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Despite sustaining heavy losses in manpower and equipment, Kiev forces have failed to make any meaningful gains on the ground since launching their so-called spring counteroffensive in the Zaporozhye and south Donetsk directions on June 4.
Videos that surfaced online on June 15 provided more details on the heavy losses Kiev forces sustained during their ill-fated attack on the Zaporozhye on June 8 and 9.
One video shows the destruction of several American-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles with artillery, while another shows a German-made Leopard 2 main battle tank that was blown off the road with an anti-tank mine.
In the south Donetsk direction, Kiev forces failed to advance beyond the first line of contact. The Russian military maintained the high ground in this direction and stopped the Ukrainian advance at the towns of Velikaya Novoselovka, Vremensky, Makarovkais, Blagodatnoe, Urozhainoe and Storojevoe.
New videos show the destruction of a Ukrainian T-80 with a Lancet loitering munition near Makarovkais as well as several other armored vehicles being hit with artillery fire on another front in the direction.
Meanwhile, videos released by the Russian Ministry of Defense show the work of Russian attack helicopters, artillery and drone operators on both the Zaporozhye and south Donetsk directions.
Faced with failure on the front, Ukraine escalated its attack on Russian areas. Early on June 15, an attack with drones targeted the Crimean Peninsula. The region’s governor Sergey Aksyonov said that a total of nine drones were downed over Crimea.
According to Aksyonov, six drones were shot down while three others were disabled by electronic warfare means. He said that one drone had “exploded” in the village of Dokuchayevo in the central part of the peninsula.
“There are no casualties. Windows were shattered in some houses,” Aksyonov wrote on his Telegram channel, urging residents to stay calm.
Ukraine will likely go on with its counteroffensive, despite the heavy losses and all the setbacks. Larger attacks are to be expected in the upcoming few days and weeks as Kiev appears to be desperate to break through the Russian lines of defense.
The main target for Ukraine appears to be the city of Melitopol, which is located amid the land route linking Crimea with other Russian areas.
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