streiff | RedState
Welcome back to the Ukraine Update. Today marks the 435th day of combat operations.
The ground combat action this week was not high-intensity unless you were being shot at. But some interesting things are happening. Ukraine has kicked off two small-scale offensive operations and made numerous strikes at logistics targets inside Russia. These, I believe, are in support of the coming offensive.
Away from the battlefield, the major theme was Russia’s eroding influence. China, India, and Brazil, all thought to be friendly with Russia, voted to condemn Russia as the aggressor in Ukraine and Georgia in a UN General Assembly vote. Russia could count only on the votes of such powerhouses as Syria, Belarus, and Cuba. Finland, forced into NATO by Putin’s War, is in talks to establish US military bases in Finland. If Putin’s fear before the war was being “encircled,” he’s probably having a case of the heebie-jeebies over this.
I’ve been doing these updates longer than I’d imagined possible. Here are links to some of the more recent ones.
Putin’s War, Week 60. Leaked Documents, a Russian Troll Exposed, and More Pieces Fall Into Place
Putin’s War, Week 59. Russia Goes ISIS and Waiting for General Mud to Take a Break
Putin’s War, Week 58. All Dressed Up and No Place to Go
Putin’s War, Week 57. Waiting for Godot.
Putin’s War, Week 51. Russia’s Slow-Mo Offensive Gets Underway
Putin’s War, Week 50. The Calm Before the Storm
Putin’s War, Week 49. Waiting for the Russian Offensive
Putin’s War, Week 48. The Logjam Breaks and the Leopards Are About to Roam the Ukrainian Landscape
Putin’s War, Week 47. Gerasimov Shakes Up the Russian Army and the Russian Spring Offensive Looms
Putin’s War, Week 44. Drones Strike Russian Strategic Bomber Base…Again… Prigozhin Makes His Move
Putin’s War, Week 42. Ukraine Gets the Nod to Strike Targets in Russia and Some Tools to Do It With
Many more are available at this link.
Politico-Strategic Level
Kremlin Hit By Drone Attack
The biggest news of the week was a drone attack on the Kremlin. The questions still abound. Was it a Ukrainian military attack? Was it Russian partisans? Was it a false flag? My post is here Putin’s War Comes Home as Kremlin Is Hit by Drone Attack. Joe Cunningham has additional coverage at Russia Blames U.S. for Drone Strike on Kremlin, White House Denies Involvement.
My take on this is that it’s a Kremlin false flag. This is based on a couple of factors. First, whenever there has been a major setback the Russians have denied, deflected and outright lied about it. Think back to the situation with the Moskva sinking. I also have questions about the videos released. Why are they hi-def? How did they get released so soon? Keep in mind the FSB controls all the video cameras in the area of the ‘strike’. There are also good reasons for it not to have been the Ukrainians. Primarily, the UAF wants longer ranged fires capability like ATACMS and the US is concerned they will be used to strike deep into Russia. An attack on Moscow now would be very counterproductive as applies to the ATACMS question.
If You Want a Friend, Get a Dog
Tuesday, the UN General Assembly voted on a resolution that included, “Recognizing also that the unprecedented challenges now facing Europe include the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and against Georgia prior to that…”
While Russia is once again hitting Ukraine with missiles, the UN adopts a resolution calling it an aggressor.
— Feher_Junior (@Feher_Junior) May 1, 2023
But the main thing is who voted for her: Armenia, Brazil, Kazakhstan, China. pic.twitter.com/qgDanlu2G6
Former Kremlin advisor Sergei Markov says that China voted against Russia in the UN because of Russian military failures in Ukraine
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) May 1, 2023
From the six-member (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan), KMart Blue Light Special answer to NATO that Russia lords over, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Armenia and Kazakhstan voted to condemn Russia as the aggressor. Russia and Belarus voted no. The others abstained.
Russia’s alleged economic partnership to rival NATO, the Eurasian Economic Union has five members ((Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia); two voted in favor of the resolution, Armenia and Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan abstained. The organization has three “observer” nations, Cuba, Moldova, and Uzbekistan. Moldova voted in favor, and Uzbekistan abstained.
Among Vladimir Putin’s fluffers on the right, there has been a lot of talk about the “BRICS” economic group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) that will challenge the EU. Still, even here, only Russia voted no. South Africa abstained, while Brazil, India, and China voted yes.
Labeling Russia as an aggressor by the UN General Assembly is a blow to Russia’s prestige. It should destroy the stupid “Ukraine started the war” argument once and for all, but it won’t because the people pushing that line are unconcerned with the truth.
In as much as the UN is anything but a way for unelected bureaucrats to line their pockets this is kind of a big deal. Especially the part where Russia’s putative allies voted for naming them as the aggressor state.
I’m a Strategic Genius, Part Three
Before the war, Vladimir Putin’s fan club proclaimed him a virtuoso strategist who single-handedly outplayed all of his adversaries. The invasion of Ukraine has shown it to be quite the opposite. Russia has destroyed Moscow’s influence. The Russian diaspora in Eastern and Central Europe, the base for Russian information and intelligence operations, has been isolated. Russian is being eliminated from the public school curriculum, and the push to have Russia declared an official second language in several countries has died. The Russian minority in Estonia is becoming Estonian at a rapid pace.
One of the reasons Putin gave for invading Ukraine was NATO expansion. As a direct result of the invasion, Finland cast off over 70 years of neutrality and, at times, near Soviet satellite status to become a member of NATO. Sweden only needs to cut a deal with Turkey to become a full member.
Now Finland has announced that it is in negotiations to permit the stationing of US military forces on Finnish territory.
Finland is negotiating a defensive cooperation agreement with the United States, which, among other things, allows the construction of American military bases on Finnish territory.
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) May 1, 2023
Special military operation completed 🫠😂https://t.co/vZS6H70akr
With Putin’s leadership, the dissolution of the Russian Federation seems a real possibility.
This is the law of unintended consequences on full display. Although, I tend to think had Russia been more successful last year, none of this would have happened.
New Weapons Pledges
The latest round of the Ramstein Contact Group produced additional pledges of support—the most significant come from the US and Great Britain.
The Pentagon has released a detailed fact sheet on U.S. security assistance to Ukraine. https://t.co/K4BVAXLOu9 pic.twitter.com/vpaql5ATig
— Brian Hart (@BrianTHart) May 3, 2023
New on the UK MoD procurement website as of this morning – a tender for engineering equipment! This fits exactly with what @noclador discussed on @MriyaReport.
— Domen Prešern (@domenpresern) May 2, 2023
Remember – the previous tender (ending on the 4th of May) was for long range precision fires.https://t.co/iO24GNXC6M pic.twitter.com/3MeVH39qKM
Casualty Data
Monday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby made some waves by floating an “official” estimate that the Russians have lost 100,000 killed and wounded in the fight for Bakhmut.
“The Russian offensive on Bakhmut failed, the Russian Federation lost 100,000 killed and wounded in five months”-John Kirby pic.twitter.com/PZ9XDP06DC
— RoINTEL (@RoINTEL) May 1, 2023
I don’t know if that is accurate or not. Some have said that Kirby meant to reference the entire theater of operations, not the one battlefield. I don’t intend to argue it one way or another. I think it is safe to say that Ukraine is the bloodiest war we’ve seen since the Korean War. Despite what Zelensky’s detractors and Putin’s fluffers say, I think it is also safe to say that Russia is much more profligate about soldiers’ lives than Ukraine.
Kirby, or someone else at the Pentagon corrected the initial statement, the 100k number was for the entire theater during that time period and not just at Bakhmut. I would point out though that the lion’s share of combat during the time frame referenced was in the Bakhmut area.
Russia’s Hacking Expertise May be Vaporware
Putin’s War in Ukraine has produced a lot of shocks. The Russian Air Force was unable to establish air superiority. The Russian Army displayed a stunning level of operational and tactical incompetence. The Russian PR machine was stomped flat, except for a handful of paid shills. However, the biggest surprise was the ineffectual cyberwar capability that Russia demonstrated. For a country that allegedly “meddled” in a non-trivial way in the US election in 2016, it was amazingly inept. The Ukrainians swiftly worked around Russian attacks, and their political and military operations were unimpeded by Russian hackers.
This last week the Ukrainians have shown themselves to be no slouches.
Hacked conference
Ukraine hacked a Russian-Iranian conference, which featured senior officials, such as Iran's ambassador to Russia, Iranian deputy foreign minister, and Russian government and nuclear industry representatives, warning participants that they will be held responsible for war crimes. pic.twitter.com/wmNNtLc0qJ
— Ukraine Reporter (@StateOfUkraine) April 30, 2023
Hacked bank accounts
This may be the funniest.
⚡️An unknown hacker hacked the wallets of the Russian security services 🇷🇺 & sent money to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine 🇺🇦.
— Jason Jay Smart (@officejjsmart) May 1, 2023
The hacker managed to identify and break into 968 crypto wallets that are used by the GRU 🇷🇺, SVR 🇷🇺, & FSB 🇷🇺for their covert operations. pic.twitter.com/XyK6I88nkM
Read the story at the link, but Sergey Morgachev (pictured above) is one of the guys Robert Mueller’s cretins succeeded in indicting. The hackers stole his passport info, driver’s license, and personal papers, and they used his checking account to buy “sex toys, FBI memorabilia, and gay pride paraphernalia.”
This is close to a 10×10 on the FAFO scale.
Before the war, Ukraine has a very robust coding industry. Its a small step from writing code to hacking, so it’s no wonder they’ve been successful.
More Attacks on Civilians
Early Friday, the Russian military launched a volley of 23 cruise missiles against Ukrainian cities. Reports indicate that 21 were shot down. The two that leaked through caused damage and casualties in the cities of Dnipro and Uman.
Tonight in Uman', in the heart of Ukraine, Russians shelled another residential building while people were sleeping. Nine were killed, including a preschooler, and 15 were wounded.
— Igor Lachenkov (@igorlachenkov) April 28, 2023
The same night, in another city, Dnipro, a young woman and a 3-year-old child were killed in… pic.twitter.com/G5Ttjtuys9
The Russian Defense Ministry celebrated on social media.
“Right on target.”
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) April 28, 2023
This message and image was published by Russia’s Ministry of Defense on its Telegram channel five hours after Russian missiles struck civilian buildings in Dnipro and Uman, killing at least 13 Ukrainians.
Moscow has not yet officially commented on the attack. pic.twitter.com/36CkORzqW2
Sunday night, Russian strategic bombers launched 18 cruise missiles at targets in Ukraine. Although most were shot down, there are no reports of significant casualties.
The Ukrainian Air Force says 9 Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers from Murmansk Oblast and two Tu-160 strategic bombers from the Caspian Sea area launched 18 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles, 15 of which were shot down.https://t.co/gEeMSfSIGe pic.twitter.com/gEDnRsvWa2
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) May 1, 2023
Thursday night, Russia launched a wave of Iranian-made suicide drones. There were no reports of fatalities or significant damage.
🔥Ukraine's Forces destroyed 1 russian reconnaissance drone and 18 out of 24 Iranian «Shahed-136/131» drones russia sent to attack Ukraine this night pic.twitter.com/BozSGfCHJ8
— Margo Gontar 🇺🇦 (@MargoGontar) May 4, 2023
I don’t know how many times I can say this; Russia is a terrorist state. The attacks on civilian apartment blocks and electrical substations serves no other purpose than terror.
Russia Broadcasts Fake Attacks
Russian state-owned Rossiya-1 TV channel showed the video of a building in Uman, destroyed by the Russian rocket as a video of Ukraine shelling "DPR".
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 29, 2023
The world of George Orwell's 1984 in real life.
📹: CurrentTimeTv pic.twitter.com/6xxOX9uTcA
Two things about this item. First, this kind of thing plays well with the Russian populace, true or not. Second, it’s gas-lighting as official policy.
How It Started…How It Ended
Monday, a story hit Russian Telegram channels and quickly ended up on social media that a train loaded with S-300 surface-to-air missiles had been destroyed by Russian fires in Pavlohrad. This was significant for two reasons. First, Ukraine is facing what is believed to be a shortage of surface-to-air missiles, particularly those capable of engaging targets at long-range and high altitudes like the S-300. Second, the Russian military has proven utterly inept and interdicting military supplies coming primarily from Poland. A successful attack on a major shipment of munitions would mark a major change in the dynamics of the war.
Russian Sources are claiming that the Explosions at the Rail Yard near the City of Pavlohrad were the result of a Missile Strike against 2 Divisions of up to 16 S-300 Launchers including Ammunition that was heading towards the Front; so far there is No Visual Evidence of this. pic.twitter.com/6JSs18e0Ma
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 30, 2023
When more information became available, the story changed. The attack was on a storage area at a chemical plant where out-of-date missiles were stored for decommissioning. This is not to say the strike wasn’t effective. The blast caused extensive damage. Civilians had to be evacuated. And the fuel and explosives from the old missiles that could be recycled into newer weapons were lost. But the attack did not show anything other than an attack on a static, well-documented target.
Russians managed to hit a chemical plant near Pavlohrad, where 38 old soviet RT-23 ICBM with tonnes of rocket fuel were stored for decommission. The explosions damaged a nearby residential areas. pic.twitter.com/XKkl3iaz8O
— MilitaryLand.net (@Militarylandnet) May 1, 2023
When I first saw this I questioned it. The UAF has done an admirable job of not having big stockpiles of munitions of any kind all in one place. Why would they have a big one at Pavlohrad, only 80 miles from Donetsk city?
Prigozhin Pulls Fire Alarm on Wagner Group Status
Wagner chieftain Yevgeny Prigozhin is pushing the panic button, at least publicly. He’s accusing the Russian military of depriving his men of ammunition and fire support and says that the Wagner Group contingent in Ukraine may cease to exist unless things change.
Prigozhin takes into account that Wagner will cease to exist in the near future if the ammunition problems are not solved. pic.twitter.com/8wPrn88EUA
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) April 28, 2023
As with so many things in this war, it is difficult to parse out the real from the make-believe and determine who is doing what to whom. Prigozhin’s association with Putin leads to the conclusion that he is being used as a stalking horse to voice Putin’s dissatisfaction with the Russian military. Otherwise, it is hard to see how he could have survived this long. If things in Bakhmut are not going all that well, and there are hints on Russian Telegram that they aren’t, then this is a way of disengaging Wagner Group’s reputation from any debacle.
Regardless, this announcement means something, even if we’re not sure exactly what.
I’ve said this before, but I think Prigozhin is setting himself up for the end of the Putin regime.
War Crimes Admission on a Television Show
On the television show Law & Order, we are repeatedly told that one of the exceptions to the hearsay rule is an “admission against penal interest.” What you’re about to see might be a textbook example.
If you’ll recall, when Russian troops rolled into Kherson in a move that we now know was facilitated by Russian-owned commanders in the Ukrainian Army and intelligence services, they were not met with cheers. They were met with sullen crowds and with pro-Ukraine protests.
A pro-Ukrainian demonstration in Kherson on 13th March, 2022, one year ago.
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) March 14, 2023
During occupation, many residents risked their lives, participating in partisan movements. Many of them were tortured and killed.
📹: vgoru_kherson/TikTok pic.twitter.com/M6dtF8KdMy
Here is Pavel Gubarev, a key figure during the first Russian invasion of Ukraine, crediting his wife with organizing summary executions to crush the demonstrations.
Pavel Gubarev, former leader of Donetsk pro-Russian forces, so-called "people's governor" of Donbas, openly admitted that his wife, Ekaterina Gubareva, is an accomplice in war crimes.
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 30, 2023
Gubareva was appointed the deputy of the "head" of Kherson region in the spring of 2022. She… pic.twitter.com/x1eDSnvMgZ
I really, really hope there is a Nuremberg style war crimes trial when this is all said and done. Those responsible for these acts need to be put down like the rabid dogs they are.
Russia’s Logistics Chief Fired
After only seven months, Colonel General Mikhail Mizintev has been fired from his position as the Russian Army’s logistics chief.
Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev had only been in the job for seven months. https://t.co/UAKo19iwDC
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) April 30, 2023
The churn in the senior ranks of the Russian Army has been remarkable. For an army failing in the way the Russian Army has failed in Ukraine, heads should roll. General George C. Marshall did that in the early days of World War II. Success in peacetime is no sure predictor of success on the battlefield. What is notable about the Russian purge is that no one is forced into retirement. Generals who are fired because they are incompetent on the battlefield are just sent somewhere else to f*** up yet again. This hints at the strength of seniority and the “good ol’ boys” club in the Russian Army.
I look at this slightly differently than Streiff. There aren’t any capable senior officers in the Russian military period. Anyone with any kind of talent got out and are doing something else. As I’ve said before, there isn’t a Rossokovskii or Zhukov waiting in the wings, only Kulik’s.
Operational Level
This week showed the beginnings of the shaping operations preparing the way for Ukraine’s spring offensive. Fuel tank farms were hit in Crimea and Russia. Electric substations powering trains were targeted. Partisan operations struck at collaborators in Occupied Ukraine and military freight trains in Russia.
More than ever, the main objective seems to be on the axis of Tokmak-Melitopol with an objective of severing all rail and highway communications from Occupied Kherson and Crimea to Russia except for the minimal traffic allowed across the heavily damaged Kerch Strait bridge. I think we will also see a localized offensive aimed at “winning” the Battle of Bakmut via an attack north of the city.
Russian Winter Offensive Fizzles
We can conclusively say that the “winter offensive” that had been predicted to restore Russia’s fortunes in the war has failed. Below is an animation of the changes in the front lines from January to April.
This is the "great offensive" of the Russians from January to April. Of course, they advanced, but clearly not in the way they were going to pic.twitter.com/k3fHDTtF5A
— Feher_Junior (@Feher_Junior) May 1, 2023
Northern Front
Donbas
Fighting continues in some hotspots, primarily Bakhmut. In addition, there are unconfirmed Russian reports of a local Ukrainian offensive. Emphasize “unconfirmed.”
⚡️🇷🇺Russian military journalists report that 🇺🇦Ukrainian troops penetrated their defense by 1.5 kilometers in the Avdiyivka area
— 🇺🇦Ukrainian Front (@front_ukrainian) May 2, 2023
What is interesting is that the distance from Avdiivka to Donetsk is only 13 kilometers pic.twitter.com/BkfihHGZim
Southern Front
Zaporizhzhia
Russian Headquarters Hit
This strike allegedly interrupted a May Day party for Russian officers. We saw this happen a couple of times over Christmas. It shows that the cell network used by the Russians in Occupied Ukraine is deeply compromised and that the slavish devotion to using cell phones continues to provide windfalls to Ukrainian rocket artillery.
#Михайловка, Запорожская обл., вот что-то прилетело. Насчёт ага пока неясно, но машинки характерные на левой фотке припаркованы https://t.co/vGifrAOkeC pic.twitter.com/O3uFcApJhg
— Necro Mancer (@666_mancer) May 1, 2023
Partisan Activity
Though the tweet refers to some mope working for the police, a bit of research shows that it was the deputy head of internal security for Melitopol who was assassinated. Melitopol, if you’ll recall, is the city I think will be the operational objective of the Ukrainian spring offensive.
Ukrainian partisans in Russian-occupied Melitopol eliminated the collaborator Alexander Mishchenko. He was working for the police of the occupation. His car was blown up.
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) April 27, 2023
Source: https://t.co/THgqng99n7#Ukraine #Melitopol #Zaporizhzhia pic.twitter.com/04bLvsk7YF
Kherson
We’ve not heard any more about the alleged Ukrainian operation on the left bank of the Dnieper (Putin’s War, Week 61. Xi Calls, Prigozhin Sounds El Degüello, and Surprise Attacks at Sevastopol, Kherson, and (Maybe) St. Petersburg). The action has been confined to the Russians doing what they are most competent at: attacking civilians.
All day long, Ru have been chaotically bombarding Kherson with artillery and MLRS. Russians are doing the only thing they are good at – bombing supermarkets, shopping centers. This is one of the darkest days in Kherson. So far it’s known that 16 civilians were killed, 28 wounded pic.twitter.com/wXvzeSMbkF
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 3, 2023
Rear Areas
For the first time, areas away from the line of contact have seen the most action. My assessment is that this indicates the Ukrainians are conducting shaping operations to limit the ability of the Russian Army to respond to an offensive.
Crimea
UAV Strikes Oil Depot in Sevastopol
Over the weekend, a major oil depot in Crimea was hit. The strike shows increasing sophistication in Ukrainian drone strike operations. The drones were routed out to sea and around the land-facing radar and missile systems defending the area.
At night, in the Kazachya Bay of Sevastopol, Crimea, Russian oil depot was attacked by drones. pic.twitter.com/btoTJIgxQ6
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) April 29, 2023
The fire may be out, but questions remain regarding the size, origin, and payload of the drone used in last night's attack.
— The Intel Crab (@IntelCrab) April 29, 2023
Here's what we know so far… pic.twitter.com/Ot34lLmMeL
Explosion at FSB Barracks in Simferopol
This is not particularly significant by itself, but it adds to the general unease.
⚡⚡💥In the annexed #Crimea, an explosion occurred at the base of #Russian border troops near Simferopol
— 🇺🇦UkraineNewsLive🇺🇦 (@UkraineNewsLive) May 2, 2023
It is alleged that this is a former training base for border guards in the area of Dzhabanakskaya beam near the village of Shkolnoye, 1/2⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3obrryh3DV
UAV Strike on Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol
This UAV strike on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was unsuccessful but has a psychological effect.
The Air Defenses of the Russian Black Sea’s Fleet has reportedly “Repelled” a Ukrainian Drone Attack that was attempted to Target the Naval Port in the Crimean City of Sevastopol with Drones observed being Shot Down to the North of Sevastopol and the Town of Zaozerne. pic.twitter.com/BSzVjnVE8e
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 1, 2023
Russia
UAV Strikes Electric Substation in Belgorod
I covered another strike on Belgorod’s electrical grid in the last update. This does more than affect the city; the substations serve the electric railroad lines bringing supplies from interior Russia to the front.
Drone attack in the Belgorod region
— Feher_Junior (@Feher_Junior) April 28, 2023
According to local Russian publics, five drones flew over an electrical substation in the village of Nezhegol, Shebekinsky city district. pic.twitter.com/CEYwlyzjpQ
UAV Strikes Electric Substation in Klimovo, Bryansk, Russia
More of the same as the Belgorod strike. The real target is the power to the railroad.
Confirmation of UAV dropped munition strike on Russian electric substation #TransformersRiseoftheBeasts at Klimovo
— RBGB🇺🇦🚀🇷🇺🎯💥🔥 (@BruckenRuski) April 30, 2023
This is the second strike on this location, the first was JAN 13 with a confirmed Trafos fire, aslo.#Transformer 🔥at Perm MLRS factory yesterday#LetsGoUkraine! https://t.co/Gor8D0AOnM
Town Shelled in Bryansk Region
I’m not exactly sure what happened here. The video doesn’t show any military targets, and not enough civilians were killed to classify it as retaliation for Russia’s missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Bryansk region, Ruzzia ❗
— LX (@LXSummer1) April 29, 2023
Bavovna 🔥🔥🔥
Some more details: Two people in the Bryansk region were killed. This is reported by the Governor Bogomaz. According to him, also one house in the village was completely destroyed, two more houses were partially damaged. pic.twitter.com/cTtyW1C1fw
Two Russian Army Freight Trains Derailed in Bryansk
This was the work of either partisans or Ukrainian special forces. I tend to believe the latter, as Russian military freights were hit both times instead of random trains.
A bomb has derailed a cargo train transporting fuel for the Russian Army near Bryansk, Russia.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 1, 2023
It remains to be seen whether done by some Russian resistance group or Ukrainian special forces working in Russia.
The train fought fire after derailing.pic.twitter.com/QKpkrZm5WC
⚡⚡💥In #Russia, a railway was blown up in the Bryansk region
— 🇺🇦UkraineNewsLive🇺🇦 (@UkraineNewsLive) May 2, 2023
Three explosions were heard, 2-3 wagons with oil products derailed.#Ukraine #UkraineRussianWar #UkraineFrontLines #Ukrainian #RussiaIsATerroristState pic.twitter.com/3yoZXycJAU
UAV Strikes Oil Depot in Taman, Russia
Geolocation of CCTV footage showing the moment drones target the Taman port early this morning.
— Benjamin Pittet (@COUPSURE) May 3, 2023
POV: 45.149836, 36.679252
4MXH+WMQ Volna, Krasnodar Krai, Russia@GeoConfirmed https://t.co/s88fn98Px3 pic.twitter.com/FNJTMS9nYJ
UAV Strikes Oil Depot in Stavropol, Russia
the Russian Stavropol, a warehouse of fuels and lubricants is on fire
— Lew Anno Suport #Ukraine 24/2-22 (@anno1540) May 4, 2023
RosSMI write that the fire area has already reached 500 square meters.https://t.co/FLWEh7PrY4 pic.twitter.com/5pLQzeKBNw
Motovilikhinskiye plant in Perm, Russia producing munition for artillery and MLRS is burning pic.twitter.com/EDL4dEchTU
— Giorgi Revishvili (@revishvilig) April 29, 2023
What’s Next?
Looks for more strikes at logistics targets deep in Occupied Ukraine, Crimea, and the border areas of Russia. Keep an eye on the battle areas around Avdiivka, Vuldehar, and Bakhmut. Minor Ukrainian offensive actions are underway near those cities. My guess is that Ukraine will open its spring offensive in one of those areas to freeze Russian forces in place and pull their reserves, particularly artillery, to the scene of what looks like the offensive. The real attack will happen somewhere else…like aimed at Melitopol.
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