The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on May 17 2023

Missile strike on Ukraine Odessa

The most powerful night attack of the Russian Aerospace Forces

Which hasn’t ended yet.

It all started in the evening, when the Russian Aerospace Forces literally hit the south of Ukraine, where one of the most important logistics centers is located near the Odessa region, which receives NATO cargo from Romania.

More than ten arrivals were noted at the alleged places of storage and reloading of BC, as well as accumulations of equipment transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Then there was a blow to the Nikolaev region and along the line of contact, where front-line aviation struck at the enemy’s near rear (from Kharkov to Kherson), hitting the identified places of accumulation of his reserves. As a result, numerous arrivals were also noted.

And, finally, in the morning (at about 4.00 Moscow time) strikes with “Caliber” (and possibly “Daggers”) went from Poltava to Ternopil. Again there was a blow to the Khmelnytsky region, the center of Ukraine, and right now work is underway on Kyiv (there are already arrivals). Probably, ours today will try to inflict another defeat on the Kyiv air defense region.

It is possible that this is not all. But even if nothing else happens, this is perhaps the most massive (in terms of scale) attack by the Russian Aerospace Forces, except for the first days of the NWO.

Ukro source

About 10 explosions thundered in Odessa and the region, arrivals go through military facilities, air defense cannot cope with the number of missiles.

The Russian Armed Forces inflict massive fire damage on objects in the Odessa region. Recorded from 12 to 15 arrivals.

Objects and warehouses at the Shkolny airfield are being put out of action, the bridge in Zatoka and the main transport artery are again under attack. Targets were hit in the villages of Kotovsky and Krasnoselka not far from the regional center.

Arrivals in Odessa hit targets in Zatoka, Kotovskoye and Krasnoselki

At this point, the Russian army continues to dot work on targets in Odessa and the region – explosions have been heard.
It is highly possible that  the blasts, have hit areas where strategically and logistically important facilities are located.

In the village of Zatoka, according to preliminary reports, there are ammunition depots as well as a bridge. In Kotovskoye, there are also likely to be stockpiles of ammunition as well.

In Krasnoselki, which were the first to be hit,presumably used to be based a training centre for foreign mercenaries.
 

The undeclared Counteroffensive of the Enemy continues⚡️

Moreover, the Ukrainian formations fulfill the main task. They force the RF Armed Forces to stretch their forces and remove the most combat-ready units from other critical areas, forcing them to be transferred to threatened areas of the front.

As a result, fierce battles are taking place on the flanks of the #Bakhmut group, into which the parties are pouring more and more forces. Now, unfortunately, we are in the position of playing along and are following the AFU’s lead, pulling the most experienced units of the RF Armed Forces into the “#Bakhmut meat grinder” at one point on the map.

What this threatens in the near-term perspective, even a fool will guess.

The Situation in the #Bakhmut Sector at 17 May⚡️

🔹 The Defence Area of the AFU “Nest” is completely cleared by the units of the PMC “Wagner”. At the moment, the enemy has only two defence areas in the city limits – “Domino” and “Airplane”.

🔹 The units of the RF Armed Forces lost their positions to the northwest of #Kleshchiyevka and retreated to “more advantageous lines of defence”.

Callsign Bruce

Approximate operational situation in the western part of Bakhmut .
ㅤ
PMC “Wagner” is at the final stage of the assault on the city. The last house in the “Designer” remained under the control of the enemy yesterday, the fortified area “Nest” was completely cleared.

Now the “musicians” are clearing “Domino” at the bottom of Yubileinaya Street and the private sector , as well as “Tetris” at the end of Chaikovsky Street .

There are only a few houses left until the moment when the city completely passes under the control of the units of the PMC “Wagner”.

The situation in Artyomovsk on May 17:

 Since night, the Orchestra began to crush the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the first houses of the Domino fortified area. “Constructor” cleared by 99.9%.

Many foreign mercenaries are blocked inside the Domino: Poles, British, Australians, Swedes, Norwegians.

 Almost all are on the leading edge. They tried to break out through the fields, but retreated back due to artillery fire. Almost all Georgian mercenaries died.

The most active remaining Ukrainian troops are shooting back from dominoes – houses marked in yellow.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to attack on the flanks, but holding 300 m positions is harder than the way to them from Chasov Yar, Druzhkovka and Konstantinovka.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Syrsky, has to choose where to send reserves – either try to shut up the positions inside Artyomovsk, or send them to the flanks. Ukrainian troops cannot act everywhere and at once.

In “Domino” subdivisions there are more than 1 thousand people  blocked.
SolovievLive

Russia Cut VITAL Bakhmut Intersection

Bakhmut Endgame | Heavy Night Assaults | Ukrainian Bridge Destroyed | Bakhmut Front Update 17/05/23

Bakhmut Battle: Russian strike destroys Ukraine Army’s passageway; Wagner ‘kills’ U.S. mercenary

Bakhmut Front Update [17 May 2023]

Today, units of PMC “Wagner” advanced up to 260 meters. Occupied 180 thousand square meters.
1.28 square kilometers remain under enemy control.
“The enemy puts up fierce resistance. The fighting continues for every house, for every entrance, for every square meter of territory, despite the fact that a couple percent of the territory remains under the enemy in Bakhmut 

Legitimniy  Our source reports that in the last month alone, more than 2,000 soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are considered missing in Bakhmut itself.
This is due to the fact that most of the soldiers remain buried under the ruins of houses.
Many of them remain alive for a long time, being under the rubble, but no one will “dig them out”, since the battles there continue constantly.

In the city itself, the Armed Forces of Ukraine suffer huge losses and are forced to retreat. On the flanks, they at least suffer losses during the assault on positions, but there is a result there that can somehow be attributed to such victims.
The situation in the Bakhmut meat grinder is complicated, but everyone understands that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have actually lost control over the city.

The private sector NW of Bakhmut was taken today up to the road leading to Khromovo. PMC Wagner is now in control of this road from the town of Bakhmut to Khromovo.
Fierce fighting is now taking place in the area of       the “Domino” and the plane monument. The last two fortified areas of UA.
There is a fierce fight for every house, every meter.
UA will not withdraw. They will fight to the last house.

But as Prigozhin said today: Bakhmut will very soon be completely taken over by PMC Wagner.

Good afternoon colleagues!
The journalists of the LIVE 24 edition would like to ask a question to Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Evgeny Viktorovich, earlier you said that the Russian Defense Minister is in Bakhmut. According to our data, Sergei Shoigu is in the workplace.

Can you clarify if your comment was a joke?

Yevgeny Prigozhin:

“Oh, you put me in an awkward position. Of course, I was referring to the future Minister of Defense. Remember the past, but live in the future.”

Situation in the #Zaporozhye Direction until 18:00 on 17 May 2023⚡️

Against the background of active fighting in #Bakhmut and the advance of the AFU on the flanks of the city, coverage of events in the southern direction – specifically in #Zaporozhye – decreased. Now more and more people and equipment are concentrated in various settlements of the #Zaporozhye and #Dnepropetrovsk regions.

According to some reports, the grouping of the AFU is up to 50-55 thousand people. The recruitment of new formations, including brigades from the army corps, is almost complete.

Among the members of the Ukrainian formations, they talk about the imminent intensification of hostilities — from a couple of days to a week. In the 108th Territorial Defence Brigade, identification signs (“white cross” on the roof of the equipment) are removed.

At least 16 tactical aircraft, some of which are carriers of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, and six Mi-8 helicopters are based at airfields in #Dnepropetrovsk and #Dolgintsevo.

🔹 In the south of the #Dnepropetrovsk region, excluding Territorial Defence, in #Oboyanovskoye, #Sinelnikovo, #Vasilkovka, #Chaplino, #Pavlograd and #Pokrovskoye, the forces of 10th Army Corps’s 116th, 117th, 118th Mechanized Brigades, as well as 1th Separate Tank Brigade, the 71th AFU Jager Brigade and the Air Assault Forces’ 82nd Separate Airmobile Brigade are concentrated.

🔹In the #Zaporozhye region, units of 33rd and 47th Mechanized Brigades of 9th Army Corps arrived in #Volnyansk. On the frontline, the formations of the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade and 15th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, 65th Mechanized Brigade, 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade and three Territorial Defence Brigades took up positions.

▪️ In addition, forces of 44th Mechanized Brigade from #Nizhyn were spotted in the direction and the transfer of 14th Brigade of the National Guard from #Vinnitsa and 81st Separate Battalions of the 9th Army Corps from the #Kirovograd region began.

🔹 Members of the Ukrainian formations also report on the possible transfer of paratroopers of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade from the #Soledar direction to the area of the #Vremyevsky ledge.

▪️ And the 309th Separate Battalion of the AFU’s 48th Engineer Brigade has also been moved to the #Gulyaypole site, which may be armed with mobile bridge-laying machines of American and German production.

Special Operation, 17 May 2023, Main; pub. 22:01⚡️

▪️ The Kinzhal missile system destroyed a multifunctional radar station and five launchers of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system in #Kiev on 16 May, the Russian Ministry of Defence (Mod) said;

▪️ Ukrainian army losses for the day in the #Kupyansk and Krasny #Liman directions amounted to over 180 militants, in the #Donetsk direction 360, MoD said;

▪️ The RF Armed Forces’ Vostok grouping in the #SouthDonetsk and #Zaporozhye directions destroyed up to 150 Ukrainian soldiers in a day, MoD said;

▪️ The RF Armed Forces have carried out a group strike on a large Ukrainian ammunition depot in #Nikolayev, an observation post of the AFU forces in #Kherson region has been hit, MoD said;

▪️ In the DPR on Wednesday, 5 people became victims of Ukrainian shelling, 23 were injured, Pushilin said;

▪️ #Russia has started serial production of the latest armor-piercing aircraft missile, and plans to use it in the air defense system, Aleksandr Kochkin, deputy general director of the Techmash Concern, told RIA Novosti;

▪️ Britain’s Defence Secretary said #Ukraine’s accession to #NATO is impossible until the conflict is over;

▪️ President of South Africa intends to come to #Ukraine with a peace initiative, Zelensky is ready to accept it, Ukrainian media reported.

Russian Defence Ministry Report on the Progress of the Special Military Operation (17 May 2023)⚡️

💥The RF Armed Forces carried out a long-range sea-based high-precision weapons attack on a large ammunition depot at a ship-repair facility in Nikolayev.

◽️The strike goals have been reached. The assigned target has been neutralised.

◽️In Kupyansk direction, the attacks, launched by aviation and artillery of the Zapad Group of Forces, resulted in the neutralisation of the AFU manpower and hardware close to Novoselovskoye (LPR) Olshana, Petropavlovka and Masyutovka (Kharkov region).

◽️The actions of 6 AFU SRGs have been suppressed close to Timkovka (Kharkov region), Rozovka, Stelmakhovka and Novoselovskoye (LPR).
 
💥The AFU losses were up to 115 troops, 2 AFVs, 7 motor vehicles and 1 Msta-B howitzer.

◽️In Krasny Liman direction, the attacks, launched by Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems of the Tsentr Group of Forces, resulted in the neutralisation of the AFU units close to Nevskoye, Chervonaya Dibrova (LPR) and Grigorovka (DPR).

💥The 252nd Motorised Rifle Regiment units repelled 2 attacks by the AFU assault groups, supported by 2 tanks, close to Chervonopopovka (LPR). The AFU losses were over 30 troops and 1 tank.

◽️In Krasny Liman direction, the enemy losses were over 70 troops, 1 tank, 2 APCs, 1 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system and 1 D-30 howitzer.

◽️In Donetsk direction, the assault squads continued combat actions against the enemy in the western part of Artyomovsk. The units of the Yug Group of Forces restrained the enemy on the flanks.

◽️The most difficult situation was in the areas of Krasnoye and Bogdanovka (DPR), where Russian troops repelled 7 AFU attacks.

◽️As a result of the Airborne Troops’ offensive actions, a more favourable line of defence has been taken.

◽️The attacks, launched by Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, as well as artillery and heavy flamethrower systems of the Yug Group of Forces, have resulted in the neutralisation of the enemy manpower and hardware close to Konstantinovka and Krasnoye (DPR).
 
✈️Aviation has made 7 sorties close to Artyomovsk. The Group’s artillery performed 64 firing missions.

◽️In Donetsk direction, the enemy losses were up to 360 troops and mercenaries, 4 APCs, 5 AFVs, 2 motor vehicles, 1 British L-119 howitzer, and 1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.

💥1 munition depot of the AFU 110th Mechanised Brigade has been destroyed near Avdeyevka (DPR).

💥1 U.S. AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery warfare radar has been destroyed near Stupochki (DPR).

◽️In South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aviation, as well as artillery and heavy flamethrower systems of the Vostok Group of Forces inflicted a fire damage on the enemy units near Pavlovka, Shevchenko, Chervonoye, Velikaya Novosyolka (DPR), Novodanilovka and Malaya Tokmachka (Zaporozhye region).

💥The enemy losses were up to 150 troops, 2 AFVs, 6 motor vehicles and 1 D-30 howitzer.

◽️In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 40 troops, 2 AFVs, 3 motor vehicles, 2 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems and 1 Msta-B howitzer.

💥Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged 83 AFU artillery units, manpower, and hardware in 112 areas during the day.

💥1 AFU command post of Thunder tactical group has been hit close to Kherson.

💥1 command post of the AFU 44th Artillery Brigade has been hit close to Preobrazhenka (Zaporozhye region).

💥1 observation post of the AFU special forces has been hit near Velikiy Island (Kherson region).

💥Air defence facilities have intercepted 9 HIMARS projectiles.

◽️Air defence facilities have shot down 19 UAVs close to Chubaryovka, Inzhenernoye, Rabotino (Zaporozhye region), Velikiy Vyselok, Nezhdanovka (Kharkov region), Donetsk, Verhnetoretskoye, Staromlynovka (DPR), Chervonopopovka, Novodruzhesk, Kolomiychiha (LPR), as well as Novaya Kakhovka (Kherson region).

Vladimir Zelensky is ready to receive a peace mission of African states in the country and listen to their proposals, the press secretary of the Ukrainian president Sergey Nikiforov said.

Nikiforov also added that Zelensky will offer the mission to join the implementation of the Ukrainian “formula for peace”.

The Director General of the South African Foreign Ministry, John Dangor, said that the visit of the African mission to Moscow and Kiev to discuss ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis is scheduled for early June.

Group of Eastern European countries led by Poland is “quietly urging Zelensky to find a way to end the war—even by resigning himself, if necessary”, according to Seymour Hersh.

“Zelensky is not budging, according to intercepts and other data known inside the Central Intelligence Agency, but he is beginning to lose the private support of his neighbors,” he wrote (https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/the-ukraine-refugee-question).

Hersh believes that the reason for such behaviour by Ukraine’s western neighbours is the influx of refugees from that country.

A respected journalist has published some very strange information. Is it true? The future will show.

Ukraine, CIA and Russia – Tony Shaffer fmr CIA

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