The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on May 18 2023

Ukraine War Latest – Col Doug Macgregor

“What air defence doin” Kalibrated episode #35

Ukrainian channel Legitimny:

Kamikaze drones entered Zhytomyr, Rovno, Khmelnytsky regions through the Kiev region and further into the interior of the country.
The goal is, as usual, warehouses, railway, fuel and lubricants.

“FABs” constantly arrive in the Chernigov region.
Arrivals / hits on the target have already been recorded in the Zhytomyr region.

The Ukrainian media reported explosions in Kiev, Chernigov, Khmelnytsky and Dnepropetrovsk regions.

They also write about an air-raid alert in a large part of the country: in the aforementioned four regions, as well as in Kiev, Odessa, Nikolayev, Kharkov, Sumy, Poltava, Kirovograd, Vinnitsa, Zhytomir, Rovno and Volyn regions.

According to media reports, the alarm is sounded only in five western regions of Ukraine: Chernovtsi, Ivano-Frankovsk, Zakarpatia, Ternopol and Lvov regions.

‘Never Seen Before’: Ukraine shaken as Russia unleashes missiles cruise, hypersonic missiles

Ukraine says its air defenses intercepted 29 of 30 Russian missiles in latest attack

Russians strikes ongoing across cities across Ukraine, regional governors warning people not to film anything and post online on threat of prosecution

Some of my friends from the Ukrainian resistance real ukrainians confirm to me that the ukrainian services have cut the internet and telephone lines in some areas to avoid news of the arrivals … a friend drove 30 km to give me the news !!!  Ukraine the real one 💪 !!

PMC “Wagner” has advanced 400 m, and the flanks continue to be under heavy pressure..Evening summary from E. Prigogine:

“Today, Wagner units have advanced up to 400 meters, the total occupied area is 189,000 square meters.

Less than 1 square kilometer remains under the control of the enemy (yesterday it was 1.28).

The enemy clings to every house, every entrance, every garden plot.

We finish Bakhmut to the end to avoid any rumors

Most likely – holding Bakhmut is a component of the counteroffensive (AFU). Unfortunately, the flanks are pouring in further.”

The situation on the flanks..On the flank of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are advancing, several of our positions have been lost, reinforcements are coming to stop the enemy – a summary from brusinf

The situation in the Bakhmut direction by the evening of May 18, according to PMCs, remains tense.

Army units lost several positions southwest of Kleshcheevka. However, the key height in this area is still controlled by our troops. Hold it tight (this prevents the enemy from moving forward).

In the north of Bakhmut, after a small success in the area of the village of Sakko and Vanzetti, during the attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, they could no longer achieve success.

They did not enter the settlement despite the fakes on the Web.
( guys from the Ryazan landing came to us, they say that they repulsed many attacks in this area and did not let the enemy through ).

Meanwhile, Ukrainian military propagandists in their summary also write only about small achievements of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:

On the southern flank, towards the village of Kleshcheevka, the Armed Forces of Ukraine occupied one Russian fortification during the attack. To stabilize the front line, the Russian military leadership transferred reserves to this direction from the Avdeevsky direction.

On the northern flank of the Bakhmut direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine were able to occupy a stronghold in the north near the village of Sakko and Vanzetti.

South of the village of Vasyukovka, the artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is trying to dislodge Russian troops from the forest belt near the headquarters and the river.

In Bakhmut, “Wagners” continue to advance in the private sector and urban development.

Russia cuts Ukrainian supply line to Bakhmut after heavy bombing; ‘We Cannot Deliver Anything’

SUPER DUPER UBER BAKHMUT OFFENSIVE IS PUSHING RUSSIANS BACK; Zaporizhzhia Offensive Force is ready

Bakhmut Front Update [18 May 2023]

BAKHMUT ENDGAME | CITADEL HAS FALLEN | BREAKING | Bakhmut Front Update 18/05/23

Another Massive Missile Strike | Bakhmut Counter Battle

Situation in Artemovsk on 18 May, evening 
 
The orchestra completed a sweep of the private sector near the Domino fortification and the area near the Olympic reserve school.

The musicians went to the entrance to the city – the Chasov Yar – Artemovsk highway.
 
The AFU soldiers , who remained in “Domino”, are retreating, two or three at a time, mostly at night. Anything heavier than an assault rifle is thrown into positions. 
 
There is no coordination in the retreat, apparently they abandon their positions spontaneously: some go to Ivanovskoe through the ruins of the farm, others to Chasov Yar.  
 
In the south-west of the city there are serious battles with units of the 80th ODFBr. The 3rd Lviv motorized infantry battalion Volya also suffered heavy losses there. 
 
Part of the city’s garrison reserves retreated to the flanks and died there. One meat grinder is gradually turning into three for the AFU: inside the city, near Berkhovka and near Kleshcheevka.

The fighting has become protracted, and it is almost impossible to throw in the AFU reserves – the reserves from Druzhkivka and Konstantinivka, which were being prepared for flank strikes, have almost been destroyed.

ANALYSIS BAKHMUT SUPPLYROADS MAY 18
After today’s advance by Wagner forces to the crossroad (red x) between the Khromove road 0506 and the local road to Ivanivske the supplysituation for UkrAF in Bakhmut became much worse.  But you can still use some local roads (white) to get in or out of the city.

To really cut of the city, the russian forces need to eliminate a couple of points. If russian forces get control of the two points within red circles, all road connections to the northern part of ukrainian held Bakhmut will disappear. The same result could be achieved by taking the left red circle  and the right yellow circle. All these places are less then 300 meters from contested areas and will probably be unusable within a couple of days, but for now you still can use roads to the main (northern ) ukrainian position in Bakhmut.
 

Sources of the 105th DPR Regiment report that Bakhmut ARTYOMOVSK has been liberated.

As Bakhmut is about to fall.  Let’s take this opportunity to remind ourselves what Zelensky said, because very soon, we will hear how unimportant Bakhmut was for Ukraine…and actually “that losing was winning because they killed 2 million Russians…”

By #Artyomovsk to Lunch⚡️

🔹1. The Enemy will lose the last positions in the city before the end of the week – the average forecast is now 1-3 days on both sides. What remains of the garrison of #Artyomovsk will in the coming days crawl away with losses to #Krasnoye and #Khromovo. The rest will remain in the city, since they have already stopped taking prisoners there.

🔹2. After squeezing the AFU out of #Artyomovsk, the fighting will continue in the fields to the west of the city, as well as in the area of #Khromovo and #Krasnoye, the AFU will continue to pretend that “Fortress Bakhmut” is standing, after which, in 1-2 weeks, they will announce that “they have retreated to more advantageous positions” and “generally #Bakhmut never really mattered.”

🔹3. The current Attacks to the north and south of the city are unlikely to lead to significant breakthroughs of the front, but tactical successes may allow the AFU to somewhat dampen the inevitable hysteria in #Ukraine about the surrender of Fortress Bakhmut.

🔹4. In the middle of the Day on 18 May, the enemy continued attacks in the direction of #Berkhovka and #Kleshchiyevka. There are intense battles going on. Also, the enemy continues to attack in the “Sacco and Vanzetti” area. The village itself is held by our troops, the enemy is pressing from the northwest and north. The reserves that have been collected for a long time in the area of #Konstantinovka, the Chasov Yar and #Aleksandrovka are now being used.

🔹5. With all the tactical Troubles for us in the area of #Bogdanovka, #Kleshchiyevka and “Sacco and Vanzetti”, the continuation of these attacks after the loss of #Artyomovsk by the enemy will allow, with the competent management of troops and strengthening the interaction of the RF Ministry of Defence with the Wagner PMC, to grind part of the enemy’s operational reserves in the #Slavyansk – #Kramatorsk direction, which will be of no small importance in subsequent battles by breaking through the defense line of the AFU #Konstantinovka – Chasov Yar – Ray-Aleksxandrovka, in order to fully enter the  #Slavyansk – #Kramatorsk agglomeration. The battles here will also be tough.

Boris Rozhin

#Chronicle of the Special Military Operation for 18 May 2023⚡️

🔹 Ukrainian saboteurs in #Crimea blew up railway tracks near the village of #Chistenkoye, derailing more than a dozen freight wagons. The communication between #Simferopol and #Sevastopol has been disrupted, the perpetrators of the terrorist attack are being searched for.

🔹 In #Bakhmut, the assault units of the Wagner PMCs took full control of the Domino fortified area. Fierce fighting continues in the area of the monument to the MiG-17 aircraft. The enemy is almost completely knocked out of the city.

🔹 In the area of #Kleshchiyevka, the RF Armed Forces were forced to withdraw under the onslaught of the enemy several hundred meters deep into the defence line.

Special Operation, 18 May 2023, Main; pub. 21:55⚡️

▪️ Putin and Zelensky have agreed to receive the Pope’s special envoys to discuss reaching a ceasefire, the Vatican website il Sismografo reported;

▪️ The #US is neither now nor in the foreseeable future prepared to take any constructive action to resolve the situation in #Ukraine, Lavrov said;

▪️ The Russian foreign minister said that an African mission on Ukraine was planning to visit #Russia tentatively in mid-June;

▪️ The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that as a result of the strikes, significant stockpiles of weapons and ammunition of the AFU had been destroyed and the movement of reserves into the areas of military operations had been stopped;

▪️ MoD added that Kiev had lost up to 200 militants in the #Donetsk direction, up to 150 in the #SouthDonetsk and #Zaporozhye directions, and about 130 in the #Kupyansk and Krasny #Liman directions during the day;

▪️ The prospect of the complete liberation of #Artyomovsk is quite close, with a small section of the private sector and the Domino area remaining under the control of Ukrainian troops, said Pushilin, the DPR’s acting head;

▪️ Pushilin added that the number of shelling in the DPR from the Ukrainian side has increased, this may be due to preparations for the counterattack;

▪️ Damaged Patriot system in #Ukraine has been repaired and fully returned to service, #Pentagon said;

▪️ Financial Time newspaper believes the #US considers the next five months crucial to the outcome of the conflict in #Ukraine.

Russian Defence Ministry Report on the Progress of the Special Military Operation (18 May 2023)⚡️

💥 Last night, the RF Armed Forces launched group strikes by high-precision long-range sea- and air-based weapons against the enemy’s reserves and full-sized depots storing foreign armament and hardware.
The purpose of the strike has been achieved. All the assigned targets have been engaged.

💥 As a result of the strikes, significant stockpiles of AFU weapons and ammunition were destroyed, and the movement of reserves into combat areas was thwarted.

◽️ In Kupyansk direction, aviation and artillery of the Zapad Group of Forces have engaged the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) close to Novomlynsk and Kotlyarovka (Kharkov region).

◽️ The actions of 2 SRGs were foiled by active operations by units of the 138th and 27th Motorised Rifle Brigades. During the day, the enemy lost 60 troops, 2 AFVs, 2 motor vehicles, and 1 D-20 howitzer.

◽️ In Krasny Liman direction, Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery of the Tsentr Group of Forces engaged the units of the AFU close to Ploshchanka and Kuzmino (LPR).

💥 2 SRGs have been eliminated by units of the 98th Airborne Division near Chervonaya Dibrova (LPR).

💥 During the day, more than 75 AFU troops, 1 tank, 4 AFVs, 2 pickup trucks, and 1 D-30 howitzer were neutralised.
 
◽️ In Donetsk direction, assault squads fought to liberate Artyomovsk with active support of the Airborne Troops.

◽️ Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery of the Yug Group of Forces have inflicted a fire damage on the enemy’s manpower and hardware close to Chasov Yar and Bogdanovka (DPR).

◽️ The Russian aviation have made 7 sorties in this area during the day. The Group’s artillery have performed 72 firing missions.

💥 The enemy has suffered losses of up to 200 troops, 1 tank, 3 AFVs, 5 motor vehicles, and 2 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems in this direction in the past 24 hours.

◽️ In South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aviation and artillery of the Vostok Group of Forces inflicted a fire damage on the AFU units close to Ugledar (DPR).

💥 The enemy’s losses in this direction during the day have amounted to up to 150  killed and wounded, 5 motor vehicles, 1 Strela-10 surface-to-air missile vehicle, 1 FH70 howitzer, and 1 U.S. M777 artillery system.

◽️ In Kherson direction, over 35 AFU troops, 1 AFV, and three motor vehicles have been destroyed.

💥 Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged 68 AFU artillery units, manpower and hardware in 97 areas during the day.

◽️ 1 U.S. AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radar station has been destroyed near Krivaya Luka (DPR).

💥 Fighter aviation of Russian Aerospace Forces has shot down 1 Su-24 aircraft of Ukrainian Air Force near Slavyansk (DPR).

💥 Russian air defences have shot down 1 Mi-8 helicopter of Ukrainian Air Force near Novopavlovka (Zaporozhye region).

💥In addition, 4 HIMARS and 1 Uragan projectiles have been intercepted during the day.

💥 Moreover, 11 Ukrainian UAVs were shot down close to Pologi, Romanovskoye (Zaporozhye region), Gorlovka, Peski, Blagodatnoye, Volodino (DPR), Nikolayevka, Novovodyanoye, and Kremennaya (LPR).

In the same way that the West rushed air defence systems to Ukraine because the Ukrainians lost or used most of their systems and missiles, the arrival of F-16s will simply mean that the Russian Air force has destroyed the Ukrainian Air force and they are in desperate need of replenishment.

Conspiracy theories about Zaluzhny’s disappearance:

▪️ He was seriously wounded near Bakhmut. He did not survive; his body was hidden in the morgue in Kiev. They would not publicize his death for some time, trying to achieve at least some success near Bakhmut. Then they announce that he was killed liberating the city, and rename the settlement.

▪️ He was killed in Zelensky’s office, after which the president of Ukraine “urgently and unscheduled” went on a tour with the “traveling circus”. The body will be destroyed as evidence and announced that the “Kinzhal” dismantled the “hero of Ukraine” into molecules.

▪️ Alive and well, preparing plans for a counter-offensive in a bunker in “airplane mode”, i.e. without any external communication at all. They promised to show the head of the AFU on Saturday.

▪️ Has defected to Russia or been captured. Ukraine is hiding, afraid to demotivate the AFU. In Moscow, they silently siphon off all the information from Zaluzhny.

All other versions, including “stolen by aliens” or “vacationing in Miami” are crossed out. Although..

Ukrainian channel “Legitimny” writes:

When you read the news that our partners will train our military, you should immediately realise that the Ukrainian budget is paying a huge amount of money (credit) for this.
Every country in the West has realised that it is a chic business to train our soldiers, sometimes just for the sake of “ticking the box”.
According to closed information, the training of one soldier costs 10,000 to 30,000 € for our budget.

Ukraine will have to repay this money and pay interest for its service (4 to 6% per annum).

As a result in the best case Ukraine will win, get reparations from Russian Federation in hundreds of billions dollars, but Ukrainians won’t get them and they will go to their partners. As a result, Ukraine will receive from it the ruined country, the crippled nation, poverty, transnational corporations will buy all from us for a penny and we shall appear for long years in economic slavery and so forth, that as a result will appear as “pyrrhic victory”. And this is a pyrrhic victory at best. At worst, Ukraine will lose part of its territories and will be mired in criminality, political crisis, etc. for decades to come.
The elites will sell out the interests of the people, as they always have and even more so after Maidan 2014!

We have always said that the Ukrainian people lost the moment Zelensky rejected the Minsk agreements and this war began…
 

Former Trump adviser, US Army Colonel Douglas McGregor: The whole world is not with us in this matter with Ukraine. Most of the world is very much against us. And everything is under threat. Our economy is under threat. The reserve status of the dollar is under threat. Terrible times are waiting for us. Things won’t get better until we remove the main metastatic cancer from Washington. And I’m not just talking about the presidential election. We need to do a full sweep. 

Russia has not yet seen a peace plan for Ukraine from African partners, but as before, it is ready to consider any of their proposals, dictated by the desire to promote stabilization — Lavrov

The United States is preparing for the fact that the conflict in Ukraine may be frozen , it may last for many years or even decades.

This is reported by the newspaper Politico.

According to the publication, the Biden administration is discussing options for a long-term “freeze”, which includes the definition of potential borders that Ukraine and Russia would agree not to cross.

Ukraine ambassador in London expects the onset of a “terrible summer” in Ukraine

Vadim Prystaiko also said that in the West there are inflated expectations from the Ukrainian counteroffensive, and this puts pressure on the AFU

Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko said that the upcoming counteroffensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces could lead to heavy losses among Ukrainian servicemen.

“I know it could be a very terrible summer and the price [that Ukraine will pay] is terrible,” the diplomat said in an interview with ITV on Thursday. Prystaiko also said that in the West there are inflated expectations from the Ukrainian counteroffensive, which “puts pressure” on the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

At the same time, Prystaiko refused to disclose information about the losses of the Ukrainian army. “At the internal level, we understand how many of our people have already died or gone missing,” he said. – We understand that more than 8 million people are outside the country, so we understand the losses. We understand that it will be extremely difficult to fight with a country that is 16 times bigger than us.”

Speaking about the US decision not to supply F-16 fighters to Ukraine, he expressed the opinion that the White House may change its plans. “Sometimes they resist for geopolitical reasons, they proceed from a broader picture,” the Ukrainian ambassador said. In addition, Prystaiko admitted that support for Ukraine may weaken after the US presidential election in 2024. “One of the disadvantages of democracy is its cyclical nature,” the diplomat noted. – We have to keep in mind these political cycles. We understand that there may come a time when we won’t have that much support. That’s why we have to push [on the issue of arms supplies] right now.”

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