Russia’s war on Ukraine. 21.06.2024

In the operational zone of the Ukrainian Operational Group of Forces (OTG) “Kharkiv” on the Kharkiv direction Russian forces attempted to assault the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces near Vovchansk, Lyptsi, and Tykhe 3 times with air support. All enemy attacks failed.

In the “Khortytsia” Operational-Strategic Group of Forces (OSG) operational zone on the Kupyansk direction the enemy attacked Ukrainian Defense Forces positions 16 times. Near Stepova Novoselivka, Synkivka, Stelmakhivka, and Pishchane, 15 attacks were repelled with the enemy failing. The situation is tense, with a battle ongoing near Stelmakhivka. On the Lyman direction, Russian forces unsuccessfully attacked 6 times in the areas of Nevske and Serebriansk Forest. Battles are ongoing near Hrekivka and Nevske. Similarly, on the Toretsk direction, occupiers attacked 7 times near Shumy, Toretsk, and New York.

In the “Tavriya” OSG operational zone, the enemy is intensively attacking on the Pokrovsk direction, having increased their efforts with a total of 48 assault and offensive actions. Russian forces continue to be the most active in the area of Ocheretyne, where the enemy attempts to penetrate the battle lines of “Tavriya” OSG in various directions. 29 attacks were repelled, and 19 combat engagements are ongoing. The situation is complex, and the Ukrainian Defense Forces are making efforts to prevent the enemy from advancing deeper into Ukrainian territory. On the Kurakhove direction, the enemy conducted 13 unsuccessful attacks, attempting to advance near Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Pobieda, Paraskoviivka, and Kostyantynivka.

In the operational zone of the “Odesa” OSG on the Prydniprovskiy direction, the occupiers continue trying to dislodge the Ukrainian Defense Forces from positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River. All 6 attacks by Russian occupiers failed.

General conclusion: 

• The enemy has reduced the intensity of shelling near Vovchansk.
• Russian forces have resumed frontal attacks with large numbers of infantry on the outskirts of Chasiv Yar following significant losses during recent failed assaults.
• If Russian forces can properly exploit their advance over the underground section of the Siversky Donets-Donbas canal, they will attack Chasiv Yar from the north and threaten Ukrainian positions in the town center without needing to cross the canal’s above-ground sections to enter the town.
• On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces are using fewer armored vehicles in attacks west of Avdiivka than before and are now relying on small groups of light infantry using ATVs or motorcycles to facilitate movement along tree lines.

Change in the line of contact (LoC):

• There were 128 combat engagements on various fronts.
• On the Kharkiv direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced northeast of Vovchansk along Soborna Street within the city limits. Russian forces struck Ukrainian positions along Gogol and Olesya Dosvitnya streets in central Vovchansk, but Ukrainian troops maintained their positions in the area. The enemy holds positions approximately 300 meters from the Vovcha River in the Vovchansk area and repelled Ukrainian counterattacks near Lyptsi, particularly near Hlyboke.
• On the Kupyansk direction, fighting continues near Synkivka, Stepova Novoselivka, Pishchane, Stelmakhivka, Kruhlyakivka, and Serhiivka.
• On the Lyman direction, battles continued near Nevske, Hrekivka, Terny, and in the Serebriansk Forest area. Russian forces advanced near Ploshchanka in the forested area near Torske.
• On the Siversk Direction, Russian troops attacked near Vyimka, advanced 1 km southwest of Rozdolivka, and are progressing in Bilohorivka. Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled Russian attacks near Verkhnyokamianske and Rozdolivka.
• On the Kramatorsk direction, Russian forces advanced to the bank of the Siversky Donets-Donbas canal in central Kalynivka, where the canal runs underground, but failed to cross it. Battles continued in the Kanal and Novyi districts and near Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka.
• On the Toretsk direction, Russian troops continued offensive actions, advanced up to 2 km on the eastern outskirts of Pivnichne, reached the outskirts of New York, and attacked near Shumy.
• On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces achieved minor successes on the southern bank of Samoylova Balka northeast of Sokil, advanced to the northern shore of the Karlivka reservoir, on the outskirts of Karlivka, west of Netaylove, and near Yasnobrodivka. Russian troops attacked near Kalynove, Ocheretyne, Oleksandropil, Novooleksandrivka, Yevhenivka, Sokil, Vozdvyzhenka, Novoselivka Persha, and Karlivka.
• On the Kurakhove direction, the 155th Separate Marines Brigade advanced west of Solodke. Russian forces attacked near Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Maksymilianivka, Pobieda, Kostyantynivka, Paraskoviivka, and Vodyane.
• On the Vremivka direction, the enemy continued attacks near Urozhaine and Vremivka.
• On the Orikhiv direction, positional battles continued near Mala Tokmachka.
• On the Prydniprovskiy direction, positional battles continued on the left bank of Kherson Oblast, including near Krynky.
• In the Black Sea-Azov naval operational area, the enemy naval group on combat duty consists of:
  • Black Sea: 1 ship, including 1 cruise missile carrier; the total salvo is 4 cruise missiles.
  • Azov Sea: 8 ships, including 3 cruise missile carriers; the total salvo is 24 cruise missiles.
  • Mediterranean Sea: 1 ship, including 1 cruise missile carrier; the total salvo is 8 cruise missiles.  

Changes in the enemy disposition:

• The “88th Volunteer Brigade ‘Española'” (“Volunteer Assault Corps”) is engaged in combat near Chasiv Yar.
• Units of the 24th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 70th Motorized Rifle Division of the 18th Combined Arms Army are operating near Oleshky.

Possible operation situation developments:

• On the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy is expected to soon attempt to push the “Khortytsia” OSG units beyond the canal south of the Kostyantynivka – Bakhmut road. The area of Klishchiivka, defended by the “Khortytsia” OSG units, will significantly complicate the enemy’s plans.
• The 74th and 55th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades of the 41st Army, the 15th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 2nd Army, and the 114th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 1st Army Corps, reinforced by several regiments and battalions from territorial troops and mobilization reserves, will soon attempt to break through Vozdvyzhenka towards the Pokrovsk – Kostyantynivka road. Their goal is to cut it off between Malynivka and Nova Poltavka, reach the Vovcha River between Prohres and Komyshivka, and, if conditions allow, establish several bridgeheads.
• It is expected that the intensity of enemy attacks in the direction of Sokil – Yevhenivka – Vovche will increase, aiming to break through to the Prohres area and thus support from the north the operations of their tactical group preparing for battles for Novoselivka Persha.
• The fighting in the Staromayorske area is a diversionary action aimed at forming a strike tactical group of 3-4 brigades and 1-2 regiments in the Mykilske-Novodonetske sector. The likely objective of this tactical group could be to break through the Kashlahach River in the Uspenivka area simultaneously with the “Yug” Operational Grouping’s advance towards Kurakhove.
• Cyber units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces delivered a powerful cyber attack, disabling Russia’s “Mir” banking system.

Russian operational losses from 24.02.22 to 21.06.24  

Personnel – almost 531,980 (+1060); 

Tanks 8,001 (+14);

Armored combat vehicles – 15,372 (+35); 

Artillery systems – 14,106 (+54);

Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,106 (+1);

Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 861 (+2);

Vehicles and fuel tanks – 19,181 (+47);

Aircraft – 359 (0);

Helicopters – 326 (0);

UAV operational and tactical level – 11,260 (0);

Intercepted cruise missiles – 2,298 (0);

Boats/ships – 29 (0).

Humanitarian+general:

• According to information provided by the Situation Center of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Russian forces shelled 10 regions of Ukraine over the past day. A total of 98 towns and villages and 107 infrastructure objects were attacked with various types of weapons. The number of casualties is being updated/clarified.
• During the day on June 21, Russian military forces launched a missile strike on a food warehouse in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, resulting in a fire and injuring two men aged 60 and 22.
• In the Vovchansk community of the Kharkiv region, an employee of a mobile “Ukrposhta” post service branch was killed and a driver injured when an enemy UAV struck their vehicle during a pension delivery.
• On June 21, Russian occupiers struck the coastal area of the Odesa Oblast with ballistic missiles, damaging a recreational infrastructure facility and causing a fire that firefighters promptly extinguished.
• On June 21, the Russian army carried out an airstrike on the town of Selydove in Donetsk Oblast, resulting in two deaths and three injuries.
• Russian forces also attacked the Vozdvyzhivka community in the Zaporizhzhia region with explosive bombs, killing one man and injuring another man and a woman. The shelling destroyed two houses and caused a fire.
• Seven children aged 4 months to 13 years were successfully returned from the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region to the area controlled by Ukraine.

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