Russia’s war on Ukraine. 10.08.2023

Operational situation

The Defense Forces continue their offensive operation on the Melitopol and Berdyansk directions, consolidating their positions at achieved frontlines and engaging in counter-battery warfare. The adversary concentrates their main efforts on the Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka directions.

General conclusion: 

• Ukrainian Defense Forces continued offensive actions on at least three sectors of the front line, developing success in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
• In recent days, the “Tavria” Operational Grouping shifted the main thrust from the Robotyne area to the east towards Bilohirya.
• All regular units of the 49th Army, except for the 34th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade and the 22nd Army Corps of the Black Sea Fleet, are already deployed in the first echelon of the enemy’s “Dniepr” grouping. The enemy’s command concentrates its main defensive efforts on the Hola Prystan–Nova Kakhovka section, with no expectations for significant Ukrainian Defense Forces activities to the north of Nova Kakhovka.
• The enemy is organizing the defense of key settlements on the left bank of the Dnipro River, for which defense zones are established: the 80th separate motorized rifle brigade is in Hola Prystan, the 61st separate marines brigade is in the villages of Stara and Nova Zburivka, the 205th separate motorized rifle brigade is in Kozachi Lageri. Along the Pokrovske–Rybalche line, the 126th separate coastal defense brigade of the 22nd Army Corps of the Black Sea Fleet and the 1199th separate marine regiment of the Territorial troops are deployed. Their defense is of a focal nature. The fortifications, including engineering obstacles, are predominantly concentrated along the Dnipro River’s waterfront.
• The combat readiness of the enemy’s “Dniepr” grouping is comparatively lower than the “Vostok” grouping.
• Ukrainian Defense Forces lack the necessary capabilities to conduct a crossing of the Dnipro River downstream. In particular, their forces and staff lack practical experience in carrying out substantial-scale water obstacle crossings.

Change in the line of contact (LoC):  

• Over 30 combat engagement clashes took place on various fronts.
• On the Kupyansk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully repelled Russian attacks north of Synkivka and northeast of Ivanivka in the Kharkiv Oblast. They launched counterattacks in the areas of Novoselivske, Synkivka, the Mankivka tract, and along the Raigorodka – Karmazynivka line.
• Russian forces have assembled an offensive formation aimed at penetrating the defensive line with the objective of advancing directly towards Kupyansk. Assault groups from the 6th Army captured four Ukrainian positions and five observation posts near the Mankivka tract. The enemy is trying to capitalize on their earlier success in Novoselivske while clearing previously captured positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces near Lyman Pershyi.
• On the Lyman direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces continued their attacks near Kreminna but made no significant progress. Russian forces also repelled attacks near Terniv and Hryhorivka.
• On the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully repelled enemy attacks on the outskirts of Klishchiivka and northeast of Druzhba in Donetsk Oblast. They captured some Russian positions south of Bakhmut, advanced near Klishchiivka, Andriivka, Kurdyumivka, Berkhivka, and consolidated their positions on reached frontlines. Attacks near Ivanivske and Minkivka did not change the tactical situation for either side.
• Enemy forces advanced west of Yahidne and attempted a counterattack near Kurdyumivka, but it was unsuccessful.
• On the Avdiivka direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully repelled Russian attacks in the vicinity of Avdiivka and southeast of Severne in Donetsk Oblast. They continue to contain the Russian advance in the areas of Maryinka, Novomykhailivka, and Novokalynove.
• Zaporizhzhia direction: 
  • Melitopol direction (Pyatykhatky): The forces of the “Tavriya” Operational Grouping attacked Russian positions north of Pyatykhatky.
  • Tokmak direction (Robotyne): The enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive operations south of Novodanylivka.
  • The forces of the “Tavriya” Operational Grouping advanced to the northeast of Robotyne, secured new positions 3 km northeast of the village, and achieved success to the south near Verbove by displacing the enemy from their occupied positions.
  • The enemy conducted a series of counterattacks on the stretch of the T0408 road near Robotyne and to the west of Novopokrovka.
  • Berdyansk direction (Velyka Novosilka): The enemy made unsuccessful attempts to regain the lost position in the Staromayorske area. The forces of the “Tavriya” Operational Grouping achieved success near Urozhaine and Pryiutne, captured positions on the northern outskirts of Urozhaine, and launched an attack near Staromayorske.
  • The enemy repelled an attack by the “Tavriya” Operational Grouping in the direction of Mykilske.
• Kherson direction: In the area of Oleshky, the enemy is concentrating additional forces, deploying them along the Solontsi – Pishchanivka line.
• The enemy maintained their positions in Kozachi Lageri and to the northwest of them, but they are under constant artillery fire from the Defense Forces.
• In the Black Sea-Azov Sea operational maritime area, the following enemy ships are on combat duty: in the Black Sea – 5 ships, including 1 cruise missile carrier; in the Azov Sea – 1 ship; in the Mediterranean Sea – 8 ships, including 2 cruise missile carriers. The total salvo of Kalibr cruise missiles is 28 rockets.

Change in enemy disposition:

• In the area of Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, the following units are being concentrated:
  • the 127th Separate ranger brigade of the 22nd Army Corps of the Black Sea Fleet, 
  • the 10th separate SOF brigade, 
  • the 108th Air assault regiment of the 7th Air assault division, 
  • the 385th and 1253rd motorized rifle regiments of the Territorial troops, 
  • a combined marines battalion (from the 61st and 810th Separate Marine Brigades), 
  • the “Kherson” collaborationist detachment, 
  • the 8th Artillery Regiment of the 22nd Army Corps of the Black Sea Fleet, 
  • and the 1141st Artillery Regiment of the Territorial Troops.
• In the area of Hola Prystan, units of the 80th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 14th Army Corps of the Northern Fleet have deployed with a front line facing north and west. In the vicinity of Pidstepne village, a battalion from the composition of the combined tactical group of the 7th Military Base of the enemy has concentrated. In the area of Kozachi Lageri village, units of the 205th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade are observed, securing the T2206 road.

Possible operation situation developments: 

• The Russian command will soon begin the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Pryiutne – Urozhaine – Zavitne Bazhanya area to the Novozlatopil – Remivka – Volodyne – Staromlynivka – Kermenchyk line.
• On the Kherson direction, the enemy forces will attempt to break through from the northern outskirts of Oleshky towards Dachi village. This maneuver aims to compel the frontline units of the Defense Forces to abandon the bridgehead on the left bank of the Dnipro River in the area of Antonivskyi Bridge.

Russian operational losses from 24.02.22 to 10.08.23 

Personnel – almost 252,200 people (+580);

Tanks – 4,278 (+16);

Armored combat vehicles – 8,303 (+13);

Artillery systems – 5,028 (+15);

Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 711 (0);

Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 469 (0);

Vehicles and fuel tanks –7,495 (+16);

Aircraft – 315 (0);

Helicopters – 313 (+1);

UAV operational and tactical level – 4,179 (+4);

Intercepted cruise missiles – 1,377 (0);

Boats/ships – 18 (0).

Humanitarian:

• According to information provided by the MOD’s Situation Center, over the past day, Russian forces shelled 10 regions of Ukraine. 131 towns and villages and 88 infrastructure objects were attacked with various types of weapons. Over the past day, at least 6 people died and 27 people were injured, as reported by Oblast Military Administrations. 
• Three people were killed and nine injured, including an 11-month-old child, as the result of a Russian attack on a residential district in the city of Zaporizhzhia on August 9.
• The Kupyansk City Military Administration has reported that due to the escalated shelling by Russian forces, the authorities have started the obligatory evacuation of 37 communities in the Kupyansk district of Kharkiv Oblast.
• Nataliya Gumenyuk, the Head of the Joint Coordination Press Center of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine, has reported that a total of 32 sea mines have been successfully neutralized in the coastal areas of Mykolaiv and Odesa Oblasts since the beginning of the year. However, the mine situation continues to be challenging, as Russia may have placed additional sea mines to impede maritime traffic following its withdrawal from the Grain Deal.
• The Russian authorities have been engaging children in the occupied regions of Ukraine in so-called “military-patriotic” education with the intention of subsequently recruiting them into the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces. The National Resistance Center of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has reported that teenagers from various Ukrainian towns under temporary occupation, including Mariupol, Kirovsk, Yenakieve, Horlivka, Shakhtarsk, Makiyivka, and Donetsk, were transported to the Russian Federation, specifically to Penza, to participate in the “Guards” military exercise. This exercise is scheduled to take place from August 1 to August 18.
• Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, at least 380 children who were deported to the Russian Federation have been returned to Ukraine. According to Iryna Vereshchuk, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories, the precise count is either 380 or 383. She further noted that Ukraine is aware that around 20,000 Ukrainian children were relocated to Russia, but the actual figure is probably more significant. 
• During the night of August 10, the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant experienced a power outage from its primary external power transmission line, which had a voltage of 750 kV, as reported by “Energoatom.” Subsequently, the ZNP was forced to transition to the sole operational backup 330 kV line, the disconnection of which poses a risk of losing external power (blackout).

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