The War in the Ukraine

A War on the Rocks article of some of the issues affecting Ukrainians to this day including the fact they don't even train for combined arms operations, lack of logistics and maintenance, and improper use of Special Forces

Mentions that Ukranians still have the soviet mentality that doesn't favor personal initiative and trust in the command and goes as far as defensive units not being allowed to counterattack unless they get orders to do so.

As for the logistic, it says almost every new equipment received gets cannibalized to repair units already on the front line. There isn't even a maintenance network with depots, everything is just done on the fly and for new equipment, the Ukranians rely extensively on youtube videos. This in turns affects how tanks and armor in general is used, with tanks being used as artillerly intead of supporting infantry and with armored vehicles pulling away as soon they are under fire.

Regarding Special Forces, they lack a clear mission and go around unit to unit looking for stuff to do. In one of these instances, an Ukranian commander though he had captured a village from the Russians but when assessing the situation, he realized he stopped short he taskd a SOF unit to go to the center of the town with an Ukranian flag to take a picture and return.

This results on the fast depletion of theses assets as they are promply killed and take time to train

I think it’s too premature to tell what’s really going but at least it seems something is…


and this strange story has yet another chapter

Update from @Rybar:

South-Donetsk direction
situation as of 14.00 June 5, 2023

On the border of the Zaporizhia region and the DPR, in the area of the Vremievsky ledge, the AFU resumed the assault on Russian positions. Yesterday, by the end of the day, the Russian Armed Forces recaptured the lost territories, including Novodarovka.

Ukrainian formations (according to some reports, the forces of the 23rd and 31st Mechanized Brigade are involved in the battles) are attacking in two directions: near Novodarovka and Rivnopol.

By noon, Russian units had repelled an attack by six tanks and infantry at Novodarovka. And from the direction of Novoselka, the offensive continues - reserves are brought in two kilometers west of Neskuchny.

Also in the morning there was an attempt to storm the positions of the Russian Armed Forces near Neskuchnoye and Storozhevoy by marines of the new 37th Marine Brigade on several armored vehicles. The attack was repulsed.

The main hostilities unfolded in the Novodonetsk region. This morning, a convoy of 30 AFVs of the 37th Marine Corps of the Ukrainian Navy, including Kirpi and MaxxPRO, attacked the Russian Armed Forces positions near the village. As a result, the enemy entrenched himself on the outskirts of the settlement.

Now the fighting continues under heavy artillery fire. Soldiers of the 36th Army of the Russian Armed Forces are trying to drive out the Ukrainian marines. At the moment, about half of the village is under the control of the AFU .

At the same time, a convoy of 20 armored vehicles is moving southeast from the Bolshaya Novoselka area, most likely to strengthen positions in Novodonetskoye.

"The Ukrainian army used Leopard tanks in combat for the first time."

Alexander Khodakovsky, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate of the Russian Guard for the DPR.

Allegedly the Leopards are being used in the battle near Novodonetsk.

baykalov said:

Update from @Rybar:

South-Donetsk direction
situation as of 14.00 June 5, 2023

On the border of the Zaporizhia region and the DPR, in the area of the Vremievsky ledge, the AFU resumed the assault on Russian positions. Yesterday, by the end of the day, the Russian Armed Forces recaptured the lost territories, including Novodarovka.

Ukrainian formations (according to some reports, the forces of the 23rd and 31st Mechanized Brigade are involved in the battles) are attacking in two directions: near Novodarovka and Rivnopol.

By noon, Russian units had repelled an attack by six tanks and infantry at Novodarovka. And from the direction of Novoselka, the offensive continues - reserves are brought in two kilometers west of Neskuchny.

Also in the morning there was an attempt to storm the positions of the Russian Armed Forces near Neskuchnoye and Storozhevoy by marines of the new 37th Marine Brigade on several armored vehicles. The attack was repulsed.

The main hostilities unfolded in the Novodonetsk region. This morning, a convoy of 30 AFVs of the 37th Marine Corps of the Ukrainian Navy, including Kirpi and MaxxPRO, attacked the Russian Armed Forces positions near the village. As a result, the enemy entrenched himself on the outskirts of the settlement.

Now the fighting continues under heavy artillery fire. Soldiers of the 36th Army of the Russian Armed Forces are trying to drive out the Ukrainian marines. At the moment, about half of the village is under the control of the AFU .

At the same time, a convoy of 20 armored vehicles is moving southeast from the Bolshaya Novoselka area, most likely to strengthen positions in Novodonetskoye.

"The Ukrainian army used Leopard tanks in combat for the first time."

Alexander Khodakovsky, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate of the Russian Guard for the DPR.

Allegedly the Leopards are being used in the battle near Novodonetsk.

Click to expand...

It look like the battle is going but they are not running and bypassing position like last year in Kharkiv. The Russian look prepared this time. We will see in a couple of days even week if they are able to push the Russian lines in a corner or not.

With drone footages like that, it's probably quite hard to do a surprise attack and theie advance is clouded with guided munitions. Some footage of helicopters circulating ?

Atomicfrog said:

It look like the battle is going but they are not running and bypassing position like last year in Kharkiv. The Russian look prepared this time. We will see in a couple of days even week if they are able to push the Russian lines in a corner or not.

With drone footages like that, it's probably quite hard to do a surprise attack and theie advance is clouded with guided munitions. Some footage of helicopters circulating ?

Click to expand...

There is huge difference in terrain between Zaporozhye and Kharkov region.

Kharkov have forests and 1+ million population city to stealthy accumulate forces for offensive.

Zaporozhye are mostly open land with barely any cover.

Plus after mobilization and regroup after Kherson. There is much higher Russian troops concentration. Plus they had time to dig in and prepare defence lines.

So while battle in still ongoing it would be definitely be hard for side that conduct offensive operation.

there are some images of Russian helicopters attacking Ukrainian vehicles

tank3487 said:

There is huge difference in terrain between Zaporozhye and Kharkov region.

Kharkov have forests and 1+ million population city to stealthy accumulate forces for offensive.

Zaporozhye are mostly open land with barely any cover.

Plus after mobilization and regroup after Kherson. There is much higher Russian troops concentration. Plus they had time to dig in and prepare defence lines.

So while battle in still ongoing it would be definitely be hard for side that conduct offensive operation.

Click to expand...

They attacked quite a large front too. Don't know how deep was their reserve to fill the gap after advancing and maintaining pressure. Maybe they where thing that one of the zone would collapse and thrown all the reserve there to make a deeper push.

4 damaged MRAPs MaxxPro after the failed attack on June 4 on Zaporozhye front.
BTR-4 destroyed during last attack in Yuzhnodonetsk direction
Helicopter footage can confirm the destruction or disabling of at least 9 armored vehicles, reportedly Western ones

Ukrainian counteroffensive attempt failed – Russian MOD​

Kiev’s botched attack took place in the southern part of Donetsk Region, according to the ministry


FILE PHOTO: A Russian serviceman stands in a trench at a position on a front line, as Russia's military operation in Ukraine continues. © Sputnik / Evgeny Biyatov

Ukrainian forces attempted to mount a large-scale offensive in the southern part of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Monday.

In a statement, the ministry said that on Sunday, Ukrainian troops attempted to attack Russian forces using six mechanized and two tank battalions. However, it added that as a result of the actions of the ‘East’ military grouping, as well as owing to air strikes and artillery fire near the settlements of Neskuchnoye and Novodarovka, both of which are some 100km west of Donetsk, the Ukrainian forces incurred “significant losses.”

As a result of the botched attack, in the last 24 hours Ukraine has lost up to 300 service members, 16 tanks, 26 armored and 14 ordinary vehicles, the statement read. “The enemy failed to accomplish its goals,” the ministry concluded.

The ministry’s statement comes after earlier in the day it said that Ukraine had tried to break through Russian defenses in five sections of the front line in Donbass using its “strategic reserves,” but failed to do so.

Ukrainian officials have for months promised to launch a counteroffensive, which initially was expected to happen in spring. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has on numerous occasions said that Kiev was “ready” for the push but “still needs a bit more time” in order to receive more Western weapons.

Ukraine’s General Staff provided no comment on the counteroffensive, saying only that there had been 29 combat clashes in the Donetsk and neighboring Lugansk Regions in the last 24 hours. Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communications also failed to address Moscow’s statement head-on, but accused Russia of attempting to “spread false information” in order to demoralize Ukrainians.

Possible abandoned Leo 2 during offensive