhye nuclear plant⚡️

MOSCOW, August 19. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on Thursday said Kiev doesn’t see any hurdles preventing a delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency from visiting the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.

“There are no objective obstacles for an IAEA mission to reach the Zaporozhye NPP,” he said in a video posted to his Telegram channel.

He said he discussed the details of arranging a trip by an IAEA delegation with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the talks in Lvov.

Zelensky said that Turkey is ready to help to rebuild the city of Kharkov and the surrounding region.

“I thank Turkey for its readiness to take under its patronage the reconstruction of Kharkov and the Kharkov Region,” he said in the video.

Zelensky had met with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Lvov on Thursday. The talks were “very substantive,” according to the Ukrainian president.

https://tass.com/world/1495629

BioClandestine Even MSM NBC are reporting on it.

Russia are telling Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant workers not to go to work tomorrow, due to intelligence that Ukrainian Armed Forces will be attempting to cause a nuclear catastrophe via shelling the power plant.

If the core overheats, it will be like Chernobyl. This is the biggest Nuclear power plant in Europe.

This needs more attention.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-says-may-shut-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant-shelling-continues-rcna43673

Update from Russian MIL on this ongoing situation.

Russia claim they have new intelligence to suggest TOMORROW, August 19th, the Kiev regime are planning to carry out the provocation of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, with intent to cause a man-made disaster, and blame it on Russia.

Specifically as UN Secretary-General Gutierrez will be in Ukraine.

I know there is a lot of big news today but Russia are warning of possible Chernobyl-like event.

https://bioclandestine.substack.com/p/russian-mil-accuses-us-of-staging

Chernobyl scenario at #Zaporozhye #NPP is unlikely⚡️

MOSCOW, August 19. /TASS/. The Chernobyl scenario is unlikely to repeat itself at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Andrey Kortunov, director general at the Russian International Affairs Council think tank, told TASS on Thursday.

“I think that a strike directly on the nuclear reactor is an unlikely scenario because the consequences of such strike would have disastrous consequences, including for Ukraine, and, possibly, for some other European states,” he said. “But at the same time, we must take into account that, of course, the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is not Chernobyl. For 30 years, safety standards have changed significantly. And it’s not so easy to create a situation similar to Chernobyl.”

Kortunov said the armed forces of Ukraine will continue to strike at targets around the ZNPP, seeking an introduction of an international peacekeeping force or a declaration of a no-fly zone over nuclear facilities.

“There’s a possibility of strikes on the cooling system, attempts to reduce the efficiency of the power plant, close and block some blocks,” he said.

The analyst also said that if the situation develops extremely unfavorably for Ukraine, Kiev may launch strikes on the nuclear facility of the ZNPP.

The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, which is located in Energodar, is controlled by Russian troops. In recent days, Ukrainian forces have carried out several strikes on the territory of the station, some of them using drones, heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems. In most cases, the attacks are repelled by air defense systems, but some projectiles hit infrastructure and the area of the nuclear waste storage. The head of the military-civil administration of Energodar, Alexander Volga, said on Thursday that all services were put on combat alert in preparation for any provocations at the nuclear power plant by the armed forces of Ukraine.

https://tass.com/world/1495621
Zelensky needs a nuclear catastrophe and don’t say that I didn’t tell you.  

Only one block of the Zaporizhzhya NPP is currently operating – the head of the CAA.  The Russian Defense Ministry presented the results of an analysis of a possible provocation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.  According to the forecast, in the event of an accident at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, radioactive substances will cover Poland, Germany, Slovakia – data from the Russian Ministry of Defense https://t.me/bbbreaking/132947?single

APU attack on the center of Svetlodarsk

During the day, Ukrainian artillery attacked Svetlodarsk, liberated in May, in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The shells hit right in the city center and damaged a hotel, a kindergarten, a pharmacy and a hospital.

One arrival also came to the place where residents stood in line for water. Two civilians died on the spot, including a 14-year-old teenager. Another 12 people were injured of varying severity and were taken to medical institutions in Donetsk and Yenakiyevo.

The UAF raid on the center of Svetlodarsk is another clear example of deliberate artillery terror against the population of Donbass in order to prevent the restoration of the region and the establishment of at least a semblance of a peaceful life.

Today, bad news has appeared that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have begun to remotely mine the border territories of Russia with the Petal anti-personnel mines. I will try to answer why this happened only now, and not simultaneously with Donetsk, which has been suffering from this scourge for a long time.

Ukraine is a terrorist state. The purpose of terrorism has always been to intimidate the local population and sow panic. They do not care how many children and adults will die or be maimed. For them, the effect of fear is important.

Donetsk was the first act. They killed and maimed Donetsk residents with “Petals” defiantly. So that through the media everyone can be convinced of the danger that these mines carry for the local population. Now it’s time for the second act – other, peaceful territories. After the horrors in Donetsk, now only the fact of mining other territories is enough to cause panic and horror among the local population.

These are common terrorist methods. Interestingly, did the Western partners think that sponsoring and helping terrorists would be punished sooner or later? No, I’m lying – I’m not interested. Don’t care about these hypocrites.

Heavy fighting in the Ugledar-Pavlovka region has not subsided since March. In June, the enemy launched a counteroffensive and, as you know, recaptured Pavlovka. Now well-fortified positions, with a motivated enemy (the Aidar battalion) are storming the OBTF of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the DPR and units of the Marine Corps.

He circled around the method of especially difficult battles for strongholds, where Russian soldiers showed miracles of courage.

The defeat of the enemy near Ugledar will create problems for the southern flank of the enemy grouping in the Maryinka area.

The offensive of the DPR army from the bridgehead in Pesky

After the liberation of Pesky, the DPR army continues its offensive in a northwestern direction. Advancement in this direction creates a threat to the coverage of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Avdiivka.

The advancing units are supported by artillerymen of the 11th regiment of the People’s Militia, who continue to successfully destroy the enemy’s fortified positions near Pervomaisky from various artillery systems.

Our source in the President’s office said that Zaluzhny was offered $ 10 million in the crypt and a non-public position in the General Staff, but the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces refused and leaked all the information to the Pentagon. After that, an emergency meeting of the US Ambassador to Ukraine took place, at which Andrei Ermak was recommended not to touch Zaluzhny.

Our source in the President’s office  said that the Office of the President ordered to all the media with a ban on covering the topic with the possible resignation of Zaluzhny. For Bankova, it is fundamentally important to dry up this topic in order to then replace the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

RT News | Livestream 24/7
https://rumble.com/vwbbjn-putin-announces-special-operation-in-donbass-special-coverage.html?mref=2hzb1&mrefc=2

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