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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Breaking the blockade of the heroic Deir ez-Zor
2023-09-10
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Text taken from a variety of sources including memoirs by Kirill Romanovsky. Text is ncopyrighted by (c) Commissioner Yarrick. Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.

Excellent material dedicated to the 6th anniversary of breaking the blockade of the heroic Deir ez-Zor. Memorable events, in 2017 I had a lot of materials on this topic.

Walking through the desert. How the Wagner PMC broke the blockade of Deir ez-Zor.

The fall of 2017 for the Syrian Arab Republic and its allies was marked by several important successes in the campaign against the terrorist group Islamic State (IS)*. Thanks to the Russian assault detachments of the Wagner PMC, the Syrians managed to liberate vast territories of the Syrian desert, gain a foothold in Central Syria and begin an operation to regain control over the eastern part of the country.

The beginning of a major military operation was the advance to the city of Deir ez-Zor, a key administrative center in eastern Syria. At that time, the city was under siege by IS militants for more than three and a half years: the defenders of Deir ez-Zor constantly experienced supply problems, fought close positional battles, but confidently held out against the forces of the terrorist group.

After gaining a foothold in Central Syria and eliminating the terrorist threat in the Akerbat area in Eastern Hama, the Wagner PMC assault squads were finally able to break through the encirclement and release Deir ez-Zor. The breakthrough of the “musician” detachments to help the defenders of the city was predetermined by the subsequent military defeat of the main ISIS forces at the end of 2017.

On the anniversary of the breaking of the siege of Syrian Deir ez-Zor, the head of the military-political Telegram channel Astra Militarum recalls the events of August-September 2017, during which the Wagner PMC and the Syrian army came to the rescue of the blocked garrison of the city and consolidated successes in the war against Islamic State. state"*, reaching the banks of the Euphrates River.

Massacre on the banks of the Euphrates
The Syrian Deir ez-Zor became the scene of bloody battles between the Syrian army and groups of anti-government forces back in 2013. In 2014, the situation in the province of Deir ez-Zor took a threatening turn after ISIS gangs broke through the Syrian-Iraqi border into the area of ​​the village of Al Bu Kemal in April. By the summer, the forces of the terrorist group controlled the area of ​​the Syrian desert near the T2 pumping station, the territory north of the Euphrates and the western part of the province.

Realizing that the pace of advance of troops from Iraq could no longer be stopped, the militants of other groups for the most part either fled from the occupied territories or voluntarily went over to the side of the Islamic State. As a result, on July 3, the forces of the self-proclaimed “caliphate” established full control over the province of Deir ez-Zor, taking Al-Mayadeen and Al-Shuheil, as well as the largest oil field Al-Omar, without firing a shot.

Only Deir ez-Zor itself remained uncontrolled by the militants: IS forces besieged the city and the surrounding areas from all sides. In addition, by the fall of 2014, areas of the city previously captured by Jabhat al-Nusra* and the Free Syrian Army (FSA), as well as large islands in the delta of the Euphrates River - Huweyja Katya and Huweyja Sakr - were under the control of militants. However, despite dense urban and rural positional battles, the defenders of Deir ez-Zor managed to hold back the first offensive impulses of the Islamic State and prevent the complete capture of the city.

From that moment on, a protracted blockade of Deir ez-Zor began, which would last a total of three years and two months.

The Guard is dying, but does not surrender
By the summer of 2017, the situation in besieged Deir ez-Zor had become extremely complex and dangerous. In the city there were forces of the 104th Airborne Brigade of the Republican Guard of the SAR under the command of Major General Issam Zahreddin and armored vehicles of the 137th Mechanized Brigade of General Mohammad Khaddour. In addition, support for the Deir ez-Zor garrison was provided by local militias of the Syrian National Defense Forces (NDF). However, the main defense forces of the city were considered to be the troops of Issam Zahreddin, whose strategic genius and zeal made it possible to competently organize the defense of Deir ez-Zor.

In a strategic sense, the coalition attack on the defenders of Deir ez-Zor significantly bled the besieged garrison and led to catastrophic consequences on the front around the city. The massive IS offensive and continuous attacks, starting in September 2016 and ending in the spring of 2017, led to the fact that the line of combat contact around Deir ez-Zor moved close to the gates of the airbase, the airport runway and the Panorama interchange, considered the gateway to residential part of the city. De facto, the zone of control of the Syrian army and allies was divided into two loosely connected enclaves: the only place that the troops used for communication and supplies was the area of ​​​​the city cemetery, which was under continuous fire.

In parallel with the military difficulties, a humanitarian catastrophe was growing in Deir ez-Zor itself. According to official data as of February 2016, about 200 thousand people lived in the city, while the siege led to permanent hunger among the civilian population and the military. For some time, an air bridge was operated by the Syrian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Forces, which dropped humanitarian aid from the UN into the city. However, in January 2017, air deliveries were stopped due to too close proximity to militant firing positions. As a result, mortality in Deir ez-Zor increased markedly, and by the summer of 2017 there were already 90 thousand people left in the city.

Memoirs of a participant in the events from Kirill Romanovsky’s book “Eight Years with Wagner”:
“They (the Syrians - Ed.) have been fighting with the spirits there for a long time. They have a gray zone between the positions of the parties - only 100-150 meters. Both sides are dug into the ground up to the nostrils, as in the First World War - somewhere there is a mirror sticking out, somewhere there is a window, somewhere a pipe is poured into the parapet. On both sides."


Through hardship to the stars
The deterioration of the situation in Deir ez-Zor required the Syrian command and the Russian military to carefully study the operation to restore control over the region. However, it took the Syrian army and its allies a year to break the siege of Deir ez-Zor and drive ISIS militants out of key areas of Eastern Syria. During this time, pro-government forces achieved significant success and stabilized the situation in Central Syria, not least thanks to the active work of the assault units of the Wagner PMC.

To continue the counter-terrorism operation against the Islamic State, it was necessary to regain control of Palmyra, which the militants recaptured as a result of the offensive on December 11, 2016. Having retreated again to the T4 airbase (in common parlance “Tifor”) in the vicinity of the city of Tiyas, the Russian military command hastily called in detachments of the Wagner PMC to Syria - a few months before this, the head of the “orchestra” Yevgeny Prigozhin was given an order from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu about the disbandment of the unit.

Throughout January 2017, the “orchestra” has been recruiting volunteers and amassing forces to attack IS positions – again, in the same way as in March 2016. As sources note, as a result, an offensive group with a total number of seven thousand people was assembled to advance towards Palmyra. It included separate units of the Syrian army and militia, pro-Iranian units and Hezbollah units - and the key striking force was the soldiers of the 1st assault detachment of the Wagner PMC under the command of Alexander Kuznetsov (Ratibor), who were in the vanguard.
"Orchestra" is a reference to Wagner operators, as in Musicians of Mars, a phrase used in the US Army Artillery School in Fort Sill.

In mid-January 2017, a widespread counter-offensive began along the entire front line. By the end of the month, fighters from the Wagner PMC advanced 15 km from the T4 airbase in Tiyas and created a bridgehead for returning to Palmyra. As a result of persistent fighting, by the end of February 2017, the “musicians” liberated part of the oil and gas fields northwest of Palmyra and came close to the ancient city. After the 1st SHO "Ratibora" took Palmyra by storm for the second time, on March 2, Sergei Shoigu reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Palmyra was again under the control of the Syrian army.

In order to gain a strategic advantage before the global advance into eastern Syria, government forces needed to gain a foothold in the desert and mountainous areas of Homs province, which were still under IS control. As a result of three months of fighting, units of the Wagner PMC liberated the Al-Shair gas fields north of Palmyra from the Islamic State, and pro-Iranian militias occupied the Khneifis phosphate deposits south of the ancient city.

As a result, Palmyra was freed from strategic encirclement from the south, while free access to the city from Damascus was again opened. And the Syrian army had a serious chance to clear the Syrian desert. On May 30, the Syrian army, together with the National Defense Forces and Iraqi paramilitary forces, occupied the Helba area in the southeastern part of Homs province, thus approaching the border with Iraq at a distance of 50 kilometers.

Prolonged fighting around Palmyra led to the fact that the Islamic State militants were forced to regroup and leave part of the territory in order to unite all their units in the Es-Sukhne area and thereby prevent Syrian government forces along the highway to Deir ez-Zor. On June 13, Liwa Fatimiyoun troops occupied the city of Arak and nearby gas fields almost without a fight; the next day, the Syrian army reached the T3 pumping station and occupied the At-Talila intersection, which has long been considered the main line of defense of the Islamic State. As a result of the retreat and regrouping of the Islamic State, by June 23, pro-government forces occupied the first points in the Syrian desert - Ard Al-Washash, the Al-Wair Dam and large areas within 25 kilometers of the T2 pumping station.

After clearing the entire province of Aleppo from Islamic State militants and regaining control over the section of the highway to Raqqa from Itria to Ar-Rasafa, the Syrian army faced the need to liberate significant territories in the south of Raqqa province in order to reach directly into the vicinity of Deir ez-Zor.

On July 14, 2017, the combined forces of the Syrian army, led by the Tiger Forces of Suheil al-Hassan, launched an offensive in the south of Raqqa province, moving south from Ar-Rasafa with the support of Russian aircraft. Over the next few days, a number of oil and gas fields in the south of the province, in particular the large Dbeisan field, came under the control of government troops. By July 18, government forces had driven IS out of the western and southwestern parts of Raqqa province, while simultaneously reaching the outskirts of the Jabal al-Bishri mountains, which contained secret routes and communications between IS fighters between Deir ez-Zor, Sukhneh and Akerbat.

By July 21, the Syrian army had advanced 30-35 km east of Ar-Rasafa and intensified its offensive on the west bank of the Euphrates River. The key target of the advancing combined forces was the city of Maadan, beyond which passed the administrative borders of the province of Deir ez-Zor. On July 27, Syrian army troops advanced within four kilometers of Maadan and, having blocked the small IS garrison in the city, crossed the border of Deir ez-Zor province from the west for the first time.

In the summer of 2017, the Syrian army was faced with a difficult situation at the front, during which it was necessary to eliminate significant forces of militants in Eastern Hama in order to continue the offensive on Deir ez-Zor. The center of the IS fortified area became the settlement of Akerbat - the westernmost point of control of the militants, which over the course of several years was turned into an impregnable citadel.

Taking advantage of the difficult terrain and numerous desert shelters, IS militants continued to travel between Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, attacking gas fields in the Palmyra area. Up to one and a half thousand militants with heavy weapons and military equipment, tanks, artillery and “shahid mobiles” with explosives, as well as foreign terrorists and saboteurs equipped with the latest military equipment, have accumulated in the city.

The first two attempts to encircle the fortified area of ​​Akerbat and stop the threat of IS advance in Eastern Hama were unsuccessful: despite high-quality support from the Russian Federation, which destroyed the routes for the transfer of militants, the Syrian army for a long time could not break through the defenses of the forces of the terrorist group. Only after fighters of the Russian Special Operations Forces and assault units of the Wagner PMC were involved in the task, was it possible to cut off the Akerbat area from communications. After which the fighters of the “orchestra” began an operation to liberate the enclave - and as a result, by September 2, Akerbat was completely liberated by the forces of the Wagner PMC and the Syrian special forces unit “ISIS Hunters” trained by “musicians”.

At the beginning of August 2017, it became known that terrorists were beginning to flee from areas of Eastern Homs, which were the most strategically important points. Amid the loss of Mosul and the tight siege of Raqqa by pro-American forces, significant IS forces were withdrawn from Akerbat and Es-Sukhneh east of Palmyra along mountain routes and trails towards besieged Deir ez-Zor.

Pro-government forces took advantage of the consolidation of IS militants to form a springboard for an attack on Deir ez-Zor. On July 23, the forces of the 5th Volunteer Assault Corps besieged Es Sukhne, which at that time was defended by a small but extremely fanatical garrison of militants. Despite the fact that the troops managed to take up the first defensive formations in the immediate vicinity of the populated area, the density of fire and flank counterattacks of the Islamic State forced the transfer of additional army forces to Sukhna. By August 2, after prolonged fighting, the militants began to withdraw from the city in order to preserve some units in the upcoming battle for Deir ez-Zor.

The next day, government forces took control of 20% of the city, and Sukhne was completely liberated by August 5. The Syrian army fighters were accompanied by fighters and instructors from the Russian Special Forces and the Wagner PMC, who closely monitored their charges. At the same time, the Syrian army gathering for an attack on Deir ez-Zor remained extremely vulnerable all the way from Palmyra to Es-Sukhne, where the enemy carried out flank counterattacks. Thus, on August 9, IS militants carried out a large-scale offensive in the east of Homs province near the T-2 pumping station. After an hour of intense fighting, the attack was eventually repulsed, with army commanders reporting that more than 80 IS militants were killed and army casualties amounted to 22 soldiers.

Memoirs of a “Wagnerite” from the book by Kirill Romanovsky “Eight Years with Wagner”
“One day we are given a task - during the offensive, to reach the front line of the Syrians and understand where they have gained a foothold after their advance. I rode along the left flank with our colonel, the military adviser to the Syrians. We look at the left flank - everything seems to be fine, the Syrians have completed their tasks. We look at the right flank and see that to the right of the road the cars were moving straight towards the enemy. Well, we think - well done, Syrians, they are advancing straight in a column. Moreover, there were a lot of cars - I counted about a dozen pickup trucks.

We went behind the column to see where it would anchor. We are driving in two cars: the adviser from the Moscow Region is driving in the first, and we are in the second. We crossed the road and followed them in the direction of Deir ez-Zor. We drive and drive, but there are still no Syrians. There is no leading edge of positions. At all.

“What the hell is this?” I think. And the adviser is driving in the car ahead. Suddenly I look - there are cars in the distance, Zushki are standing, the crowd is somehow incomprehensible. I look at the reaction of the car in front - it sharply hits the brakes, turns sharply 180 degrees and begins to take off. I understand that something is wrong, I give a command to the driver - let's get him urgently, in the opposite direction.

Then it turned out that it was the enemy: he was retreating, and we just came across him. And there the distance was up to 300 meters - we almost drove into enemy territory. We have almost caught up with them. As I understand it, they themselves did not understand who was moving behind them - they thought they were their own, so there was no fire from their side. We returned back, began to investigate, and began to look for the positions of the first Syrian corps. And when they found it, it turned out that they didn’t even go anywhere. They remained in their previous positions and remained there. And thanks to the inaction of the right flank of the Syrians, only one detachment went on the offensive.”


To protect the flanks from ongoing attacks, the Syrian army conducted two military operations on August 11. As a result of the landing at the junction of the borders of the provinces of Homs, Hama and Raqqa north of Sukhneh, Tiger Forces troops occupied Al-Qadir and 12 kilometers of the territory around the Al-Qom oasis, thereby cutting off the main communications of IS militants between the three provinces and securing the approaches to the highway to Es-Sukhnah. After the main forces of the Syrian army arrived at the landing site on August 23-24, government forces liberated more than 2 thousand square kilometers of territory and blocked IS forces in the province of Deir ez-Zor.

In parallel with the successes north of the highway, the Syrian army managed to pin down the IS forces in the area of ​​​​the village of Humeima in the Syrian desert, from which there was also access to the province of Deir ez-Zor. After ten days of fighting, IS forces abandoned Humeimah, thereby, after four years of war, the oil pipeline line stretching from Iraq to the Mediterranean coast completely came under the control of government forces.
Along the highway

Starting from the end of August 2017, the Syrian army, Russian military and assault units of the Wagner PMC began planning an operation to relieve Deir ez-Zor. On August 25, the head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Colonel General Sergei Rudskoy, announced that the city on the Euphrates will be the next target for the advance of the Syrian army with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces. According to his statement, units of the Syrian army and people's militia, with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces, are rapidly developing an offensive on Deir ez-Zor from three directions:

“Now the main efforts of government troops and the Russian Armed Forces are focused on defeating the last stronghold of IS armed forces in the Deir ez-Zor area. With the release of this city, the defeat of the most combat-ready formations of the IS terrorist group in Syria will be completed. It is there that the IS terrorists are gathering their remaining forces: militants from Mosul and most of the most combat-ready terrorist units from Raqqa have moved there.”

The capture of Es-Sukhne and the liberation of Akerbat allowed the Syrian side and the assault troops of the Wagner PMC to intensify operations in the direction of Deir ez-Zor. On August 27, the Syrian army began advancing along the Homs-Palmyra highway, advancing by August 29 to a position near the village of Ghanem Ali, 66 km from the city of Deir ez-Zor. The Syrian troops and Wagner attack aircraft were helped to advance by the Russian Aerospace Forces, which destroyed 26 pieces of equipment and two IS fortified areas in the vicinity of the besieged city within 24 hours.

Memoirs of a “musician” from Kirill Romanovsky’s book “Eight Years with Wagner”:
“The offensive took place near Es-Sukhne towards Deir ez-Zor along the road. We advanced along the route from left and right. On the left side was the combined Syrian corps, in my opinion, the 101st corps. And on the right flank there was, it seems, the first corps. In both corps, the command was replenished by our officers from the Ministry of Defense - they were competent and commanded normally. We advanced as if in waves: on the first day the Syrians advanced, reached the planned line, the next day, starting from their positions, our units advanced.”


The entry of the Syrian army into the province of Deir ez-Zor caused massive movements in the territories of the Islamic State: according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, militants began transporting heavy equipment, including tanks and off-road vehicles with large-caliber weapons and mortars. The consolidation of IS equipment in the area of ​​Deir ez-Zor itself was interrupted by the Russian Aerospace Forces, which on September 1 destroyed concentrations of militants in the Jebel al-Sarda area, in the Ar-Rashidiya area, near the Panorama roundabout, and also near military warehouses in Ayash.

After active fighting on the approaches to Deir ez-Zor, the Wagner PMC, which was at the forefront of the offensive, was able to get within 8-10 km of the city.

Participants in the events in Kirill Romanovsky’s book “Eight Years with Wagner” recall:

the fighters covered the path from Palmyra to the outskirts of Deir ez-Zor through the desert almost on their own two feet: “In 2017, when we walked towards the Euphrates, we really walked a lot and for a long time . We covered a huge amount of mileage during the day. Later, a couple of years later, I had to drive there by car - I was so tired of driving. I think to myself: “Epera Theatre, have we walked that much?”


The support of Russian aviation during these days did not stop even for a day: ammunition depots, armored vehicles, trucks and IS artillery firing points came under attack from the Russian Aerospace Forces. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, in the first days of September 2017, the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out more than 80 sorties to support the offensive on Deir ez-Zor. Thanks to the coordinated actions of all advancing units of the Wagner PMC, they were able to break through the militants’ defenses in the most important strategic directions.

Breakthrough
In parallel with the strikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the forces of the elite Tiger Force brigade Suheil al-Hassan were advancing towards the city. On August 31, government forces established full control of the Jebel al-Bishri mountain range west of Deir ez-Zor. By September 2, the Tiger Forces, together with detachments of the 5th Volunteer Assault Corps and the Afghan militia Liwa Fatimiyun, advanced from the mountain range towards the hills of Jebel Nazyrat al-Bishri, Jebel Azman and Jebel Adima, which covered the route to Deir ez-Zor.

The siege of Deir ez-Zor was broken on September 5, 2017. At night, the Russian Aerospace Forces destroyed more than 100 ISIS militants on the outskirts of the city, but the Russian military reserved the main blow for the morning. From the frigate Admiral Essen of the Black Sea Fleet, sea-based cruise missiles "Caliber" were launched at IS positions near Deir ez-Zor. As a result of the precise strike, command and control facilities and a communications center, weapons warehouses, as well as an enterprise for the repair of militant armored vehicles were eliminated.

The strike of Russian cruise missiles predetermined the fall of the blockade of Deir ez-Zor: at about 14:00 local time, the advancing units of the Tiger Forces met with Issam Zahreddin and soldiers of the 104th and 137th brigades. The defenders of the city could not hide their emotions: finally, the three-year siege of the city was over.

Few people, however, paid attention then to what was happening southwest of the place where the blockade of Deir ez-Zor was broken, described in the media. While Syrian troops were trying to break through from the north-west to connect with the first part of the defenders of Deir ez-Zor, fighters of the Wagner PMC fought their way to the territory of the Deir ez-Zor airport along the M-20 highway. The Wagnerites needed to clear the entrances and key roads leading to the once besieged city from Islamic State militants. And while the Tigers were fraternizing with the garrison of Deir ez-Zor, Russian fighters had to wrest strategically important communications from the clutches of the militants.

At the beginning of September, the route was practically cleared of militants everywhere except one position. Located 30 km from Deir ez-Zor, the village of Ash-Shola was the only section of the road that remained with IS militants after breaking the blockade of the city. The first attempts to take the village by the combined forces of the Wagner PMC and Syrian soldiers ran into fierce resistance from IS militants who tried to encircle the advancing formations.

The words of a fighter from the PMC “Wagner” in the book by Kirill Romanovsky “Eight Years with Wagner”:
“The spirits cut us off then. One fine morning they blow up an ammunition depot in our rear. There was a long distance between our posts - a kilometer and a half. In general, they somehow got through between the posts - not because of our oversight or negligence, but because it was not clear where the Syrians were standing. Because of this confusion, the militants insolently drove up, worked and settled down along the embankment. We remained against them as part of one squad: we threw grenades, a quadcopter dropped NATO mines on us. We had two “three-hundredth” lungs. But in the end we fought them off.”


By September 6, additional Wagner forces were deployed near Ash-Shola, who were supposed to gain a foothold in the populated area and provide full access to the highway. On September 7, the offensive continued. The forces of the “Islamic State” tried several times to attack the advancing column of Russian soldiers, but were unable to contain the advance of the Wagner PMC and were forced to retreat.

A breach in the ISIS defenses forced militant groups to retreat along the M-20 highway. As a result of the offensive along the road, the forces of the “orchestra” reached the southern outskirts of Deir ez-Zor - the area of ​​the airport, cut off from the rest of the city’s defenders.

Memoirs of a “musician” from Kirill Romanovsky’s book “Eight Years with Wagner”:
“We broke through the ring of ISIS fighters who kept the airfield surrounded, and our platoon was the very first to go there. We go out to the airfield - everyone is dirty, we have walked through all the quarries, we have squeezed the spirits out of their holes. We look like fighting homeless people. I'm wearing a helmet and holding two ATGMs. And a Syrian comes out from this gang that ran the airport there, he saw us and said: - Inshallah! “Praise be to Allah, reinforcements have arrived.”


Having encountered the massive advance of the Wagner PMC detachments, IS militants were forced to hastily flee from their positions near the airport, abandoning weapons, ammunition and ammunition, including NATO-style ones. As it later became clear, the leaders of the Islamic State ordered the Islamists to go beyond the Euphrates River, where the militants had full-fledged strongholds. Using the area of ​​the Deir ez-Zor airfield as a springboard for the offensive, the forces of the Wagner PMC began clearing the IS stronghold on the territory of the gas processing plant. The fighting in the area of ​​the “Gas Plant,” as Russian soldiers nicknamed this area, was accompanied by numerous attacks by suicide bombers, which were launched in order to slow down the offensive and cover the withdrawal of IS forces beyond the Euphrates.

Words of the “orchestra” stormtrooper from Kirill Romanovsky’s book “Eight Years with Wagner”:
“We went to the Dukhovsky stronghold and, when we were already moving the front, martyrs attacked the airport,” says an eyewitness to one of these attacks. “There was an old fire station there, and two suicide bombers blew themselves up there.” I don’t know what kind of explosive charge there was, but when these two suicide bombers exploded, they were completely scattered across the territory. I then walked through these fragments of equipment, scraps of suicide bombers - the largest fragment that I saw was the size of a palm, a piece of the spine and ribs.”


The fight continues...

The breaking of the blockade of Deir ez-Zor was an important milestone in the Syrian conflict - but the story of the war against the Islamic State does not end there. In order to stop the expansion of terror, it was necessary to inflict a crushing military defeat on the group, after which ISIS militants would not be able to carry out such extensive activities as they carried out three years ago. And first of all, to drive out the militants of the terrorist group from the occupied areas of Deir ez-Zor and the surrounding area.

Its main defender, Issam Zahreddin, did not wait for the complete liberation of Deir ez-Zor. After a short vacation and meeting with his family in Es-Suwayda, the Syrian general returned to the city with the intention of continuing the battle with terrorists. However, on October 18, 2017, two weeks before the liberation of the city, Zahreddin was killed in a mine explosion on the island of Huwayja Saqr in the Euphrates Delta. However, the work of the “Lion of the Republican Guard” was continued by his comrades.

The next stage of fighting in Deir ez-Zor lasted for two months: the Islamic State militants were not going to give up positions in the captured city neighborhoods. On September 14, 2017, the Syrian army launched an offensive to recapture the remaining IS-controlled areas of the city of Deir ez-Zor, occupying the Al-Bagiliya area. While the Syrians were diverting the attention of the militants to themselves, detachments of the Wagner PMC began the legendary operation to cross the Euphrates: on September 18, the fighters of the “orchestra” carried out a landing on the eastern bank of the river, cutting off the militants remaining in Deir ez-Zor from supplies and assistance.

Finding themselves completely surrounded, without the opportunity to cross the river and go to other combatants, the remaining militants surrendered block by block and were destroyed by pro-government forces. On November 3, 2017, the Syrian army completely recaptured the city of Deir ez-Zor and its environs from IS, and on November 17, the Wagnerites cleared the militants’ last stronghold of defense – the island of Huwayja Katya, where a group of several dozen militants was completely destroyed.

(c) Commissioner Yarrick
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Actual information about the situation on the front line: July 19 (updated)
2023-07-20
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFrontInfo] 23:57 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 07/19/2023 to 00:00 07/20/2023

Over the past day, the Representation reported 49 facts of firing by the AFU.

Information was received about the injury of two civilians, incl. child born in 2022 #ChildrenNotTarget, in the Kirovsky district of Makeevka.

A total of 14 residential buildings were damaged in the Kuibyshevsky, Kievsky and Petrovsky districts of Donetsk, the Kirovsky district of Makeevka, as well as one civil infrastructure facility.

Under enemy fire were areas of five settlements of the Republic: Gorlovka (Kalininsky district), Yasinovatsky district, the capital city of Donetsk (Kuibyshevsky, Kirovsky, Kievsky, Petrovsky districts), Makeevka (Kirovsky district), Staromikhaylovka.

In the Donetsk direction, the enemy made 42 artillery attacks from the MLRS, 155mm artillery.

On Gorlovsky three artillery attacks from 152mm artillery.

On Yasinovatsky four artillery attacks from 155mm artillery.

Having fired 271 units of various ammunition.

In the previous day, 102 artillery attacks were recorded from the side of the VFU.

22:40 Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled Vasylivka twice in the evening in the Zaporozhye region

The first arrivals were recorded at 20:00. Residential buildings, roads were damaged, a gas pipe along Teatralnaya Street was broken. Information about the victims is being specified.

22:25 Militarist writes that the Russian Aerospace Forces began to more actively use long-range missiles Kh-59MK2

Compared to Ukrainian aviation, Russian aviation began to use long-range aviation weapons 10-15 times more often.

22:14 Soledar direction: situation by the end of July 19, 2023 from Rybar.

The situation in the Soledar direction remains tense. To the north of Bakhmut, fighting continues in the vicinity of the Berkhovsky reservoir, albeit with a decrease in intensity.

The enemy is trying to advance in the Dubovo-Vasilevka area, operating in small groups with the support of light armored vehicles. The RF Armed Forces stop the attacks with artillery fire.

To the south of Bakhmut, heavy fighting is going on in the Kleshcheevka area, where the enemy is throwing more and more reinforcements, trying to hold on to the adjacent landings and the fortified area on the heights.

In addition, the maneuver groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine tried to break into Andreevka, south of Kleshcheevka. There, the enemy was stopped in the landings, where battles were going on during the day.

There have also been confirmations of our information about the heavy fighting for the fortified area northwest of Kleshcheevka.

On the channel of the 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the RF Armed Forces publishedframes artillery work on fortifications occupied by the enemy and the consequences of multiple strikes.

The Ukrainian formations suffered heavy losses, and at least partly retreated, leaving many bodies and broken equipment on the territory of the fortified area.

Now the fortified area, if not occupied by Russian military personnel, is at least located in the gray zone.


21:57 Ukrainian TG channels report a strong explosion in Lviv

The air raid alert was not issued. We are waiting for information.

21:25 Video- Statement by the head of the press center of the "South" group:

Aviation of the Southern Group of Forces carried out missile and bomb strikes on two points of temporary deployment of the 5th separate assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the settlement of Stupochki. The crews of helicopters of army aviation hit the accumulation of enemy manpower and armored vehicles in the areas of Kurdyumovka and Bogdanovka.

The crew of the Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system dealt a blow to the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and weapons in the area of the settlement of Stepanovka.

The artillery of the group during the counterbattery fight destroyed a 122mm D-30 howitzer, two foreign-made self-propelled artillery mounts "Crab", 122mm self-propelled guns 2S1 "Gvozdika" and a 120mm mortar with an enemy crew in the areas of Serebryanka, Seversk, Krasnoe, Stupochki and Novodmitrovka settlements.


20:55 Video- the most powerful footage of a fierce battle: repulsing the assault and defeating the enemy armored group near Artemovsk by our fighters

An armored group of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles approached the Russian trenches point-blank and began to shoot them from guns, but our anti-tankers hit them on the flank.

The first ATGM flew exactly into the T-64BV, which was run over by the BMP-2 and the second missile flew into it. The third missile burned down the trailing BMP-1 along with the troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - the retreating tanks left the only surviving wounded brother near the burning equipment to die.

In the troop compartment of the affected BMP-2, the Armed Forces of Ukraine somehow managed to survive several militants, they got out of the car and tried to continue the attack on the trenches, which were defended by only one of our fighters, who opened fire on them and threw grenades until reinforcements arrived.

The position was held and the enemy defeated.

20:30 On Orekhovsky direction Zaporizhzhya Front in the area of the settlement. Work is very hot!

The enemy carried out a rotation and transferred new forces from the reserve to the LBS.

Artillery duels went on for several hours, as well as massive artillery preparation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Neither the enemy nor we spared the rounds.

About half an hour ago, the Nazis launched a new offensive operation at the Rabotino-Verbovoye line, sending dozens of armored vehicles, including Leopards and Bradleys, as well as many militants to try to break through our positions at the junction of the zones of responsibility of the 291st and 70th Regiments.

The enemy was detected in time by our drones, bought for the people's funds, and fire damage is inflicted on him by artillery and mortars.

Our guys are in active defense. Heavy fighting began.

Evening and night promise to be hot.


20:00 Operational lines of The DPR JCCC for July 19, as of 20:00, received information about casualties among civilians in the cities of the Republic:

n.p. Makeevka (Kirovskiy district):

- on the street. Komsomolskaya, 5 wounded child - a girl born in 2022 #ChildrenNotTarget and a pregnant woman born in 1992

Additional information was received about damage as a result of the artillery attack of the VFU cities of the Republic:

Donetsk:
Kievsky district:

- st. 50 years of Ukraine, 107 - a direct hit in a private residential building;

- st. 50 years of Ukraine, 61, 63, 65, 129 "a", 130, 130 "a", 131, 133 - private residential buildings;

- st. Krupskaya, 130, 130 "a" - private residential buildings.

Petrovsky district:

- st. Wagner, 15 - apartment building.

n.p. Makeevka (Kirovskiy district):

- st. Komsomolskaya, 5 - a private residential building.

19:50 Video- "We saw the convoy, performed two launches - both successful":

In the Zaporozhye direction, the enemy again attempted a counteroffensive. What tasks were carried out by the crews of the Ka-52 in the course of repelling the attack of the Ukrainian troops, one of the pilots with the call sign "Cossack" told.

19:25 For courage and heroism: servicemen of the Southern Military District, defended eight attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, awarded with state awards

The 6th motorized rifle company of the 1429th Motorized Rifle Regiment was defending a stronghold northeast of the village of Rabotino.

On the morning of July 17, the company's positions were subjected to a massive fire raid, including the use of Excalibur high-precision projectiles and cluster munitions.

The enemy, using the results of fire damage, attacked our defending unit with superior forces.

Acting courageously, skillfully and in a coordinated manner, the soldiers of the 6th motorized rifle company, being under constant enemy fire, repelled eight fierce attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

As a result of the heroic actions of the unit, the enemy suffered significant losses: more than forty Ukrainian servicemen, an armored personnel carrier and two pickup trucks were destroyed.

Being seriously wounded, the commander of the 6th company, Senior Lieutenant Aleksey Alekseevich Melnikov, continued to control the battle, leaving no subordinates behind. The officer died from his wounds. He and the personnel of the company are presented for state awards.

18:50 In connection with the termination of the "Black Sea Initiative" and the curtailment of the maritime humanitarian corridor, from 00.00 Moscow time on July 20, 2023, all ships traveling in the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports willbe consideredas potential carriers of military cargo.

Accordingly, the flag countries of such vessels will be considered involved in the Ukrainian conflict on the side of the Kyiv regime.

In addition, a number of sea areas in the northwestern and southeastern parts of the international waters of the Black Sea have been declared temporarily dangerous for navigation. Appropriate informational warnings about the withdrawal of safety guarantees to seafarers were issued in accordance with the established procedure.

18:25 Kupyanskoe direction:

Today, after advancing west of the First Liman and taking the railway station, our Army began to storm Maksyutovka and Sinkovka.

Right now, ours are working from all types of weapons and cover Maksyutovka from the south and north.

17:55 Massed blows of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on objects on the territory of Ukraine on the night of July 19

For the second night in a row, Russian troops have launched massive strikes against targets in Ukraine, using, among other things, Geran-2 kamikaze drones and Kalibr cruise missiles.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced the defeat of military industry facilities and fuel infrastructure, ammunition depots in the Odessa region, as well as the Kanatovo air base in the Kirovograd region.

The Ukrainian authorities called last night one of the most difficult since the beginning of the special operation and have already rushed to request additional SAMP-T or Patriot air defense systems from Western partners.

Such requests are not surprising - for the second night, footage appears on the Web of how air defense units, with their work, endanger the inhabitants of Odessa by launching anti-aircraft missiles in the direction of residential buildings.

17:20 Video- statement by the head of the press center of the "Center" group:

In the Svatovsky and Krasnolimansky directions, in the course of a counter-battery fight, artillery units of the Center group of forces destroyed a self-propelled howitzer "Crab" and a towed howitzer "M-777" of Western production. In addition, two Pickup vehicles and an armored fighting vehicle were hit.

In the area of Serebryansky forest, two attempts to return the lost positions of the 67th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were thwarted by artillery and army aviation fire, and an infantry fighting vehicle was destroyed as a result of fire damage. The enemy suffered significant losses in manpower.

The crew of the Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower system inflicted a fire defeat on the stronghold of the nationalists.

Aviation carried out 12 missile and bomb strikes on Ukrainian military targets.


16:45 Video- "The hardest work day and night in conditions of constant threat": Putin about our front-line soldiers.

“I know how difficult it is, especially in some areas - the hardest work in the face of a threat to life and health. I am sure that cities, streets, parks and schools in the Russian Federation will be named after the participants of the NWO. It is necessary to give NWO participants career prospects not only in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, but also “in civilian life”.

16:20 Full video from the 4th Lugansk Brigade about heavy fighting on the southern flank of Bakhmut.

Soldiers of the “Ghost” battalion and one of Akhmat’s units are also fighting here.

15:30 Odessa consequences of Massive Combination Night Strike.

15:00 Summary of Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation (as of July 19, 2023)

Tonight, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a group strike with high-precision sea and air-based weapons on military industry facilities, fuel infrastructure and ammunition depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the city of Odessa, as well as on the Kanatovo air base of the Ukrainian Air Force in the Kirovohrad region. All assigned objects are hit. The target has been reached.

- In the Kupyansk direction, units of the "Western" group of troops continued successful offensive operations in their area of responsibility. During the day, the advance of Russian units amounted to more than a kilometer in depth and up to two kilometers along the front. The advancing units captured the Molchanovo railway station in the Kharkov region.

Air strikes and artillery fire hit units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Sinkovka, Kislovka, Berestovoye of the Kharkov region and Novoselovskoye of the Luhansk People's Republic. An ammunition depot of the 103rd Territorial Defense Brigade was destroyed near the village of Peschanoe, Kharkiv region.

Enemy losses per day amounted to 70 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, three vehicles, self-propelled artillery mounts: Polish-made Krab and 122mm Gvozdika, as well as a US-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar.

During the day, the armed forces of Ukraine made attempts to attack in the Donetsk, Krasnolimansk and South-Donetsk directions.

- In the Donetsk direction, as a result of the coordinated actions of the units of the "Southern" group of troops, air strikes, artillery fire and heavy flamethrower systems, 25 enemy attacks were successfully repelled in the areas of the settlements of Belogorovka, Pervomayskoye, Nevelskoye, Maryinka, North and north-west of Kleshcheevka of the Donetsk People's Republic .

In addition, the manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were hit in the areas of the settlements of Seversk, Chasov Yar, Toretsk and Krasnogorovka of the Donetsk People's Republic.

An ammunition depot of the 110th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed near the settlement of Avdiivka in the Donetsk People's Republic.

During the day, more than 340 Ukrainian servicemen, two tanks, three armored combat vehicles, four pickup trucks, a German-made Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzer, two Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery mounts, a 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount, and two howitzers were destroyed 122mm D-30.

- In the Krasnolimansky direction, units of the "Center" grouping of troops, artillery fire, strikes by operational-tactical and army aviation repelled four enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Karmazinovka, Shipilovka, Kremennaya and Belogorovka of the Luhansk People's Republic. Fire damage was inflicted on units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Novosadovoe, Yampolovka and Serebryanka of the Donetsk People's Republic.

In the area of the settlement of Torskoye of the Donetsk People's Republic, the actions of a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group were stopped.

In addition, an ammunition depot of the 100th Territorial Defense Brigade was destroyed near the village of Yampol in the Donetsk People's Republic.

Enemy losses per day amounted to 100 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, three vehicles, two 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mounts, and two 122mm D-30 howitzers.

- In the South-Donetsk direction, strikes by operational-tactical and army aviation, artillery fire of the Vostok group of forces repelled an enemy attack in the area of the settlement of Rabotino, Zaporozhye region.

Manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Priyutnoye in the Zaporozhye region, Makarovka and Rovnopol of the Donetsk People's Republic. The actions of a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group were stopped in the area of the village of Staromayorskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic.

- In the Zaporozhye direction, fire damage was inflicted on accumulations of manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Novopokrovka and Malaya Tokmachka of the Zaporozhye region.

In the area of the settlement of Marfopol, Zaporozhye region, the actions of the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group were stopped.

In addition, seven ammunition depots of the 23rd, 33rd mechanized, 128th mountain assault and 44th Artillery Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Berezovoe, Dnepropetrovsk region, Malaya Tokmachka, Rabotino, Preobrazhenka, Uspenovka and Novoyakovlevka, Zaporozhye region.

Enemy losses per day in these areas amounted to more than 170 Ukrainian servicemen, two tanks, nine armored combat vehicles, four vehicles, a 152mm MSTA-B howitzer, three 152mm D-20 guns, a 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount, and a radar station US-made counter-battery AN/TPQ-50.

- In the Kherson direction, as a result of complex fire damage over the past day, up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, an armored combat vehicle, three pickup trucks, and a 122mm D-30 howitzer were destroyed.

Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile forces and artillery of groups of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation during the day hit 92 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 106 districts.

- In the area of the city of Zaporozhye, the base of fuels and lubricants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed.

- Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the area of the village of Razdolnoye of the Donetsk People's Republic shot down a Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force.

- A Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by means of air defense in the area of the settlement of Kutkovka, Kharkiv region.

During the day, five rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system were intercepted.

In addition, eighteen unmanned aerial vehicles of the enemy were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region, Kremennaya, Berestovoye, Privolye of the Luhansk People's Republic, Krasnaya Gora, Opytnoye, Pokrovskoye, Staromlynovka of the Donetsk People's Republic, Pologi, Lyubimovka and Fedorovka of the Zaporozhye region.

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the following have been destroyed: 456 aircraft, 243 helicopters, 5,108 unmanned aerial vehicles, 426 anti-aircraft missile systems, 10,761 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,139 combat vehicles of multiple launch rocket systems, 5,522 field artillery pieces and mortars, as well as 11,752 units of special military vehicles.


14:30 Krasnolimanskoe direction at 13:30:

Positional battles continue in the Krasnolimansky sector, the enemy is transferring the reserve from the n. Seversk in the village of Yampol, enemy actions aimed at conducting reconnaissance, with the help of UAVs, REM and from a part of the electronic warfare, the enemy also fired at the villages of Dibrovo and Kremennaya several times with RZSO.

Airborne units are actively working on the enemy with the help of kamikaze drones and anti-tank systems.

Rotation groups are destroyed.

14:00 Video- The patrol ship "Sergey Kotov" of the Black Sea Fleet, performing tasks in the southwestern part of the Black Sea, 180 km northeast of the Bosphorus, discovered a derailed drifting Ukrainian mine.

By decision of the commander of the ship, a Ka-27 helicopter was lifted into the air, the crew of which destroyed the mine with machine-gun fire.

13:35 Video- Tankers of the “Brave” thwarted the offensive of the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade in the Krasno-Limansky direction:

The reconnaissance revealed the concentration of the mobile group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, preparing for the offensive. The crew of the combat vehicle of the Hero-tankman with the call sign "Groom" worked on the targets received, destroying the infantry fighting vehicle and two pickup trucks with militants.

13:00 Ukrainian formations continue artillery attacks on the border settlements of the Kursk region.

Governor Starovoit said that three arrivals were recorded in Suja, a residential building was severely damaged, neighboring buildings were slashed with shrapnel, and a fire broke out.

In addition, there are reports of the artillery attack of Guevo, but there are no official comments and additional information yet.

In Elizavetovka, according to Shot, a UAV with a drop system attacked an agricultural enterprise, hitting the machine yard of Pobeda LLC, there were no casualties or damage.

12:25 Video- statement by the head of the press center of the group "West":

During the hostilities in the Kupyansk direction, the crews of Ka-52 and Mi-28 attack helicopters and Su-25 attack aircraft of the Zapad group of forces inflicted eight strikes on the accumulation of manpower and firepower of units of the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade and territorial defense battalions.

The artillery of the group thwarted an attempt to rotate units of the 32nd Separate Mechanized Brigade at the forefront in the area of the settlement of Stelmakhovka. In addition, as a result of reconnaissance and search operations in the area of the Popov forest, seven servicemen were taken prisoner by a reconnaissance group of a motorized rifle formation. The total losses of the enemy amounted to a platoon of manpower and MTLB.

In the Dvurechensky direction, during the battle in the area of the settlement of Masyutovka and the station of Sinkovka, army units captured four strongholds and three observation posts, the enemy's losses amounted to two platoons of manpower.

By means of air defense, the crew of the Tor complex in the area of the settlement of Kolomyychikha destroyed the Ukrainian-made UAV Columba.


11:55 There is information that tonight it is only continuation warm-ups.

This week they will seriously finish off the entire port infrastructure, while simultaneously clearing the air defense, which no one will pull to Odessa.

To understand what was involved today: 16 "Caliber" missile ship "Ingushetia" and the frigate "Admiral Essen" from the Black Sea; eight X-22 cruise missiles with Tu-22M3; six Onyx cruise missiles and 32 mopeds.

There will be more to come.

11:25 Video- statement by the head of the press center of the Vostok group:

- In the South-Donetsk direction, the advanced units of the Vostok group of troops, with the support of artillery, thwarted the enemy’s attempts to rotate personnel at positions in the areas of Makarovka, Staromayorsky and south of Ravnopol.

The use of a strike UAV destroyed an artillery gun in Novomikhailovka.

During the counterbattery fight, a mortar crew was destroyed in the area northwest of Novodonetsk and a towed Msta-B howitzer in Privolnoye. The forces of the army and assault aviation hit over a dozen places where militants gathered in the Staromayorsky area.

- In the Zaporozhye direction, motorized rifle units destroyed groups of enemy infantry trying to attack in the direction of Rabotino. Having suffered losses, the enemy retreated.

Artillery fire destroyed the stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Dorozhnyanka area, and the enemy’s attempt to rotate infantry units in the Novodanilovka area was thwarted.
A mortar crew was destroyed in the Gulyai Polya area.

Air defense systems shot down two Furia UAVs.

The military personnel of the Vostok group of troops show courage and heroism in the performance of combat missions.

The gunner-operator of the tank platoon of the tank regiment of the group, junior sergeant Vladimir Abramov, during the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in one of the sectors of the Zaporozhye direction, carried out the tasks of destroying enemy manpower and equipment by fire.

Being at the defensive line as part of the crew of the T-80 BVM tank, junior sergeant Abramov, upon detecting a retractable column of enemy equipment, in a short period of time and accurately fired at a distance of more than four kilometers, hitting several foreign-made armored vehicles.

Thanks to the skillful use of the tank's armament complex and the personal courage of junior sergeant Vladimir Abramov, the enemy's attack on this sector of the front was stopped.


11:00 Situation in Zaporozhye and Yuzhno-Donetsk directions: the enemy continues to put pressure

The enemy is trying not so much to break through the defensive formations of the Russian troops as to wear down our forces in three main directions of attack in the Zaporozhye region: in the Vremevsky, Orekhovsky and Vasilyevsky sectors. Throws mainly infantry into the attack, sometimes under the cover of armored vehicles up to tanks.

– “Swings” continue in the Vremevsky sector - the trenches are passing from hand to hand, in particular in the Staromayorsky area, where another attack of the assault group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was repelled at night, and in the Rovnopol area, where our units go on the counterattack. Also, overruns were noted in the Priyutny area. Heavy fighting in these areas does not subside.

- In the Orekhovskiy sector, the enemy is pressing in the area of Rabotino, Novopokrovka, as well as in other settlements.

- On the Vasilyevsky section, roll-ups continue on the Pyatikhatka-Zherebyanka line, and attempts to probe our defenses in the surrounding residents, including Lugovoe.

In general, there are no significant changes in the front line. At night, our side attacked enemy positions with aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems. The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the night in these directions amounted to more than 150 people killed and wounded, four armored combat vehicles and three vehicles.


10:30 Official summary of Representative offices of the DPR in the JCCC from 00:00 07/18/2023 to 00:00 07/19/2023

Over the past day, the Representation reported 102 facts of firing by the AFU.

Information was received about the death of two civilians in the Kirovsky district of Donetsk and the previously liberated Vladimirovka.

Wounds of varying severity were received by seven civilians, incl. teenager born in 2005

#ChildrenNotTarget, in the Kirovsky district of Donetsk, Chervonogvardeysky district of Makeevka and Staromikhaylovka.

A total of 17 residential buildings were damaged in the Kirovsky, Kuibyshevsky, Kievsky and Petrovsky districts of Donetsk, Chervonogvardeysky district of Makeevka, Staromikhaylovka and Yasinovataya, as well as six civilian infrastructure facilities.

Under enemy fire were areas of nine settlements of the Republic: Gorlovka (Nikitovsky, Kalininsky districts), Yasinovataya, Yasinovatsky district, the capital city of Donetsk (Kuibyshevsky, Kirovsky, Kievsky, Petrovsky districts), Makeevka (Chervonogvardeysky district), Aleksandrovka, Staromikhaylovka, Yelenovka, Volnovakha region.

In the Donetsk direction, the enemy made 88 artillery attacks from the MLRS, artillery 155mm and 152mm.

On Gorlovsky five artillery attacks from artillery 152mm, mortars 120mm.
On Yasinovatsky eight artillery attacks from 155mm artillery.
On Volnovakhsky one artillery attack from 155mm artillery.

Having fired 542 units of various ammunition.

In the previous day, 36 artillery attacks were recorded from the side of the VFU.

10:00 Video- one missile is enough: the combat work of the Tornado-S crews in the Kupyansk direction

The crews of the Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems of the Western Military District successfully hit targets at a distance of up to 120 kilometers.

MLRS "Tornado-S" can work with guided missiles, which significantly increases the accuracy. Ammunition independently, based on data from the satellite, corrects the trajectory of movement, taking into account climatic factors.

When firing from Tornado-S, the human factor is practically excluded, the installation electronics independently calculates, determines the key combat elements of the launch.

09:30 Infrastructure damaged in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine —authorities.

09:14 The criminal Kiev regime continues to shell the civilian infrastructure of the settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region, yesterday during the day the Armed Forces of Ukraine were fired from barrel artillery:

-- n.p. Aleshki fired 22 rounds;

-- n.p. Great Kardashinka fired nine rounds;

-- Nine rounds were fired at the village of Kardashinka;

-- 10 rounds were fired at the village of Peschanovka;

Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being specified.

During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the settlement. Nova Kakhovka, n.p. Kakhovka, n.p. Sagi, n.p. Proletarian, n.p. Golaya Pristan, n.p. Solontsy firing a total of 30 rounds from cannon artillery.

Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being specified.

08:45 Frontline summary on the morning of 07/19/2023:

In the western sector of the Zaporizhia direction, Ukrainian troops shifted the focus of attacks from Zherebyanki to Lugovoe. Thus, they are trying to move directly to Vasilievka. On their way - a powerful fortified area. With the support of artillery, the Armed Forces of Ukraine unsuccessfully attacked near Rabotin and probed the Russian defenses in the Chkalov area.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation fired at the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Novoandreevka, Orekhovo, Preobrazhenka, Belogorye, Gulyaipolsky, Upper Tersa and Zheleznodorozhny.

In the Ugledar sector, Russian troops, with the support of artillery, returned a number of positions in the Rovnopol region. In turn, similar actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Staromayorsky can also be called successful for Ukrainian units.

The Russian Aerospace Forces attacked the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Novodarovka, Makarovka and Blagodatnoe. Artillery, in addition to the last of the listed settlements, also worked on Neskuchny, Vremevka, Prechistovka and Ugledar. The Ukrainian army beat on Harvest and Novodonetsk.

On the Donetsk front, the RF Armed Forces, after artillery strikes, attacked all three main fortified areas of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: in Maryinka, the city of Krasnogorovka and Avdiivka. No success.

Under shelling, Ukrainian positions in Novomikhailovka, Vesely Gay, Ostrom, Nevelsky, Karlovka, Ceramics and Severny (a settlement northwest of Gorlovka). Artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine worked in Donetsk, Novobakhmutovka (the one under the control of the RF Armed Forces) and Gorlovka.

In the Bakhmut direction of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, after artillery strikes, they carried out assault operations near Andreevka and Kleshcheevka. No promotion. The RF Armed Forces also unsuccessfully tried to counterattack in the Ivanovsky area, from Berkhovka and in the direction of Grigorovka, Minkovka and Vesyologo (not to be confused with the settlements of the same name north-west of Donetsk and north of Avdievka).

The positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Pleshcheevka, Aleksandro-Shultin, Konstantinovka, Chasovoy Yar and Bogdanovka were under fire. Ukrainian artillery hit Ozaryanovka, Kurdyumovka and Bakhmut.


08:15 Anti-aircraft crews of the Southern Group of Forces use the tactics of a “chariot of fire” during a special operation, alternately working out on a ground target from automatic cannons, a Russian soldier told RIA Novosti -video.

08:04 Chronicle of the special military operation: events July 18, 2023:

In the Kupyansky sector, Russian units were able to advance west of the Perviy Liman. The Ukrainian command is deploying additional forces to the area, trying to contain the offensive.

Ukrainian formations continue to conduct indiscriminate artillery attack of settlements in the Donetsk agglomeration. Residential buildings and infrastructure facilities were damaged in the capital of the republic and its suburbs: three people were killed and five more were injured.

On the Vremievsky ledge, Russian units continue to maintain control over Staromayorsky. In turn, the enemy does not stop trying to gain a foothold on the northwestern outskirts of the settlement.

To the west, Ukrainian assault groups, under the cover of two tanks, attacked the landings north of Priyutnoye. Russian troops scattered the advancing enemy units with concentrated artillery fire.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: July 18th, 2023
2023-07-19
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 23:11 Zelensky signed a law on the demobilization of the military, whose close relatives died or went missing during martial law.

23:05 Zelensky said that he had held "an important meeting on the spiritual independence of Ukraine, our next steps to protect the rights and legitimate interests of Ukrainian citizens in the field of religious relations. There will be news soon."

22:48 Zelensky said in an evening video message that options for actions and agreements were worked out at the meeting of the Headquarters "in order to preserve both the Ukrainian global role of the guarantor of food security, and our maritime access to the world market, and jobs for Ukrainians in ports and agrarian industry".

21:36 The Ukrainian counter-offensive is “far from failure”, although it is going slower than expected, Mark Milley, head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: “The counter-offensive began about five to six weeks ago, and the various war games that were held in advance assumed certain progress levels and it's slowed down because that's the difference between a war on paper and a real war.These are real people in real vehicles who really clear real minefields and they really die.So when that happens the units tend to slow down and that's right to survive and get through these minefields." Milli added that Ukraine has "a significant amount of combat power that is not yet deployed."

21:31 Zelensky said that he had met in Kiev with the president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, Akihiko Tanaka: "We have a special interest in attracting Japan to establish the production of mine-clearing equipment, develop a network of rehabilitation centers for veterans and the military, as well as the production of energy equipment".

21:28 Kuleba said during a debate at a meeting of the UN General Assembly that countries calling for immediate peace with Russia want to give the Ukrainian territories it has captured to the Russian Federation: "After resisting Russian full-scale aggression for more than a year and a half, my 40 million people can respond to all these offers only one thing: no!"

The minister is also convinced that everyone who proposes to stop supporting Ukraine is simply striving to leave the country defenseless against the Russian army in order to "continue business with the Russian Federation faster."

21:22 The next meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Issues of Ukraine was held online. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the allies will not stop until Ukraine receives the weapons and ammunition it needs. About what the new Ramstein will give - in the material The key moment of the war .

21:07 The "authorities" of the occupied Tokmak, Zaporozhye region, announced that the city was shelled - six missiles were allegedly fired, four of which shot down the air defense, and two "hit the TV tower."

20:43 The international coalition has prepared 17 brigade combat groups - more than 63,000 military - for the current counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said Mark Milley, head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

20:21 In the Liman-Kupyansk direction, the Russian army has concentrated significant forces and launched offensive operations from Saturday. About what is happening there now - in the material of the Russian Federation went on the offensive against Kupyansk .

19:38 The EU-Latin America summit failed to agree on a final statement due to disagreements over Ukraine, said the head of the European Council, Charles Michel. The European Union wanted to condemn the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in the document and demand a "complete and unconditional withdrawal of troops," but the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean opposed it, proposing to "express concern."

19:36 The Armed Forces of Ukraine seized the initiative in the Kupyansk direction , the enemy’s offensive is currently unsuccessful, but the fighting continues, said Anna Malyar, Deputy Defense Minister. On the southern phalanx around Bakhmut today, like all previous days, there was an advance of Ukrainian troops. There were battles on the northern flank, the enemy is trying to regain lost positions.

19:30 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that if Putin is arrested on an ICC warrant, his country is threatened with war with Russia. According to Ramaphosa, the Kremlin made it clear that the arrest of the Russian president during a visit to South Africa for the BRICS summit would be taken as a declaration of war. "It would be incompatible with our Constitution to risk going to war with Russia. I have constitutional obligations to protect the national sovereignty, peace and security of the republic," Ramaphosa said. He also believes that "at the moment there are no legal grounds for the arrest and extradition of President Putin."

19:23 Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer supported the "peace initiative" of Brazilian President Lula da Silva, according to which it is proposed to form a group of countries ready to negotiate a ceasefire and become mediators between Ukraine and Russia.

19:18 The United States will allocate $250 million to Ukraine to support agriculture after Russia withdraws from the grain deal, USAID head Samantha Power said during a visit to Odessa. The funds will be used to develop agricultural infrastructure and expand other export routes.

19:11 The fifth column of Wagner PMC mercenaries has already been spotted in Belarus. According to the Belaruska Gayun monitoring group, there are already at least 2,000 militants in the country. Only today, the arrival of two columns of 170-185 vehicles was recorded.

19:05 Saudi Arabia and Turkey are negotiating the return of Ukrainian children from Russia, the Financial Times writes, citing sources. According to them, negotiations have been going on for several months, and Russian businessman Roman Abramovich is also participating in them.

18:37 Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg will hand over M113 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine within a few months, the three countries said in a joint statement. The number of cars was not disclosed.

18:12 The United States will announce a new $1.3 billion military aid package to Ukraine in the coming days, Reuters reports. According to sources of the publication, the package will include, in particular, VAMPIRE anti-aircraft systems manufactured by L3Harris Technologies.

17:51 Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that his country supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine: "As for Ukraine, we believe in the territorial integrity of every country, including Ukraine, which should be a priority of all countries on the basis of international law. And, of course, we continue to push for an end to the war through political dialogue."

17:29 The UN has confirmed civilian casualties since February 24, 2022 in the amount of 25,671 Ukrainians - including 9,287 dead. The organization emphasizes that the real number of victims is much higher.

17:10 The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a pilot project to start the restoration of the Kakhovskaya HPP. The project is designed for two years: at the first stage, all engineering structures will be designed, the necessary base for restoration will be prepared, and the second stage will begin after the de-occupation of the territories where the HPP is located - it provides for construction work.

16:48 The Russians fired on the village of Dvurechnaya, Kupyansky district, Kharkiv region: one person was killed, another was wounded, the OVA reported.

16:15 The 14th meeting in the Ramstein format has begun, it is taking place online, the Pentagon said. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin assured in his opening speech that the Contact Group members will continue "to provide training, equipment and support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in order to build capable and professional Ukrainian troops that can defend themselves now and deter aggression in the future."

15:44 The European Parliament called on the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Lukashenka in connection with Belarus' involvement in the deportation of Ukrainian children. In addition, MEPs believe that the EU Council should expand the list of Belarusian and Russian persons subject to EU sanctions, in particular, those involved in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.

15:29 Yermak showed a photo of the engine carburetor of the Iranian Shahed drone, which attacked Nikolaev at night. It says "Made in Ireland" on it. The head of the OP insists on the introduction of new sanctions restrictions, as well as on effective implementation and control.

14:47 Peskov said that night strikes on port infrastructure facilities in Odessa are "retaliation strikes for the Crimean bridge."

14:32 American cluster munitions will be ready for use within a few days, Syrsky said in an interview with the BBC. He did not specify where and when they would be used, but the journalists of the publication reported that they saw American M777 howitzers in positions around Bakhmut, which would fire cluster shells. About Bakhmut, Syrsky said that it was a matter of honor to return the city: "We lost many of our brothers there, we simply have to recapture it."

14:18 In Melitopol, the Russians take an average of ten people prisoner every day, the mayor of the city Ivan Fedorov said. According to him, the enemy is changing the tactics of terror: before, searches were mainly carried out early in the morning, but now they come at night, wake up everyone in a multi-storey building, so that residents are afraid. Then they defiantly take the man out with a bag over his head, put him in a car and take him away. Also, many are taken away at checkpoints during the day.

13:55 Zelensky said that he had held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the main issue is sea grain exports and port security. They also heard reports on the fight against enemy drones, on the plans of the enemy, on the situation on the battlefield and the dynamics of the supply of shells.

13:43 It is "practically impossible" to achieve quick results during the offensive, Alexander Syrsky, commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said in an interview with the Air Force: "Our advance is really not going as fast as we would like. We would like to achieve very quick results. But in reality it's practically impossible." He explains this by the dense mine coverage of the territories and the large number of Russian strongholds.

At the same time, the general emphasized that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have an advantage: "I believe that the unity of our military leadership and the trust of soldiers in each other is the strength of our army."

13:16 The Pentagon and the US government have been sending millions of secret emails to the West African state of Mali for a decade. The media claim that the US Department of Defense received warnings about this, but did nothing to stop the leak of information to a Russian ally. More details in the material Funny story .

13:11 The fourth convoy of Wagner PMCs has already arrived in Belarus, consisting of more than 80 vehicles of various modifications on LDNR license plates. The monitoring group of Belarus Gayun reports that as of the morning of July 18, there were about 600-700 Wagner mercenaries on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

13:08 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation called today's attack on the Odessa and Nikolaev regions "a retaliation strike".

12:32 Peskov said that the zone for the implementation of the grain deal is allegedly used by Ukraine "for military purposes." He also called "unscrupulous" the position of the European states, "failed to fulfill their obligations under the grain deal." Speaking about the prospect of a grain deal without Russia's participation, the Kremlin speaker spoke of "security risks." At the same time, he added that the termination of the grain deal "is not the fault of the UN Secretary General, we highly appreciate his efforts."

Peskov also said that proposals for Putin on "a response to the attack on the Crimean bridge and measures to improve its security are still being developed."

12:28 Belarus kidnaps thousands of Ukrainian children, writes The Telegraph. According to the publication, since September 2022, about 2,150 Ukrainian children over the age of six have been taken to Belarus. Children are placed in sanatoriums and camps in the Minsk and Gomel regions, where forced "re-education" is carried out.

12:11 The European Court of Human Rights denied Russia's claim against Ukraine. It was the only interstate complaint against Kyiv, the Ukrainian Justice Ministry said. Russia filed a lawsuit in July 2021. It contained ten charges, including responsibility for the downing of the MH17 plane, because Ukraine "did not close the airspace."

12:02 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation claims that during the night strike on the Odessa and Nikolaev regions, it was allegedly attacked not ports, but "objects where terrorist attacks against Russia were being prepared using unmanned boats, as well as places of their manufacture in the Odessa region." And in the area of ​​​​Nikolaev, "fuel infrastructure facilities that provide the Armed Forces of Ukraine with fuel" were allegedly destroyed.

11:07 The Ukrainian military have an advantage in the battles for Staromayorskoye in the Donetsk region, said the speaker of the joint press center of the Defense Forces of the Tauride direction Valery Shershen. He added that heavy fighting is underway for the settlement.

11:02 The number of victims of yesterday's Russian shelling of Belopolye, Sumy region, has risen to three - one of the wounded died in the hospital, Mayor Yuri Zarko said.

10:56 Spokesman for the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Sergey Cherevaty specified that the accumulation of 100,000 Russian soldiers in the Kupyansk direction is nothing new: "The Defense Forces have not made any progress for many months in a row and have been hitting them powerfully. That is, this is 100 thousand did not appear yesterday.

According to him, although the Russian grouping is large, it is not well-prepared and motivated. And the more than 900 tanks that Russian forces have pulled up to the Liman-Kupyansk direction are old Soviet equipment, while the latest models are much less common on the battlefield than at the beginning of the invasion.

10:23 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned Russia's decision to stop participating in the grain initiative: "I condemn Russia's unilateral decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, despite the efforts of our ally Turkey and the UN. Russia's illegal war against Ukraine continues to harm millions of vulnerable people."

09:48 In the Voronezh region, the bodies of two Wagner PMC mercenaries were found, who were shot for refusing to participate in Prigozhin's rebellion, the Baza telegram channel writes. According to him, the bodies were found on July 6, and on July 17, a suspect in the murder, a 25-year-old Wagner mercenary, a native of Kyrgyzstan, was detained. During interrogation, he said that the men were killed on June 24 for refusing to participate in the rebellion.

09:35 Yermak said that the Russian night attack on Odessa and Nikolaev is another proof that the Russian Federation wants to endanger the lives of 400 million people in different countries dependent on Ukrainian food exports.

09:32 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, three people were killed (in Stepanovka, Makarovka and Stepnoy), four more were injured. In the Zaporozhye region, as a result of an air strike on a residential area of ​​Orekhov, one person was killed, five more were injured. There are three wounded in the Kherson region, two in the Kharkiv region, according to the OVA.

09:20 The Air Force Command clarified that 38 air targets were destroyed during the night. Russia attacked from the south with six Caliber cruise missiles and 36 Shahed attack drones. Caliber launches were made, probably, from the Russian frigate Admiral Essen, drones - from the area of ​​​​the Chauda training ground (Crimea). All six Calibers, 31 Shahed-136/131 attack drones and one reconnaissance UAV were destroyed by the forces and means of the Air Force.

Caliber cruise missiles and the vast majority of kamikaze drones were destroyed in the south - in the Odessa and Nikolaev regions, the rest of the strike UAVs were hit in the Donetsk, Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk regions.

09:14 Ukrainian troops are successfully advancing in the South in the directions of Malaya Tokmachka - Novopokrovka and Bolshaya Novoselka - Harvest, said the speaker of the General Staff Andriy Kovalev. In the Bakhmut direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue offensive operations north and south of the city of Bakhmut. The enemy puts up a powerful resistance, there are heavy battles.

08:59 White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby said that now grain from Ukraine can only be exported via a land corridor: "The only option that exists is to transport it by land, by rail, by truck. This is more difficult, less efficient ". At the same time, Kirby stressed that the United States will not send warships to escort commercial vessels from Ukraine after the break in the grain deal.

08:45 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that at night Ukraine tried to attack Crimea with 28 drones, of which 17 were allegedly destroyed by air defense systems, another 11 were suppressed by electronic warfare. There were no casualties or damage.

08:37 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of July 18:

  • personnel - about 239,010 (+710) people liquidated,

  • tanks - 4119 (+4),

  • armored combat vehicles - 8051 (+17),

  • artillery systems - 4542 (+38),

  • MLRS - 689 (+4),

  • air defense systems - 428 (+0),

  • aircraft - 315 (+0),

  • helicopters - 310 (+0),

  • UAV operational-tactical level - 3839 (+11),

  • cruise missiles - 1273 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 18 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tankers - 7086 (+27),

  • special equipment - 677 (+0).

08:29 At night, the Russians attacked the south of Ukraine: several waves of shock drones were sent to detect and deplete air defense forces, after which six Caliber cruise missiles were fired from the Black Sea in Odessa. All the missiles were destroyed, however, the fragments of the downed missiles and the blast wave damaged port infrastructure facilities and several houses. One person was injured, OK Pivden reported. 21 drones were shot down on approach from the sea in the Odessa region, four more - in the sky over the Mykolaiv region.

08:21 PMC Wagner mercenaries in Belarus will perform two functions: training soldiers and "irritating" NATO member countries, said Andrei Yusov, spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense. According to him, today we are talking about 500-700 militants who arrived in Belarus. Some of them, according to him, will train the Belarusian army, and also, possibly, train new units of mobilized Russians. "And some will be publicly and deliberately involved, in particular, in unnerving Poland, other member countries of the Alliance and the European Union," Yusov added.

He stressed that the mercenaries do not pose a threat to the EU and NATO countries. They enter Belarus disarmed, and also disarmed, they mostly leave the territory of Ukraine. According to Yusov, today the arrival of the Wagnerites in Belarus does not in any way change the security situation.

08:12 At night, the Russians attacked Nikolaev: four kamikaze drones of the Shahed-136 type were shot down over the region, there was also a hit in an industrial facility. A fire broke out, which was promptly extinguished, people were not injured, said the head of the OVA, Vitaly Kim.

07:57 The Russian army is concentrating its main efforts on the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions - 36 military clashes have occurred over the past day, the General Staff said in the morning summary . The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue the offensive operation in the Melitopol and Berdyansk directions, and consolidate on the achieved lines.

07:26 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Russian troops will not be able to make an operationally important breakthrough in the Kupyansk direction, where they launched an offensive. Analysts note that the Russian troops decided to take advantage of the fact that Ukrainian forces are concentrated in other sectors of the front, and divert the attention of Ukrainian reservists from critical areas of hostilities. But the low quality and composition of the Russian troops deployed on this front line will not allow Russia to achieve more than tactical success, ISW predicts.

03:52 Kuleba said at a press conference in New York that Russia uses the Kerch bridge mainly for military purposes: "Why do you think that the Kerch bridge is a civilian infrastructure, given that it is mainly used to supply the Russian army in the occupied Crimea and southern Ukraine with ammunition, fuel and other military equipment necessary to continue the aggressive war against Ukraine?"

The Minister stressed that not every bridge is civil by definition. "And this particular bridge, firstly, was built illegally. It exists outside the law, and we must always remember this. And secondly, it is mainly used for military purposes, and we must treat it as such," Kuleba added.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
What does the West have to turn the Black Sea into a 'NATO lake?'
2023-04-15
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] The head of the Kyiv Foreign Ministry, Kuleba, called for "turning the Black Sea into what the Baltic Sea has become - into the NATO Sea." The alliance itself is considering plans for a rapid deployment of forces to the region and is working on Turkey to revise the regime of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. But there is at least one obstacle to turning into a "NATO lake" besides, in fact, the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. On the other hand, at least one new threat cannot be discounted.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba made a statement that (including, according to the Kremlin) contained a logical contradiction.

"The time has come to turn the Black Sea into what the Baltic has become, into the NATO Sea," said Kiev’s foreign policy curator. At the same time, according to Kuleba's logic, the transformation of the Black Sea into a NATO-controlled military bloc should imply "demilitarization of the region." In July 2021, the same Kuleba stated that Russia is seeking to "turn the Black Sea into its own inland lake."

"There will be no NATO here. NATO has many other seas, let them swim there. And they can’t swim in the Black Sea, they can only sink," the head of the Crimean parliament Vladimir Konstantinov answered Kuleba on April 14 . He recalled that after the Russian troops liberated the coastal regions of the DPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, Ukraine lost access to the Sea of ​​Azov, "the next stage is the loss of access to the Black Sea."

On the other hand, we note that out of the six Black Sea states, three (Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey) are members of the North Atlantic Alliance, and two - Ukraine and Georgia - are rigidly oriented towards NATO.

"Washington, after the collapse of the USSR, in the situation that arose, tried to find a way to turn the Black Sea into a NATO lake,” the Turkish edition Cumhuriyet noted a month ago , commenting on the White House statement: US aircraft will continue flying over the Black Sea, despite the incident with the American Reaper drone and the Russian Su -27.

"ALMOST NATO" SEA
The Black Sea is, of course, not a “NATO lake”, but the situation is strikingly different from the alignment of Soviet times, when only Turkey was part of NATO, the water area from Snake Island to Batumi was Soviet, and socialist Romania and Bulgaria were part of the Warsaw Pact.

After the reunification of Crimea with Russia in 2014, the fleets of NATO countries began to show themselves more actively in the Black Sea. Poseidon, Sea Shield and Sea Breeze maneuvers and other interaction exercises were regularly conducted.

In 2021, as part of the maneuvers, B-1B Lancer bombers of the US Air Force practiced strikes against the positions of the Black Sea Fleet, Forbes reported. At the same time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: NATO is studying the possibilities for the rapid transfer of forces to the Black Sea region and the deployment of reinforcements there.

Before Turkey closed the Bosphorus and Dardanelles in March 2022, allied warships entered the Black Sea for the passage of warships of other countries, including the flagship of the US 6th Fleet USS Mount Whitney, the missile frigate of the French Navy D654 Auvergne, British Navy destroyer Defender. The latter, we recall, in June 2021 provocatively violated our border in the Black Sea, near the Crimean Cape Fiolent.

In March of this year, the Sea Shield 2023 maneuvers took place in Romanian territorial waters, in which 12 countries - members of the North Atlantic Alliance, several dozen ships of the Romanian and Bulgarian Navy, 14 aircraft from the USA, Turkey, Romania and France were involved.

The Alliance is also actively using the land infrastructure of its Black Sea members. Aegis Ashore anti-missile systems (which can be converted at any time to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, including those with nuclear warheads), we recall, are deployed at the Romanian Deveselu base, which is used by the United States.

Last year, about 5,000 fighters of the US 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles" were stationed at the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base near the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta.

In February 2022, Stoltenberg announced the deployment of a NATO battle group in Romania, the size of which should roughly correspond to similar groups in the Baltic states and Poland - about 1,000 "bayonets." We are not talking about the use of the same Romanian Constanta and the Bulgarian port of Varna for the needs of the navies of NATO countries - this has become a routine.

NATO aviation monitors Russian territory and monitors the activities of the Black Sea Fleet with the help of P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance and patrol aircraft, RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, RQ-4 Global Hawk drones and other aircraft. True, after the incident with the Reaper drone near Sevastopol, NATO is staying away from Crimea.

“What Bulgaria and Romania have on their own militarily can be ignored,” Captain First Rank of the Reserve Sergey Ishchenko told REGNUM . But, he added, Turkey's capabilities are another matter.

TURKISH DISSENTING OPINION
The country has the second largest NATO army (over 355,000 "under arms") and - which is important in this case - a fairly strong navy. The Turkish fleet has, according to open sources, 16 frigates, 9 corvettes, 18 fast attack boats and 34 landing ships. Another thing is that Turkey keeps naval forces in the Aegean Sea - to "balance" Greece, in the Mediterranean - where, among other things, it covers Northern Cyprus. So the Black Sea direction with naval bases in Sinop and Samsun is unlikely to have a special account at the fleet headquarters (sitting at the Geldzhuk base in the Sea of ​​​​Marmara).

But the most important thing in relation to Turkey is the political position of its current authorities, headed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, by virtue of which "the Turks will not let American ships into the Black Sea," Ishchenko believes. The oldest (since 1952) Black Sea member of the alliance is at the same time the least reliable US ally in NATO, and Ankara's relations with Washington have become especially aggravated on the eve of the presidential elections in Turkey.

“Turkey is unlikely to use its potential in the Black Sea against us, at least now and in the foreseeable future, and they will not let the Americans through,” - noteds military expert Alexander Artamonov.

Ankara strictly follows the restrictions of the Montreux Convention on the Black Sea Straits, adopted back in 1920. The document, we recall, establishes a different regime for the passage of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus for warships of the Black Sea and non-Black Sea powers (for the latter, restrictions on class and tonnage are introduced).

Despite the proposals of the allies to circumvent the provisions of the convention or completely cancel the document of confrontation with Russia, Erdogan is unlikely to benefit from the strengthening of the United States (as well as the strengthening of Russia) in the region, Ishchenko is sure.

"I think that with the current position of Turkey in the conflict and with their attitude towards the United States, they will not change the balance of power in the Black Sea. Because then, maybe, in general, it won’t seem enough to anyone if the 6th American fleet enters there - neither to us, nor to them," the military expert pointed out.

"Türkiye takes a strike-breaking position towards NATO. She, although she remains a member of the alliance, is increasingly behaving as, rather, the organizer of the “Great Turan”, Erdogan’s project," agreed Artamonov.

Another thing is that if Erdogan loses to Europe-oriented Kemal Kılıçdaroglu in the elections , Ankara will become more accommodating. But this by no means guarantees the transformation of the Black Sea into a "NATO lake", if only because of the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

BLACK SEA FLEET: NEW FORCES AND NEW THREATS
"In recent years, the Black Sea Fleet has been strengthened, two Project 23,900 helicopter carriers have been laid down and are under construction in Kerch, which are superior in terms of their tactical and technical characteristics to the French Mistrals that have not been acquired," Artamonov noted.

The Black Sea Fleet received new submarines with modern Lada-class missiles (the next generation after the Varshavyanka submarine, which replenished the fleet about ten years ago), the military expert added. The basis of the Black Sea Fleet are ships that were put into service in the 2010s: the new multi-purpose frigates of project 11 356 "Admiral Grigorovich" (2016), "Admiral Essen" (2016), "Admiral Makarov" (2017).

The loss of the Moskva missile cruiser did not affect the fulfillment of the overall strategic task of the Black Sea Fleet in the NVO - the blockade of the Ukrainian segment of the Black Sea coast, Artamonov believes.

"Everything in the Black Sea is in the shooting zone of Russian coastal batteries, in particular, mobile anti-ship systems “Bal,” so it makes no sense to talk about the possibility of setting up a blockade against Russia," the expert pointed out. The bases of the Black Sea Fleet are covered by: coastal complexes "Bastion" and "Bereg", air defense units with complexes S-400 and S-300, "Buk" and "Shell", silo-based coastal missile system "Utyos" - "ship killer", in the words American National Interest .

But this does not mean complete protection from threats, Ishchenko believes.

"Now the Armed Forces of Ukraine are working towards organizing an attack by drones on all the main bases of the Black Sea Fleet, including in Sevastopol,” the source said, according to whom the previous attacks on Crimea were reconnaissance in combat. “As part of the Ukrainian Navy, several units are being formed to control surface drones, similar to those that twice participated in the attack on Sevastopol," Ishchenko believes.

It is necessary to revise the security of the bases, the interlocutor is sure. At the same time, Ishchenko notes that measures are already being taken to protect against possible attacks by surface drones. “I recently observed that in addition to the boom, which was put up at the entrance to the Sevastopol Bay, another row of booms was put up at the entrance to the South Bay, and submarine parking lots were surrounded by separate booms. That is, at least three barrier lines have been created, ” Ishchenko noted.

THE BALTIC IS AN UNFORTUNATE EXAMPLE OF NATO CONTROL
Let us add in conclusion: Kuleba's comparison of the Black Sea with the Baltic, which supposedly has already become the "NATO Sea", also looks strange. Possibly, the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry had in mind the entry of Finland into NATO and the possible accession of Sweden. But Kuleba for some reason ignored the presence of the Russian Baltic Fleet (both in Kronstadt and the ports of the Gulf of Finland, and in the Kaliningrad region - in Baltiysk and, in fact, in Kaliningrad). As well as the fact that the Baltic, unlike the Black Sea, is not so easy to "plug".

“The Kaliningrad region is still not in the far part of the Baltic Sea, but in close proximity to the maritime possessions of Poland, Denmark and Sweden. And we have a sufficient number of ships assigned to Kaliningrad, ” Artamonov recalled.

In the event that the NATO countries try to aggravate the situation, the Kaliningrad region, Russia's outpost in the region, will be reliably covered by the Russian Iskander-M operational-tactical complexes. Bastion supersonic systems are deployed in the Baltic, covering the forces of the Baltic Fleet - corvettes, small missile and anti-submarine ships. From the air, the region is protected by MiG-31I fighters (carriers of hypersonic "Daggers") and Su-30SM.

The new military equipment of the Baltic Fleet, such as small missile ships of project 22,800 Karakurt and 21,631 Buyan-M, carries high-precision and long-range Caliber. The Russian leadership understands the situation that has developed after the entry of the countries of the region into NATO, therefore, more attention will be paid to increasing the capabilities of the Baltic Fleet in order to protect national interests in the Baltic.

April 14, 2023
Mikhail Zakharov

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
From the Russian Perspective: Operation on Denazification of Ukraine: operational summary April 12th (updated)
2022-04-13
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFrontInfo] 21:14 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced the detention of the leader of the Opposition Platform For Life, Viktor Medvedchuk.

21:08 Operational-tactical aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces hit 38 military facilities of Ukraine.

21:07 Operational-tactical aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces hit 38 military facilities of Ukraine.

21:01 Since the beginning of the special operation in Ukraine, the RF Armed Forces have destroyed 445 drones, 2,153 tanks and armored vehicles.

20:57 Russian air defense systems shot down two unmanned aerial vehicles in the air.

20:14 The military wounded in Mariupol are evacuated by helicopters to the "mainland" from Novoazovsk, after they are assisted by doctors.

19:18 Local residents are almost not taken to the defense in the cities of Eastern Ukraine, mostly people from the western regions of the country serve there. Probably, the fact is that the Ukrainian authorities do not consider residents from the east of the country to be trustworthy.

19:03 A fighter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who surrendered in Severodonetsk, said that the soldiers were not told exactly where they were being taken, and after that they were completely abandoned to the mercy of fate.

18:04 The United States is ready to consider the possibility of supplying Ukraine with longer-range weapons than they are currently transmitting - the Pentagon.

17:57 Russian special forces destroyed the Ukrainian launcher of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system in the Kiev region.

16:50 The operation in Ukraine will continue until it is fully completed and the goals set at the very beginning are achieved, Putin said.

16:48 Kyiv has moved away from the agreements reached at the talks of the parties in Istanbul, and returned to a deadlock, Putin said.

16:46 Putin said that Lukashenka handed over to him documents relating to the provocation in Bucha.

16:43 For the West, Ukraine is a means to achieve goals that have nothing to do with the interests of the Ukrainian people, Putin said.

16:01 It became possible to start a dialogue with Ukraine largely thanks to Lukashenka - Putin.

15:47 Today's undermining of the railway overpass near Shebekino (Belgorod region) is nothing more than a continuation of the information war in order to intimidate the population of Russian front-line regions.

15:10 In addition to the old T-72Ms, the Poles handed over to Ukraine no less old BWP-1s also of their production back in Poland.

13:56 The Commander of the Central District of the Russian Guard presented state awards to employees who showed courage and heroism during a special operation in Ukraine.

13:54 Kyiv publicly refused to comply with the Minsk agreements, it was impossible to continue to endure the genocide - Putin.

13:50 A local resident was arrested in Crimea for desecrating the grave of a military man who died during a special operation in Ukraine.

13:10 NATO's secret group for monitoring the ships of the Russian Navy began to work in Odessa, it includes employees of the Romanian PMC - RIA Novosti

11:57 The purpose of the special operation is to help people in the Donbass, Russia was forced to do this - Putin.

11:56 A clash with anti-Russian forces growing in Ukraine was inevitable, it was a matter of time - Putin.

11:49 Authorities in the city of Stryi in the Lviv region in western Ukraine have demolished a monument to Soviet soldiers who liberated the city from the Nazis.

11:36 In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the following have been destroyed: 130 aircraft, 99 helicopters, 244 anti-aircraft missile systems, 443 unmanned aerial vehicles, 2139 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 241 installations of multiple launch rocket systems, 917 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 2046 units of special military vehicles.

11:29 Frigate "Admiral Essen" destroyed the Ukrainian drone "Bayraktar" off the coast of Crimea - Russian Defense Ministry

11:25 Near Shebekino (Belgorod region) near the border, the Ukrainian DRG blew up the railway tracks.

10:33 Russian air defense systems shot down two unmanned aerial vehicles in the air in the areas of the settlements of Berdyansk and Melitopol.

10:31 Operational-tactical aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces hit 32 military facilities of Ukraine. Among them: in the Novomikhailovka area, the Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system, in the Zolotarevka area, a radar for illumination and guidance of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, as well as one command post and 18 areas of concentration of Ukrainian military equipment.

10:00 During the night, high-precision air and sea-based missiles destroyed: an ammunition depot and a protected hangar with Ukrainian aircraft at the Starokonstantinov military airfield in the Khmelnytsky region, as well as an ammunition depot near the village of Gavrilovka, Kiev region.

09:05 Russian Emergencies Ministry units delivered almost 1,100 tons of humanitarian cargo to the Donbass and Ukraine, it included all essential products.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
MiG-31K fighters join Russian Navy’s maneuvers in Mediterranean
2021-06-26
[TASS] MiG-31K fighters capable of employing Kinzhal hypersonic missiles have joined the Russian Navy’s maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"In the course of the joint maneuvers of the Russian Navy’s standing Mediterranean taskforce and aircraft of Russia’s Aerospace Force that kicked off in the eastern Mediterranean on June 25, the crews of MiG-31K planes capable of employing the latest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles that arrived at the Russian Hmeymim airbase in the Syrian Arab Republic the other day have started accomplishing the tasks of mastering the airspace in the maritime zone," the ministry said in a statement.

MiG-31K fighters arrived at the Russian Hmeymim airbase in Syria for the first time, following the upgrade and the extension of the second runway with the complete replacement of the runway’s surface and the installation of new lighting navigational facilities and radio-technical equipment, the statement says.

"Tu-22M3 long-range bombers have also performed their training flights over the Mediterranean Sea," the Defense Ministry said.

Overall, the drills involve five Russian warships, including the missile cruiser Moskva, the frigates Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov and the submarines Stary Oskol and Rostov-on-Don. The aircraft of Russia’s Aerospace Force are represented in the joint maneuvers by Tu-142MK and Il-38 anti-submarine warfare planes, Tu-22M3 long-range bombers and MiG-31K fighters, the ministry specified.

"The hypothetical enemy with the designated characteristics was simulated electronically by the shipborne armament control system," the statement says.

Related: Russia approves naval basing agreement in Sudan
[TASS] Russia’s government has approved an agreement with Sudan on establishing a Russian navy logistics center in Sudan, the agreement will be submitted to the president, according to a government resolution posted on the official website of legal information on Friday.

"To approve and refer to the Russian president for submitting to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly for ratification the agreement between Russia and Sudan on the establishment of a logistics center of the Russian Navy in Sudan that was signed in Khartoum on July 23, 2019, and in Moscow on December 1, 2020," the document reads.

Under the agreement, Sudan hands over the territory and real estate, including the coastline and a water zone with berthing facilities to Russia for free use. The upper limit of the center’s military and civil personnel shall not exceed 300, with any increase possible upon Sudan’s consent. The agreement’s term is 25 years, with automatic extension for ten-year periods in case neither of the sides notifies the other in written through diplomatic channels about its intention to terminate the agreement at least a year ahead of its expiration.

Sudan said on June 1 it planned to review its naval base agreement with Russia. Sudanese Chief of General Staff Muhammad Othman al-Hussein said in an interview with the Blue Nile TV channel Khartoum was in talks with Moscow to revise the agreement to take into account its interests and benefits.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on June 10 that the text of the naval base agreement could be changed but Moscow confirmed its interest in cooperation with Khartoum. She recalled that the agreement had been signed by an authorized representative of the Sudanese transitional Supreme Council in Khartoum on July 23, 2019, i.e. after the change of political regime in Sudan. "The document has not been ratified by Sudan, as the country has no legislative authority with such powers. It means changes can be introduced into the text upon agreement of the parties," she said.
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Russia sends another warship armed with cruise missiles to Syria
2019-12-23
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Russian Navy is sending another warship to the eastern Mediterranean, the Interfax News Agency reported on Saturday.

According to the Interfax report, the Admiral Essen frigate, which is equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, is transiting Sevastopol en route to Syria’s Port of Tartous.

Interfax said the crew is currently passing the Black Sea straits of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. It is planned that by the end of the day, today, the frigate will join the forces of the permanent connection of the Navy in the far sea zone.

In the Mediterranean, the Russian squadron operates on an ongoing basis. It includes about ten warships and support vessels. In September, the Russian military reported two submarines performing missions in the Mediterranean Sea.

Earlier, Russian ships and submarines fired their Kalibr cruise missile attacks at the turbans in Syria’s Idlib.
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Concentration of Russian ships in the eastern Mediterranean
2018-08-28
[Overblog RusNavyIntel- Russia with Google Translate]

Note: Stilted Language due to Google Translate artifacts

The Russian strike group took up residence off Syria. This time, no carriers, but a concentration of ships among the most recent admitted to active duty in the Russian Navy. And for the most part, these units are capable of implementing Kalibr cruise missile fire.

Currently cruising off Syria is a group of 11 ships , including:

- the missile-launching ship Marshal Ustinov (Project 1164, Northern Fleet), which arrives from the Baltic Sea, and Kronstadt, where it took part at the end of July at the Feast of the Fleet. After nearly seven years in repair / modernization in Zvezdochka (Severodvinsk), he was reportedly given anti-ship missiles P-1000 Vulkan, a report recently broadcast on the Perviy Kanal chain vented the range of "1000 km" .. .

- the ASM Severomorsk battleship (Project 1155, Northern Fleet). This ship accompanies Marshal Ustinov . It can also be assumed that this group is escorted by an SSGN (Project 949A for example, such as K-266 Orel who also participated in the Fleet Festival off Kronstadt).

- escort Pytliviy (Project 1135M, Black Sea Fleet)

- the Admiral Grigorovicth frigates , Admiral Essen, Admiral Makarov (Project 11356M, Black Sea Fleet), the latter operating at the same time his rally to the Black Sea from the Baltic Sea, which she left on 18 August. These ships are equipped with Kalibr missiles.

- the small missile launchers Velikiy Ustiug, Grad Svyazhsk (Project 21631, Caspian fleet) and Vichniy Volochek (Project 21631, Black Sea Fleet), the latter having been paid to the fleet on 1 June. These ships are equipped with Kalibr missiles.

- the classic attack submarines B-268 Velikiy Novgorod and B-271 Kolpino (Project 0636.3, Black Sea Fleet), which are breaking a longevity record for their combat mission in the Mediterranean. These ships are equipped with Kalibr missiles.



What can be said about the composition of this group that completes a tanker, the Ivan Bubnov (Black Sea Fleet)?

- three naval formations are concerned: the Northern Fleet, the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Fleet,

- with 11 combat vessels, the number of ships in this group is in a high average , as this figure tends to be around 5 to 6, plus support ships ,

- of the 11 units, 8 are capable of firing Kalibr missiles, giving this group a powerful strike ability ,

- of the 11 units, 8 were admitted to active duty in the last 24 months ,

- in the event of strikes, it will be the "baptism of fire" for the small missile ship Vichniy Volochek , and the first operational mission in the Mediterranean for her sister ships which have arrived from the Caspian Sea.




What is the purpose of this deployment?

The Russian media highlight the desire to dissuade the United States to carry out new strikes against the Damascus regime. However, if that were to happen, we can assume that it would be "in good intelligence" with the Russians, as in April.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Russian Navy pursued Ohio class submarine in the Med
2018-08-12
The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday that one of its missile frigates located and pursued a US nuclear submarine for two hours last April, according to a Russian language news account.

The ship, the RFMSL Admiral Essen located the submarine during the escalation which saw US naval vessels, deployed to the eastern Mediterranean Sea launch missiles against targets in Syria.

The Russian MoD claimed that the Admiral Essen escorted the submarine, said to be an Ohio class ballistic missile carrier, presumably away from its area of operation.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syria has liberated 85% of its territory from terrorists: Russian military
2017-09-13
[Iran Press TV] The Russian military says the Syrian government has managed to liberate 85 percent of the country from the grips of terrorist groups, some two years after Moscow began a counterterrorism campaign in Syria at the official request of Damascus.

Lieutenant General Aleksandr Lapin, the Russian chief of staff in Syria, announced the news in a presser held at Hmeymim Air Base in Syria’s western province of Latakia on Tuesday. He added that Syrian forces must now clear the remaining 15 percent of the country, which amounts to 27,000 square kilometers, of terrorists.

Lapin said Syrian troops continued the operation to free the eastern city of Dayr al-Zawr from ISIS Takfiri
...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who must be killed...
 terrorist group, after they managed to break an almost three-year siege on the embattled city earlier this month.

"Currently the operation to free the city is ongoing. The Syrian military will soon finish off" ISIS terrorists, who "used to occupy the city’s neighborhoods," he added.

Lapin stated that Kalibr cruise missiles, launched from the Black Sea escort vessel, Admiral Essen, had destroyed ISIS’s command posts and communication networks; an effective move that disrupted control of the terror group’s units in Dayr al-Zawr province.

"Over 450 terrorists, five tanks and 42 pickups, with heavy machine guns, were liquidated during the operation," he said.

In a bid to aid the war-torn Arab nation in its war against foreign-sponsored terrorism, in September 2015, Russia started a campaign in Syria at an official request made by Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
The Scourge of Hama...
Russian warplanes, based in Hmeymim, have so far significantly aided the government troops in ridding Syria of the widespread militancy. One of the biggest breakthroughs in anti-terror offensives was made in December last year, when Syrian troops, backed by Russian air force, managed to gain full control of the city of Aleppo.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
MoD footage shows Kalibr missiles obliterating IS targets
2017-06-26
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Russian Ministry of Defence released footage on Sunday showing its Kalibr cruise missiles hitting Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIS) targets in Syria’s Hama region.

The bombardment took place on Friday, as Russia’s Krasnodar submarine and naval vessels Admiral Essen and Admiral Grigorovich launched missiles at the targets from the Eastern Mediterranean.

According to the Defence Ministry, the missiles destroyed IS command and control centres, as well as ammunition depots close to the town of Aqerbat.

The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
 as well as Israel was reportedly informed about the attacks using military communication channels.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Russian navy launches missile attacks on ISIS positions
2017-06-24
Two Russian Navy warships and a submarine launched six Kalibr cruise missiles on ISIL targets in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

“The Russian Navy’s Admiral Essen, Admiral Grigorovich frigates and Krasnodar submarine launched six Kalibr cruise missiles from the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea on ISIL terrorist group targets in Syria,” the ministry said in a statement.

It added that the Krasnodar submarine performed a submerged launch of the cruise missiles.

The Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed the remaining ISIL positions in Syria following sea launches of six Kalibr cruise missiles, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

“The remaining Daesh (ISIL) terrorist fighters and targets have been destroyed by Russian Aerospace Forces bombers’ airstrikes,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Russian military had informed Turkey and the Zionist entity in advance of Russian Navy Kalibr cruise missile launches on ISIL targets in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

“The commands of Turkey and Israel were informed in a timely manner of the cruise missile launches through channels of interaction,” the ministry said in a statement.

“As a result of a surprise saturation missile attack, Daesh command posts, as well as large ammunition depots, have been destroyed in the vicinity of the town of Akerbat in the province of Hama, where a militant arsenal detonated after a pinpoint hit by the Kalibr cruise missile,” the ministry said in a statement.

Source: Sputnik
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