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While Kiev is diligently distracting Ukrainians and taxpayers in NATO countries with new attack on the Crimean Bridge, the situation is not changing on the southern frontlines in the Zaporozhye region, where the Russian military continues to grind the Ukrainian counter offensive.
The day before, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) managed to enter the town of Staromayorskoe, located south of Velikaya Novoselka. By the afternoon of July 16, Ukrainians were repelled from the town. LINK
Over the past day, the AFU failed to continue their advance in this direction. However, the situation remains tense. Having gained a foothold on the outskirts, Ukrainian forces continue to attack, but so far without success.
According to reports from the front, the attacks are conducted by units of the Ukrainian 35th Marine Brigade and the 31st Separate Mechanized Brigade with the support of the 1st Separate Tank Brigade, 68th and 72nd Separate Motorized Brigades. If this infantry succeeds and gains a foothold in the town, it is expected that the Ukrainian command will throw into battle the trained tank companies of the 1st Separate Tank Brigade.
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The recent escalation in the area of Staromayorskoe followed unsuccessful attempts by the AFU to advance on the flanks of the Russian grouping. Ukrainian attacks near Novodonetskoe and Priyutnoe were repelled. Moreover, Russian forces reportedly counterattacked near Priyutnoe and took back control of several positions in the area.
Also, the fighting continues near Urozhainoe, where the AFU fails to break through the Russian defense.
Positional battles continue on the southern outskirts of Ugledar, where the Russian military holds full control of Pavlovka and Nikolsky. According to reports from the front, the AFU are avoiding any massive attacks in this direction and are grouping forces before a possible major assault.
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In the Orekhov area, the intensity of hostilities has significantly decreased. Having suffered heavy losses, the Ukrainian command suspended the “meat assaults”, but local attacks near Rabodino and Pyatikhatki continue.
The Ukrainian military is launching offensive operations by small groups, hiding in forest plantations, probing Russian defence. The attacks are carried almost with any heavy military equipment. Russian servicemen track the movement of the enemy and inflict fire damage.
At the same time, the AFU are reportedly strengthening the advanced positions in the region. According to Russian military analysts, reinforcements from the 47th mechanized brigade of the AFU arrived to the strongholds north of Rabotino. Two additional assault groups were transferred to Lobkovoye, and a group of the Ukrainian Special Forces reportedly arrived in Shcherbaki. Assault detachments of the 78th separate assault regiment of the AFU have strengthened the forward positions near Belogorya. This indicates the imminent resumption of Ukrainian massive assaults, which will involve the newly deployed Ukrainian servicemen, in an attempt to break through Russian positions towards the city of Tokmak.
In its turn, the Ministry of Defense in its daily briefing on July 17 announced the following developments over the past day:
In the South Donetsk direction, Russian airstrikes, artillery fire of the Vostok group of troops defeated the manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of Urozhainoe and Levadnoe in the Zaporozhye region.
In the Zaporozhye direction, Russian forces hit the areas of accumulations of enemy manpower and equipment in the areas of Marfopol, Novoselovka, Shcherbaki and Pyatikhatki in the Zaporozhye region. In the area of Charivnoye, Zaporozhye region, the activities of the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group were suppressed.
The enemy’s losses in these areas amounted to:
- up to 240 Ukrainian servicemen,
- two armored combat vehicles,
- two cars,
- a US-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery unit,
- three Msta-B howitzers,
- an Acacia self-propelled artillery unit,
- a D-30 howitzer.
- In addition, an ammunition depot of the 33rd mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed near the settlement of Malaya Tokmachka, Zaporozhye region.
The Ukrainian military is preparing for a new phase of the offensive. In an attempt to cut off the military supplies of the Russian grouping in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, Kiev attacked the Crimean Bridge. However, the attack did not result in any significant military advantages. Only the highway, which is not used for the transfer of Russian military equipment, was damaged.
