On July 16, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that several Ukrainian attacks were repelled in the directions of Donetsk and Krasny Liman.
In a statement, the ministry said that the Russian Yug Group of Forces had repelled 15 attacks by Kiev forces near Belogorovka, Severnoye, Orekhovo-Vasilevka, Krasnogorovka, Veseloye, Novomikhailovka, Pervomayskoye and Maryinka in the Donetsk direction.
The group also destroyed two ammunition depots of Ukraine’s 54th Mechanised Brigade and 4th Operational Purpose Brigade near Razdolovka and Ivano-Daryevka.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian losses in this direction amounted to 270 troops, two armored fighting vehicles and five motor vehicles.
Meanwhile in the Krasny Liman direction, the Russian Tsentr Group of Forces repelled three Ukrianian attacks close to Novovodyanoye, Makeevka and Serebryansky forest. The group also targeted several units of Kiev forces close to Chervonaya Dibrova, Golikovo and Kuzmino.
In addition, an ammunition depot of Ukraine’s 66th Mechanised Brigade that is located near Novolyubovka was targeted and destroyed.
Kiev forces 100 troops, two armored fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles as well as a Msta-B and a D-30 howitzers in this direction, the ministry said.
The situation in other directions, according to the statement of the Russian MoD:
In South Donetsk direction, the active actions by Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and artillery of the Vostok Group of Forces have resulted in the neutralization of the AFU manpower and hardware near Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region) and Rovnopol (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The activities of 1 Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group have been suppressed close to Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
In the Zaporozhye direction, as a result of coordinated actions by Russian troops, an enemy manpower and hardware concentration area have been hit close to Marfopol, Malye Shcherbaki and Malaya Tokmachka (Zaporozhye region).
In addition, 2 ammunition depots of the 33rd and 65th mechanized brigades of the AFU have been destroyed near Malaya Tokmachka and Orekhov (Zaporozhye region).
The enemy losses were up to 260 Ukrainian servicemen, 3 armored fighting vehicles, 3 motor vehicles, as well as D-20 and Msta-B howitzers.
In the Kupyansk direction, as a result of active actions by units, Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems of the Zapad Group of Forces, AFU units have been hit close to Masyutovka, Timkovka, Tabayevka, Olshana and Kislovka (Kharkov region).
The activities of 4 Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups have been suppressed close to Novosyolovskoye (Lugansk People’s Republic), Berestovoye (Kharkov region).
The enemy losses were over 50 Ukrainian servicemen, 3 armored fighting vehicles, 5 motor vehicles, and 1 D-20 howitzer.
In the Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, 4 motor vehicles, 3 U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery systems and 1 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system.
1 ammunition depot of the AFU 126th Territorial Defence Brigade has been destroyed near Molodyozhnoye (Kherson region).
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralized 89 AFU artillery units at their firing positions, manpower and hardware in 124 areas.
The command post of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the AFU has been neutralized near Dyleevka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Air defense units have intercepted 3 HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system projectiles and 2 missiles of the S-200 surface-to-air missile system modified to hit ground targets.
In addition, 13 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been destroyed close to Pilipovka (Lugansk People’s Republic), Tripolye (Donetsk People’s Republic), Pologi, Chapaevka, Azov, Tokmak and Lyubimovka (Zaporozhye region), and Novaya Kakhovka (Kherson region).
In total, 455 airplanes, 242 helicopters, 5,028 unmanned aerial vehicles, 426 air defense missile systems, 10,721 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, 1,138 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 5,471 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 11,698 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.
The Russian MoD also released a video showing the operations of Msta-S self-propelled howitzers against Kiev forces. Other videos that surfaced online showed recent strikes with Lancet loitering munitions against two Ukrainian howitzers and a multiple rocket launcher.
Despite sustaining heavy losses and failing to make any meaningful gains for more than five weeks, Ukraine will not likely halt its counteroffensive anytime soon. Political pressure from the United States and other backers may in fact force Kiev to escalate attacks in the upcoming few weeks.
