Russia’s war on Ukraine. 18.08.24

In the operational zone of the Ukrainian Operational Group of Forces (OTG) “Kharkiv” on the Kharkiv direction, the enemy attempted to storm the positions of Ukrainian Defense Forces 6 times in the areas of Vovchansk and Lyptsi.

In the “Khortytsia” Operational-Strategic Group of Forces (OSG) operational zone on the Kupyansk direction, the enemy attacked 8 times. Near Berestove and Stelmakhivka, units of Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 7 attacks. The situation is tense, and fighting continues. On the Lyman direction, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian defenders 17 times in the areas of Makiivka, Nevske, Hrekivka, Novoyehorivka, and Dibrova. On the Siversk direction, the enemy attempted 7 assaults to dislodge Ukrainian Defense Forces from their positions in the areas of Spirne, Vyimka, and Pereyizne. All attacks were repelled, and the enemy did not achieve success. On the Kramatorsk direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 6 attempts by the invaders to advance near Chasiv Yar and Ivanivske. On the Toretsk direction, the occupiers, with air support, attacked the positions of Ukrainian Defense Forces 14 times near Pivnichne, Toretsk, and Zalizne.

In the “Tavriya” OSG operational zone, the enemy is concentrating its main efforts on the Pokrovsk direction, where they attacked 35 times in the areas of Vozdvyzhenka, Myrolyubivka, Novotroitske, Novohrodivka, Hrodivka, Mykolaivka, Zhelanne, and Zavitne. On the Kurakhove direction, UkrainianDefense Forces repelled 4 enemy attacks. The invaders tried to advance near Kostyantynivka.  On the Vremivka direction, the aggressor assaulted the front line near Vuhledar. Ukrainian soldiers stopped the enemy’s attack.On the Prydniprovskiy direction, the enemy’s attack was unsuccessful, and no positions were lost.

General conclusion:

• The strikes on the bridge crossings over the Seym River and the advance of Ukrainian Defense Forces’ forward units to the western bank of the river in the Byrdin–Tyotkino area suggest that the objective of Ukrainian Defense Forces is to take control of a portion of Kursk Oblast south of the Seym River, from Alekseevka to the Spalnoye–Giri line.
• Forward units of Ukrainian Defense Forces in Kursk Oblast have advanced from the east to the Komarovka–Novoivanovka line.

Change in the line of contact (LoC):

• There were 98 combat engagements on various fronts.
• On the Kursk Direction: the 103rd Territorial Defense Brigade captured Vnezapnoye. In the Glushkovo area, the 17th and 18th border outposts of the enemy’s FSB border troops found themselves partially surrounded. Ukrainian Defense Forces control Tolpyno and Kolychevka, cutting off the Russian garrison in Korenevo from the main enemy forces. Ukrainian Defense Forces have captured Aleksandrovka and use it as a hub for deep raids toward Lgov and Rylsk. The E38 highway from Rylsk to Kursk has been cut off by Ukrainian Defense Forces in at least four points. Ukrainian Defense Forces conduct raids towards Shagarovo, Izvekovo, and other locations, destabilizing the Russian defense.
• The enemy’s 11th Separate Air Assault Brigade was driven out of Olevka and Durovo, and the entire area around Yuzhny, from Dyakovka to Volzhin and Kauchuk, has come under the control of Ukrainian Defense Forces. At the Durovo–Bobrik line, the enemy has deployed a grouping of up to 5,000 military personnel and is preparing for defense. The enemy still holds Biryukovka and Budishche, with ongoing battles near Rzhava and Bolshoye Soldatskoye.
• In the area of Maly Kamenets and Komunar, enemy forces that retreated from Sudzha, Ulanok, and Belitsa have been stopped by two blocking detachments of Chechen fighters. Another such grouping is gathering in the Belaya area.
• The enemy’s 15th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army retreated from Kozyrevka to Lyubostan, losing tactical contact with other forces defending Maly Kamenets and Shchegolok. The 272nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 47th Tank Division is attempting to halt the advance of Ukrainian Defense Forces along the R-200 highway, counterattacking towards Martynovka controlled by Ukrainian Defense Forces.
• On the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces continued attacks near Lyptsi, Hlyboke, and Vovchansk. The enemy has reinforced the assault groups of the 7th Separate Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 11th Army Corps near Lyptsi.
• On the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces attacked near Hlushkivka, Kruhlyakivka, Berestove, and Stelmakhivka.
• On the Lyman direction, elements of the enemy’s 3rd Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army made minor advances in the northeastern part of Makiivka. The enemy attacked near Makiivka, Hrekivka, Nevske, Novoyehorivka, Terny, Torske, and Dibrova.
• On the Siversk Direction, Russian forces continued attacks near Bilohorivka, Verkhnyokamianske, Spirne, Vyimka, and Pereyizne but did not achieve success.
• On the Kramatorsk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces made slight progress on the eastern outskirts of Chasiv Yar, on the right bank of the Siversky Donets–Donbas canal, and are attempting to reclaim positions in the forested area west of Klishchiivka. Russian forces attacked in the “Zhovtnevyi” neighborhood and near Hryhorivka.
• On the Toretsk direction, Russian forces advanced further along Central Street towards Toretsk from the western outskirts of Pivnichne, towards Nelypivka from Zalizne, and in New York, where they now control approximately 80% of the town. They continued their offensive near Bila Hora, Dyliivka, and Panteleimonivka.
• On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces made slight advances southeast of Zhelanne, captured Novozhelanne, and are advancing towards Krutyi Yar, Hrodivka, and Novohrodivka, continuing offensive actions near Vozdvyzhenka, Myrolyubivka, Mykolaivka, towards Zelene Pole, and in the areas of Zhuravka, Zavitne, and Ptyche.
• Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled an enemy assault southeast of Lozuvatka.
• On the Kurakhove direction, Russian forces made minor advances northwest of Pobieda, and continued offensive actions near Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, and Kostyantynivka.
• On the Orikhiv direction, positional battles continued near Mala Tokmachka.
• In the Black Sea-Azov naval operational area, the enemy naval group on combat duty consists of:
  • Mediterranean Sea: 1 ship, including 0 cruise missile carriers; the total salvo is 0 cruise missiles.

Changes in the enemy disposition:

• The command of the enemy’s “Sever (North)” Operational Grouping is likely assembling a force of 5-6 battalions to counter the Ukrainian Defense Forces’ advance into Kursk Oblast. The 80th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 14th Army Corps is being redeployed from the Prydniprovskiy direction, while the 200th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade from the same corps has already arrived from the Kramatorsk direction and is currently being positioned in the region.
• Troops of the 18th Combined Arms Army operate near Mykilske, having previously conducted combat operations on the Kherson direction.
• In the occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the enemy has concentrated a grouping of about 75-90 thousand troops, and up to 2,000 military personnel have been transferred to Kursk Oblast.
• The 28th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 70th Motorized Rifle Division of the 18th Combined Arms Army is engaged in combat near Krynky, while the 337th Airborne Regiment of the 104th Airborne Division is fighting on the islands in the Dnipro River delta.

Escalation indicators:

• Successful development of the Ukrainian Defense Forces’ operation in the Russian Kursk Oblast.

Possible operation situation developments:

• The sides are deploying reserves to the Belitsa and Giri areas of Kursk Oblast, where combat clashes are expected to occur in the next day or two.
• On the Kupyansk direction, in the operational zone of the 1st Tank Army, command of the enemy’s “Zapad (West)” Operational Grouping will attempt to reach the Oskil River in the Hlushkivka – Zahryzove sector, the Petropavlivka – Kurylivka line, and storm Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi railway junction. To bind the “Khortytsia” OSG forces, the enemy will exert frontal pressure on their positions in the Stepova Novoselivka area.
• On the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy will attempt to advance to the Orlivka-Mykolaivka line.

Russian operational losses from 24.02.22 to 18.08.24  

Personnel – almost 599,350 (+1170); 

Tanks 8,508 (+7);

Armored combat vehicles – 16,480 (+7); 

Artillery systems – 17,056 (+71);

Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,161 (+1);

Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 923 (0);

Vehicles and fuel tanks – 22,992 (+79);

Aircraft – 367 (0);

Helicopters – 328 (0);

UAV operational and tactical level – 13,752 (+38);

Intercepted cruise missiles – 2,432 (0);

Boats/ships – 29 (0).

Humanitarian+general:

• On the night of August 17-18, Russia launched 16 aerial targets at Ukraine: Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed 13 of them, including 2 ballistic missiles, 3 cruise missiles, and 8 kamikaze drones.
• In the early morning of August 18, around 5:00 AM, Russian forces attacked Kyiv simultaneously with North Korean ballistic weapons and attack drones. The ballistic missiles were intercepted before reaching the capital, and the enemy drones were destroyed far outside the city. This marks the third ballistic missile attack on the capital in August, with a consistent interval of 6 days between each attack.
• Two hours after the attempted ballistic strike, around 7:00 AM, the enemy attacked Kyiv again, this time with cruise missiles. All targets were destroyed. There was no damage or casualties in Kyiv.
• As a result of the morning Russian attack, 50 private houses were damaged in three villages in Kyiv Oblast, with 2 of them being destroyed.
• On the morning of August 18, Russian forces hit the town of Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast with artillery, striking a private house. A woman was killed, and another woman was injured.
• Later in the day, on August 18, Russian forces dropped a guided aerial bomb (KAB) on the town of Bilopillia in Sumy Oblast, resulting in the death of a 33-year-old man and serious injuries to his 11-year-old daughter. The consequences of the enemy attack are still being clarified, and there may be people trapped under the rubble.
• In the village of Kindiyka in Kherson Oblast, on the evening of August 18, Russian military dropped explosives from a drone onto a civilian car, injuring five people.
• As a result of the shelling of the village of Rozliv in the Velykonovosilkivska community of Donetsk Oblast on August 18, one person was killed and another was injured.
• This week, Russia has struck Ukraine with more than 40 missiles, 750 guided aerial bombs, and 200 drones, according to President Zelensky.
• Sappers from the State Special Transport Service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine removed and neutralized 2,195 explosive devices between August 11 and 18.
• According to the Center for National Resistance of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, the day before in occupied Donetsk, an educational seminar was held on the participation of Cossack groups in grant competitions in the field of education. “Thus, the occupiers plan to maximize the militarization of education in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. It is known that pseudo-heroes will primarily teach children military skills and will also be integrated into the teaching of propaganda subjects such as political information or even history,” the Center reported.
• For the first time since July 29, by order of NEK “Ukrenergo,” scheduled hourly power outages are planned to be implemented on Monday, August 19, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM due to the hot weather.

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