[BBC] Snitching, or reporting neighbours, colleagues and even strangers to the authorities, was common in Russia's Soviet era. Now, as the government cracks down on critics of the Ukraine war, people with personal grudges and political ideals are denouncing others once again.
"I was taught how to snitch by my grandfather who was a snitch himself," claims a woman who goes by the name of Anna Korobkova. She says she lives in a large Russian city but refuses to say which one.
But she does say her grandfather was an anonymous informant for the Soviet secret police during Stalin's reign, when denunciations were part of everyday life, and she's following in his footsteps. Now, she is reporting anyone she thinks is a critic of the war in Ukraine.
SELF-CONFESSED SERIAL SNITCH
Korobkova claims to have written 1,397 denunciations since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She says people have been fined, fired and labelled as foreign agents because of her denunciations.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:47 Biden, writing in The Washington Post, called for continued aid to Ukraine because it is “an investment in our own security” and will “prevent a broader conflict tomorrow.” At the same time, Biden emphasized that the United States does not allow its troops to participate in this war.
21:10 Orban called for “correcting the mistake” with the start of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. He also believes that Hungary should not leave the EU, but change it, because without “radical changes” the European Union “will simply fall apart.”
21:04 Zelensky said in an evening video message that new steps in the security sphere are being prepared for the next weeks, in particular to strengthen air defense.
19:18 Western countries and their allies provided $233 billion in aid to Ukraine from January 2022 to July 2023 inclusive, the Canadian service Visual Capitalist calculated. The European Union has collectively allocated $90 billion to Ukraine's needs (of which direct financial assistance is 81 billion), the United States - 73 billion (of which 44 billion is military assistance, the rest is financial and humanitarian). Germany took third place with $22 billion, of which $18 billion was military aid.
19:01 Governor of the Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov said that as a result of a kamikaze drone attack on an infrastructure communications facility in the village of Gorkovsky, two people received shrapnel wounds.
16:33 Zelensky signed two decrees imposing sanctions against 108 individuals and 37 companies, most of which are Russian charitable foundations. The sanctions included the leader of the "LPR" Leonid Pasechnik, the "head" of Crimea Sergei Aksenov, ex-Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, former Minister of Education Dmitry Tabachnik, ex-People's Deputy Oleg Tsarev, Secretary of State of the Union State Dmitry Mezentsev and others. Sanctions were imposed for five and ten years. They involve asset confiscation and other restrictions.
16:20 The state transferred more than 2,000 Ukrainian drones to the logistics forces, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov. According to him, the General Staff will distribute and transfer drones to the military to the hottest sectors of the front. Among them are copters and aircraft-type UAVs - reconnaissance, kamikaze, and reusable bombers. All UAVs were purchased under the government program.
Fedorov also said that last week alone, 39 tanks, 57 guns, 34 armored vehicles and 307 enemy strongholds were hit by drones.p
15:37 The Russians shelled Kherson, a volunteer who was traveling in his own car was wounded, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin.
13:46 In the Odessa region, an oil depot was damaged as a result of a night Russian attack. The power grid was also damaged by the strike - 1,550 consumers were left without power, the Ministry of Energy reported.
09:59 Ukraine needs $15 billion for a large-scale modernization of its energy system, said the head of the board of Ukrenergo Vladimir Kudrytsky. According to him, Ukraine should take a number of measures in the coming years to increase the capacity and flexibility of the energy system.
08:57 In the Zaporizhzhya region, four out of eight enemy drones were shot down during a night attack, said the head of the OVA, Yuriy Malashko. As a result of the attack, a fire broke out at infrastructure facilities; no casualties were reported.
08:41 In the Odessa region, during a night attack, an enemy drone hit an energy infrastructure facility, the Southern Defense Forces report. The administrative building was damaged and a fire started, which was quickly contained. One civilian employee was injured.
08:29 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of November 18:
personnel - about 317,380 (+620) people,
tanks - 5422 (+7),
armored combat vehicles - 10,141 (+9),
artillery systems - 7726 (+14),
MLRS - 896 (+1),
air defense systems - 586 (+1),
aircraft - 323 (+0),
helicopters - 324 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 5726 (+17),
cruise missiles - 1563 (+0),
ships/boats - 22 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 10,091 (+14),
special equipment - 1090 (+4).
08:11 At night, air defense destroyed 29 of the 38 Shahed strike drones with which Russia attacked Ukraine from the northern and southeastern directions (Kursk region, Primorsko-Akhtarsk), the Air Force command reported. The drones attacked in several waves, in groups, in different regions of Ukraine.
07:58 Marine units, together with other components of the Defense Forces, hold positions on the left bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region, where they repulsed 12 enemy attacks over the past 24 hours. They consolidate on occupied lines and inflict fire damage on the enemy, the General Staff reported in its morning report .
In total, 67 military clashes took place at the front over the past 24 hours. In the Kupyansky direction, the Defense Forces repelled enemy attacks in the Sinkovka, Petropavlovka and Ivanovka areas of the Kharkov region; on Limansky - north of Serebryanka, Donetsk region; on Bakhmutsky - in the areas of Vasyukovka, Kleshcheevka and Andreevka of the Donetsk region; on Avdeevsky - near Keramik, east of Novobakhmutovka, Stepnoy, Avdeevka and south of Tonenky, Donetsk region; on Maryinsky - in the Marinka and Novomikhailovka districts of the Donetsk region; on Shakhtarsky - south of Vodyanoy, Donetsk region; on Zaporozhye - not far from Rabotino and west of Verbovoy, Zaporozhye region.
At the same time, the Defense Forces continue the offensive operation in the Melitopol direction and assault operations south of Bakhmut, Donetsk region.
05:23 At night, Russia attacked Kiev with drones, said the head of the city military administration, Sergei Popko. Air defense forces shot down all air targets - almost ten drones. The UAVs, according to preliminary data from Shahed, were launched from the south and, in order to get to the capital, covered a difficult route of almost 1000 km. The drones attacked Kyiv from the northern direction. All of them were defeated on the outskirts of Kyiv. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties or destruction in the city.
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[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces, supported by aviation and artillery, have repelled two attacks by assault groups of the 67th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU close to Sinkovka (Kharkov region).
In addition, Russian troops have inflicted fire on units of 43rd, 53rd mechanised and 10th mountain assault brigades of the AFU close to Ivanovka and Zagoruykovka (Kharkov region).
The enemy losses up to 30 servicemen, two pickup trucks.
In Krasny Liman direction, as a result of coordinated actions by units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, Army Aviation, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems, three attacks launched by assault groups of 24st, 47th, and 63rd mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been repelled close to Chervonaya Dibrova and Petrovskoye (Lugansk People's Republic).
The enemy losses were up to 200 servicemen killed and wounded, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, in cooperation with aviation and artillery, have repelled two attacks by assault groups of the 30th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU near Kurdyumovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
In addition, AFU 22nd and 24th mechanised brigades have been hit close to Kleshcheevka, Andreevka, and Vasyukovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy losses were up to 180 soldiers, one Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, three pickup trucks, and one Msta-B howitzer.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces, in cooperation with helicopters and artillery, have repelled one attack by the AFU 79th Air Assault Brigade near Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic), as well as inflicted one fire attack on manpower and hardware of units of the 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Staromayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy losses were up to 70 servicemen, two armoured personnel carriers, two motor vehicles, and one U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar station.
In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces, aviation and artillery, have repelled four attacks by assault groups of the 65th and 118th mechanised brigades of the AFU near Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).
In addition, 33rd mechanised and 80th air assault brigades of the enemy close have hit to Rabotino and Verbovoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy losses were up to 140 servicemen, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, and three motor vehicles.
In Kherson direction, as a result of artillery and aviation strikes on AFU manpower, the enemy losses were up to 75 servicemen and four motor vehicles close to the Alekseevsky and Frolov islands and near Kachkarovka (Kherson region).
In addition, during the counter-battery warfare, one U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery system, two Msta-B howitzers, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised manpower and military hardware in 102 areas.
In addition, one aviation ammunition depot of the AFU has been destroyed at Lozovatka airfield (Dnepropetrovsk region).
Two arsenals of ammunition of the AFU have been destroyed close to Karpilovka (Kiev region) and Aleksandrovka (Zhitomir region).
One ammunition depot of the 1st Special Purpose Brigade of the AFU has been destroyed near Volchansk (Kharkov region).
One fuel depot for military hardware of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been destroyed near Vygoda (Odessa region).
The Black Sea Fleet's Naval Aviation destroyed one high-speed boat with landing servicemen and seven uncrewed boats of the Ukrainian Navy in 80 km west of Sevastopol in the waters of the Black Sea.
Air defence facilities destroyed two Neptune anti-ship missiles and five HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system projectiles.
In addition, 20 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down close to Kupyansk (Kharkov region), Novaya Zburyevka, Chaplinka (Kherson region), Spartak, Peski, and Yasinovataya (Donetsk People's Republic).
In total, 536 airplanes and 254 helicopters, 9,009 unmanned aerial vehicles, 441 air defence missile systems, 13,464 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,185 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,128 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 15,369 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:58 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 November 18, 2023 to 00:00 November 19, 2023
Over the past 24 hours, the Representative Office reported 11 incidents of firing by the Ukrainian Federal Unitary Forces.
Information was received about the injury of three civilians in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk.
2 residential buildings were damaged in the Central City district of Gorlovka. No damage to civilian infrastructure was recorded.
The areas of three settlements of the Republic were under enemy fire: Gorlovka (Tsentralno-Gorodskoy, Nikitovsky district), Zaitsevo, the capital city of Donetsk (Kievsky, Kuibyshevsky, Kirovsky, Petrovsky districts).
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy carried out 2 attacks from 155 mm artillery and an attack UAV.
At Gorlivske there were 9 shellings from 155 and 152 mm artillery.
35 units of various ammunition were produced.
In the previous day, 48 shellings were recorded from the Ukrainian Federal Unitary Forces.
21:01 Chairman of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council Nikolai Lukashuk said in his Telegram channel about damage to an administrative building as a result of explosions in the city of Nikopol.
21:00 An air raid alert has been declared in the Odessa and Nikolaev regions in southern Ukraine, as well as in the Kyiv-controlled part of the Kherson region, according to data from the online map of the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation.
19:50 Zaporozhye Front, Kamensk direction, reports FRONT Z:
Our drone records the operation of our jet battery paired with FVP drones. Up to 15 personnel and 4 pieces of equipment were destroyed.
18:55 Personnel operation of the TOS-1A flamethrower system in the village of Krynki in the Kherson region.
17:47 Situation on the Rabotino-Verbovoye section:
Despite the general decrease in the intensity of hostilities due to bad weather, the enemy is trying to attack the positions of the Russian Armed Forces in the area between Novofedorovka and Verbov. Under the cover of fog, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to gain a foothold in the forest regiments, using light armored vehicles to transport assault groups.
The movement routes of infantry and equipment do not change, which allows our soldiers to repel enemy attacks, preventing enemy attack aircraft from approaching forward positions. ATGM crews and mortars are actively working against the enemy.
The work of artillery on both sides does not weaken, and an active counter-battery fight is underway. However, weather conditions make it difficult for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to deliver ammunition, and the accuracy of their attacks has dropped due to a decrease in UAV activity.
17:40 Consequences of a rocket attack on the city of Kamenka-Dneprovskaya in the Zaporozhye region -photo.
17:20 Zaporozhye direction:
Under cover of fog and cloudy weather, enemy forces attacked for the second day. Rip-ups also continue between Novofedorovka and Verbovoye.
The enemy is trying to gain a foothold in the forest regiments, uses armored vehicles to transport assault groups and immediately leaves for a new batch. We know the routes, ATGMs and artillery are actively destroying enemy forces and equipment.
He actively uses kamikaze drones and Baba Yaga, and also sends Furiya, Leleka, Puma and others UAVs to the rear front-line areas.
16:56 As a result of the release of an explosive object from an enemy unmanned aerial vehicle in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk near the Galaktika shopping center, men born in 1962 and 1974, as well as a woman born in 1972, were injured. This was announced by the mayor of the city Alexey Kulemzin
16:20 Grouping of troops Dnepr. Kherson direction. Su-34s carry out high-precision bombing attacks on the temporary deployment points of the AFU, equipped on the right bank near Kherson (Veseloye settlement) -video.
16:05 Military expert Boris Rozhin writes:
Along Kleshcheevka. Over the past few days, our troops have made progress and progress in our favor to the west of the railroad. The enemy reports the loss of the Kleshcheevka railway station. However, the southern part of the village, the key height to the west of Kleshcheevka and the adjacent plantings are still under enemy control, so it is too early to say that Kleshcheevka has completely returned under our control. If we take the height, then the enemy himself will be forced to retreat from the remains of Kleshcheevka. Until then, it doesn’t make much sense to completely occupy it, especially since almost all the houses in Kleshcheevka have been destroyed and defending there, whether for us or for the enemy, is problematic.
15:46 Artemovsk (Bakhmutskoe direction) area of the settlement. Kleshcheevka:
Our 4th brigade of the 2nd Army Corps did their best, writes the Front Bird.
It is reported that a Ukrainian Armed Forces infantry squad was destroyed during an attempt to counterattack.
15:15 Today, at about 12:20, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a series of attacks from the Grad MLRS on the city of Kamenka-Dneprovskaya in the Zaporozhye region.
14:44 In the Artyomovsky direction, our troops rushed across the railway, knocked out the enemy from Andreevka and occupied half of the village - Whisper of the Front
14:35 Coordinated Job artillerymen of the 30th Abr and a UAV operator with the call sign Molot. As a result, we destroyed the enemy’s armored fighting vehicle with ammunition.
14:15 The main thing from the new briefing of the Russian Ministry of Defense:
The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk direction amounted to up to 180 military personnel, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and the Msta-B howitzer per day;
The Russian Armed Forces repelled two attacks in the Kupyansk direction and inflicted fire on three brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
The Russian Armed Forces repelled three attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Krasnolimansk direction in one day, the enemy lost up to 200 military personnel;
The Russian Armed Forces destroyed a warehouse of aviation ammunition of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the Lozovatka airfield in the Dnepropetrovsk region;
Air defense systems shot down 2 Neptune anti-ship missiles, 5 HIMARS shells and destroyed 20 Ukrainian UAVs in a day;
Within 24 hours, Russian troops repelled an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Novomikhailovka area in the DPR, the enemy lost up to 70 military personnel and an AN/TPQ-50 station;
The Russian Armed Forces destroyed two arsenals of ammunition of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kyiv and Zhitomir regions;
Russian troops destroyed an ammunition depot of the 1st Special Forces Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kharkov region;
During the day, Russian troops repelled 4 attacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces attack aircraft in the Zaporozhye direction, enemy losses amounted to up to 140 fighters;
Russian troops destroyed a fuel warehouse for military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Odessa region.
13:30 The situation in the Avdeevsky direction to the settlement area. Stepovoe reports Front Bird:
“The initiative is completely on our side. The operation to eliminate Ukrainian militants throughout the entire Avdeevsky operational direction is in full swing.
The “Pliers” tactic has not yet been canceled.
Guys from the field report the advance and breakthrough of enemy lines in several places.
It is noteworthy that our armored vehicles are superior in battle to those supplied from NATO countries.
Thanks to our T-72, T-80 and T-90 tanks covering the assault groups, the result increases exponentially.
There is still a lot of work to do, but the trend is definitely positive, and changeable weather is not a hindrance.”
13:20 Personnel fierce battles for the Avdeevsk industrial area. Over the past week, our troops have made significant progress in breaking down the enemy’s defenses, but there is still a lot of work ahead.
12:20 Statement head of the press center of the "South" group:
In the Donetsk direction, units of the “Southern” group of forces, with the support of aviation and artillery, successfully repelled four attacks and defeated the troops and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Kleshcheevka, Kurdyumovka, Andreevka, Razdolovka.
The enemy lost up to 240 military personnel, a Kirpi armored combat vehicle, and a pickup truck in killed and wounded in this direction.
During the counter-battery fight, a 155-mm Polish-made “Crab” self-propelled artillery mount, an American-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, a 152-mm 2S3 “Akatsiya” self-propelled artillery mount, a 152-mm 2A65 “Msta-B” gun, a 122-mm D-30 howitzer, two 120-caliber mortars.
12 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down by air defense systems.
12:05 In Kleshcheevka, Russian troops knocked out the Ukrainian Armed Forces from positions in the “piece of iron” area. Now the hardware is under our complete control.
11:30 Inevitable destruction: the Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle could not escape the guided missile of our military. Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment was hit in the Kurdyumovka area -video.
11:05 The newest reconnaissance drone EOS C-VTOL, which Lithuania donated to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, did not fly for a long time, it was discovered by anti-aircraft gunners of the 76th Airborne Division and quickly “reset” -photo.
10:45 The criminal Kiev regime continues to shell the civilian infrastructure of settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region, yesterday during the day the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired cannon artillery:
according to n.p. Krynki 19 shells;
according to n.p. Korsunka 11 shells;
according to n.p. Dnepryan 7 shells;
according to n.p. Cossack Camps 11 shells;
according to n.p. Great Lepetikha 6 shells;
according to n.p. Radensk 9 shells;
according to n.p. Alyosha 12 shells.
As a result of the shelling of the settlement. Korsunka, one civilian was moderately injured.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the village. Novaya Kakhovka, n.p. Kakhovka, n.p. Peschanivka, n.p. Golaya Pristan, n.p. Krynki, n.p. Saga, firing a total of 25 shells from cannon artillery.
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being determined.
10:15 The situation in the Zaporozhye direction the Archangel of Special Forces reports:
The other day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces tried to go on the offensive with a column of 9 units of equipment, but they were found from the air. Their slowness helped, they were covered with hail, having lost 3 units, they rolled back.
At night today they attacked strong points. Our units successfully destroy rotational aircraft and imposing rides on vehicles using FPV.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have no progress, only “meat assaults.”
09:47 In the Avdeevsky direction, the Russian army is breaking through to the coking plant from the side of the ash dump.
In some places, fighting is already taking place in the area of the first buildings of the plant.
Fighting continues in Petrovskoye, the Russian Armed Forces have advanced in the direction of Novokalinovoye.
On the southern flank, ours are approaching the Northern and west of the Yasinovatsk junction.
09:29 Frontline report as of the morning of November 18:
In the Kherson direction, the enemy continues to cling to forest belts in the Krynok area. It is not possible for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to increase the bridgehead for a further offensive, because for this they need a much larger number of forces. Our fighters are firing artillery at the enemy, and are also stopping attempts to transfer additional reserves across the Dnieper.
In the Zaporozhye direction, they are slowly seizing the initiative on the Rabotino-Verbovoy line, they are launching counterattacks, and there are prisoners.
In the Avdeevsky direction on the northern flank, the Russian army is attacking, trying to break through to the coke plant from the waste heap. In some places, fighting is taking place in the area of the first buildings of the plant. Fighting continues in Stepovoye, the Russian Armed Forces have advanced in the direction of Novokalinovoye. On the southern flank, ours are approaching the Northern and west of the Yasinovatskaya junction.
In the Artemovsk direction, the Russian army has made progress north of Artemovsk. Here our fighters managed to carry out a sudden counterattack and advance in the area of the Berkhovsky reservoir. Our fighters are also fighting for the dominant heights around Kleshcheevka, the territory of which is now a gray zone.
09:15 Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian armed forces have carried out shelling with the use of artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, including cluster warheads, in populated areas of the Donetsk People's Republic.
In particular, the Nikitovsky district of Gorlovka, Zolotarevka, Kyiv, Kuibyshevsky and Petrovsky districts of Donetsk came under fire.
4 residential buildings and 1 civil infrastructure facility were damaged.
Also, as a result of an explosive device being dropped from an unmanned aerial vehicle in the Kirovsky district of Donetsk, a civilian was injured - RF Investigative Committee.
08:20 The Ministry of Defense showedpersonnelcombat work of artillerymen of the D-30 howitzer battery of the Central Military District in the special operation zone.
08:00 Summary on the morning of November 18, 2023
At night, the Russian Armed Forces struck UAVs at ports in the Odessa and Nikolaev regions, reporting that an oil depot in the area of the settlement was hit. Alestovo. Explosions also occurred in the area of the airfield in the city of Starokonstantinov, Khmelnitsky region, in the Chernihiv region, and also in Kyiv.
In the Kherson direction, despite the stabilization of the situation and the suppression of enemy attempts to expand zones of control on our coast, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to send groups of infantry on small craft to replenish the displaced personnel. The enemy is hunting for our weapons, including using FPV drones and Baba Yaga-type drone bombers. The Russian Armed Forces are also actively conducting artillery and aviation strikes against identified enemy targets.
On the Zaporozhye Front yesterday, three units of armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were destroyed, trying with infantry to break through our defenses at Rabotino. Enemy attacks were also repelled in the direction of Verbovoy.
In the Avdeevsky direction, the Russian Armed Forces are gaining a foothold at Stepovoy, continuing to push through the enemy’s defenses. On the southern sector of the front, fighting continues in the industrial zone; the initiative is in the hands of the Russian Army.
South of Artemovsk, near Kleshcheevka and Andreevka, oncoming battles continue.
Within 24 hours, the enemy attacked Crimea, using Neptune anti-ship missiles, UAVs, decoys and MBEC. The work of the Black Sea Fleet aviation, air defense and electronic warfare systems thwarted the enemy’s plans to cause damage. In the Belgorod region, the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka was attacked by the Ukrainian Armed Forces using a drone, and a private outbuilding caught fire. During the day, one aircraft-type UAV was shot down over the region. The enemy fired 153 shells at the civilian population of the DPR, one civilian was wounded
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] A bulk carrier transporting grain from Odessa hit a mine in the Black Sea. Reuters reported this on the evening of November 18 .
Sources said that the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Georgia S left the Odessa region and was damaged on the high seas. According to MarineTraffic, the bulk carrier was heading to Romania.
As Regnum reported, in 2022, a dredger of the Romanian Navy exploded in the Black Sea on a drifting mine, which it was about to neutralize. According to the Romanian Ministry of Defense, the incident occurred about 46 km northeast of the Romanian port of Constanta, when the ship was hit by strong winds and waves and was unable to avoid a mine, but no one was injured and the ship did not receive serious damage.
Later, in October, an object similar to a sea mine was discovered in the Black Sea in the humanitarian corridor through which a deal was being carried out to export food from Ukraine . The Joint Coordination Center reported that the tug SAPFIRE and the search and rescue boat SAR-02 left Odessa to inspect the site.
Text taken from the Live Journal account of BMPD. Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] A fragment of the revelations of a character from the Ukrainian 47th Brigade , which led the attack on Rabotino, which was supposed to be taken on the first day of the offensive in June 2023. – How did you start in the 47th Brigade? I understand that you and they studied abroad together.
“When I was called to the 47th, they said that this would be a new company that I could create myself. But as a result, I came to an already created company. She even completed training in western Ukraine. I come and they tell me: “Here are 110 people, take them.” I ask: “How? They told me to create a company.” - “It has already been created, catch it.” What to do - accepted.
– Who was there, people of what professions? Was there anyone with military experience?
- There were several so-called ATO officers, but among them there were completely different people. There were those who simply spent some time in the dugouts. These guys weren’t going to storm anything at all. Their main task, as I saw, was to be less noticeable. We then parted with them. But there were people who actually went through the ATO. Here Petya Kolodiy became a company technician. The man, firstly, is in his place, secondly, brave, thirdly, you understand that the man fought and knows what to do. This is a person who could figure out any engine and get parts. And when we were hit, he covered me, shouted: “Commander, I’m close!” I forced him to move away and jump into the trench. But he is really brave, I respect him.
In general, the contingent was very diverse. There was a man who frankly said: “I have many children. I will not go to war. And in general, I have enuresis - here is a certificate.” What will you do? There were those who did not always understand where they ended up. They were simply mobilized, they were brought in, abandoned, and they also did not understand what was happening.
But the majority were highly motivated. People came from big businesses. I asked the question: “Why? Everything was fine with you.” “I think it’s right to defend Ukraine.” It was people with high motivation that I tried to rely on.
- Tell us about the preparation, because your team spent almost the longest time preparing and went through different techniques. How do you assess that people were basically taught to fight?
- The preparation was long, because at first it was, as I remember, reconnaissance. Then it became an assault regiment, and later a mechanized brigade. The tactics of an assault regiment and a mechanized brigade are completely different. Therefore, people had to be retrained. Was the preparation long? Yes, I was. But are people to blame for this? No. It is not the soldier’s fault that the command’s plans are constantly changing.
- Well, it’s good that the preparation took a long time, people learned...
– You see, most people “burned out”, and you simply forced them to find the fire in themselves once again. Constant communication, constant explanations of why this happens. Understand: first you are an assault regiment and you learn to storm houses. Then they say: you are a mechanized brigade and they give you [MRAP-class armored vehicles] MaxxPro, which you see for the first time in your life. They are given grenade launchers, it seems Mk 13, and you don’t understand how to install them.
And then they take everything away from you and give you Bradley [infantry fighting vehicles], but you also need to go and learn how to use them. That is, three learning processes actually took place, people went through three CMBs. Of course, they "burned out". And I am very glad that in my company the people did not lose this fire, and when they needed to complete tasks, they completed them.
I will say that a very big responsibility lay with the platoon commanders, who in some places understood my logic, in others they themselves came to conclusions. And when they said, for example: “You will attack at night,” people quite consciously trained at night, put marks on themselves and learned to walk along trenches - at night. Even after studying in Germany, we continued to study. We did not let the soldiers relax.
- Okay, what about you? You knew that your friends were fighting while you were studying. How did you motivate yourself that the day would come when you too would be useful?
- It was hard to understand that friends are fighting, and you... Yes, you understand what responsibility you have. You are a company commander, you have 119 personnel. If you start whining now, then that’s it, the company will fall apart. Difficult. OK. Take the ball - play...
- Is Bradley really a reliable car? What impression did she make on you?
- Americans have a completely different approach to learning, not the Soviet one. How does training for infantry fighting vehicles take place in the Ukrainian army? “Children, here’s an infantry fighting vehicle, but we won’t start it, because there’s no diesel fuel. But here’s a cannon, but we won’t shoot, because there’s no cartridges. And in general, don’t touch anything with your hands, because it’ll fall apart. It’s better to practice landing - and All". That is, in fact, the soldier knows how to parachute from an “infantry fighting grave” (because the BMP-2 is a fighting grave), and that’s all.
This is how the training process happens in our army. And in the American: “Here is Bradley.” And the diesel fuel doesn’t run out, neither do the cartridges. We fire 74 rounds a day, and we log normal miles. The Americans were not afraid. On the first day they explained where everything was, and on the second day we got into the cars and each of the crew (the infantry studied separately, the crews separately) drove five to ten kilometers.
On the first day of driving, I simply backed up at night and refueled the equipment. And they always asked: “Do you want more?” I said: “I want.” We had night shootings, daytime shootings, and round-the-clock shootings, and we slept in cars. Again, until we learned, until every driver understood what was required of him, until every gunner-operator, every vehicle commander disassembled and assembled that [25-mm automatic cannon] Bushmaster in seven minutes...
Unfortunately, when I didn’t succeed, I reacted very emotionally, so the American soldiers said: “Oh! Nikolai, #damn !” But the eighth time I succeeded, I understood how it was done. Until you learn to do everything automatically, you are going nowhere. You are not doing the following exercise. Next to each was an instructor, and next to each was an interpreter. It is impossible not to learn how to use modern machines.
– Listen, I had this feeling: oh, this is a cool car! We will definitely win them now!
– Yes, there was a feeling that it was a cool car. And there was a feeling of confidence. You learned so much from it, you understood what was involved, what breakdowns could occur, how to eliminate them. Again, how are company tactical exercises going? On the first day you learn what is needed from you, but here is a huge field, here is a Bradley - learn to maneuver. And you learn to maneuver platoons, companies, you communicate with each vehicle commander. There were those who worked on the “bekhs” [BMP-1/2], they said: “Oh, this is a rocket bomb!”
- Then you already knew that you were being prepared to carry out a powerful assault in some direction, that a big bet was being placed on you?
“I understood this during company exercises, and was convinced during battalion tactical exercises.” Because what we stormed in company-tactical and battalion units reflected both the topography of the Kherson region and the “teeth of the dragon.” The Americans got confused and did everything we needed to attack. The only thing that was not provided for was mined landings.
During company-tactical and battalion exercises, we constantly used this, entering through landings to the rear (the Americans played the role of the Russians). I was proud of my guys, who actually walked six to eight kilometers through the forest and discovered enemy observation posts. It was very interesting.
Each company commander had the same company commander - an American, and you had to ask him questions. If you weren't ashamed, everything was explained to you. I constantly asked questions. My “Captain Jack”... Even his eye twitched from me, but until I fully understood the task, I did not leave his side.
We spent the night on those exercises very often, and he explained to me for the twentieth time how to properly use the Bradley. Again, there were people who fought in the Persian Gulf, and they explained how they countered the tanks there. It was all interesting. Basically, I tortured everyone very cruelly. I had Chris, he had already died... He had very good English, and the two of us constantly hammered the Americans to understand everything. I think the problem with several companies of the brigade, brigade officers, was that instead of beating their instructors in the same way, they went to sleep. It's my opinion.
– When did you arrive in the area of responsibility and receive the task? When did you receive the order to go on the assault?
– First, we were relocated to the Zaporozhye region, to the south, this was back in mid-May. There was already a corps planning, all company commanders were invited to it. There they began to show us what would happen next. That is, in May I understood perfectly well what needed to be done, I understood the task of my company. I gathered the platoon commanders and squad leaders and began to inform everyone of his actions. We were even able to simulate the positions that we needed to storm, and every night we practiced, practiced, practiced...
We strained all our financial resources, bought night vision devices because there were not enough of them, although we were better equipped than other brigades. There was a very strong kinship. Each soldier understood his task, each could clearly say what he was doing at each stage.
- And the burden of responsibility, that the whole country is looking at you, that now you will reach Mariupol, and we will win... Didn’t that put pressure on you?
- Listen, I’ve been in this life for a long time... I understand what pretentious chatter is. And I understand: what is planned may not go according to plan. And I told my soldiers a simple thing: it will be difficult, and then you will not fight for Ukraine - you will fight for each other, for those on the right, on the left, behind, in front. And I will fight for you until I am able. And I explained quite calmly: my friend Lis (Dmitry Sanych Yevtushenko), the best officer I have ever seen, is in charge after me. Honestly, I think he has very great prospects. Dmitry Sanych drops out - his friend Chris (Kingdom of Heaven) follows him, Chris drops out - Professor (Kingdom of Heaven), he drops out - another commands...
Everyone understood the transfer of control of platoons, everyone understood the transfer of control of squads. Yes, this was due to a certain misunderstanding on the part of the soldiers: what else do you want from us? We've been studying for nine months now, we're twisting the turnstiles with our eyes closed... What else do you want?
– When was the first assault that you went on? What was your first experience?
- The first experience - we were late for the assault... According to the plan, we were supposed to storm right behind the 3rd battalion. But due to failures in planning, we were, to put it mildly, about three hours late, so, of course, we could no longer help. It was already morning, and during the day it was very difficult to fight the Russians because of their superiority in artillery, aviation, and UAVs. That’s why we got up to the landing to clarify the tasks. They, taking into account the experience gained by the 3rd battalion, were adjusted. Now we had to walk not 12 kilometers, but only six.
But from what we have already heard from the 3rd battalion and others... You understand, the army is a big collective farm, everyone started asking each other: what, how, where? Having heard what happened and how it happened, I explained to the platoon and squad commanders their tasks, promised the barrier units that we would cover them as long as the Bushmasters continued to fire. And so it happened. We covered them, they did their job, thanks to this we still managed to capture certain positions, repel counterattacks and, in principle, calmly prepare for defense. Russian counterattacks failed to dislodge us.
- What date did this happen?
- the 9th of June. We captured positions, repelled the first counterattack, and began to dig in. I was wounded, control passed to Lis, he subsequently led the company, and led it quite successfully.
We completed the task ahead of us with minimal losses. When other companies already had “two hundredths”, most of the equipment was destroyed, I had only ten “three hundredths”. The dead appeared after I left. But there were objective reasons for this, because the Russians simply interfered with our positions with black soil with artillery.
- How did you blow yourself up, how did it happen?
- Yes, how... We called Bradley, which was supposed to evacuate the first wounded. I saw that she was about to drive through a minefield, I jumped out of the landing and began waving my hands where she should go. I felt the shots, saw my leg flying away, was surprised... Most likely, it was a heavy machine gun, because there were tanks at the enemy position of Real, and they were working.
I started jumping on my left leg, stepped on an anti-personnel mine, and fell on my back. Perhaps the “petal” worked, because during the period when we captured and repelled the first attack, massive remote mining occurred. In the sky every ten meters there was an explosion, an explosion, an explosion... Because of this, the sky became half-black, I have never seen this even in films. The detonation went off and turned me over on my stomach. Something also worked under my chest - I was thrown up again.
I have good armor, so the blast wave went through my hands. After all these explosions, I fell, lay there and looked: my hands were burned. I understand that I can’t get anything done for myself right now. But my friend Piro was near me, I shouted: “Piro, save me!” Piro ran across the minefield to save me. And saved. After a minute or two, he put four tourniquets on me, tied my leg with paracord and dragged me away.
– Was she nearby? That is, they tried to save a severed leg?
“She was holding on to a piece of muscle, dangling. While this was happening, I shouted to him to radio him about the injuries, about the transfer of control. I don't know why I didn't lose consciousness. Until I heard that everyone understood about the transfer of control, I did not calm down, I was hammering him. On one side he bandages my leg, and on the other I shout to him: “Pass over control!” During this time, Bradley saw where the minefield was and drove into the passage. This car evacuated me. So they took me out pretty quickly. Then our battalion medic friend Kover did a good job.
- You said that two minutes before the explosion, your brother-in-law advised you to fasten the collar on your bulletproof vest...
- When we saw that powerful remote mining was underway, friend Piro said: “Commander, let’s tighten your collar after all.” My Kevlar collar was rolled up and they pulled it on for me in two or three minutes. During my explosions, he was torn to rags. I kept it because there were fragments in it. They were even in the tourniquets that were on my limbs. They were everywhere. The Kevlar collar, the front guard, and the armor saved me, I survived.
– How long did the company remain in that position? What tasks did she perform? And how lucky, can you tell?
“I am very proud of my company and soldiers. I am most pleased with myself because I taught them how to fight correctly. I am most pleased with the fact that I understood who can command best after me. I made the management decisions that were required of me. And the fighters did not just fight off counterattacks in this position, being semi-surrounded. They constantly continued to storm it... They did not lose control, did not lose combat effectiveness. They then stormed Real, stormed Barcelona, Rabotino. That is, the fighting continued.
- Why did you have such Spanish names for positions - “Benfica”, “Real”?
“I don’t know, maybe there was a football fan in the building.” But all positions were named after football teams. What was my main task? Capture Shakhtar and Dynamo by going through Real Madrid.
If you have seen a video of an enemy company dying after four minutes, then this is exactly the Dynamo position. Therefore, I am very proud of my company, they are handsome. But many losses could be avoided if orders were not formally followed. Now I don’t really want to criticize our government, our commanders, but sometimes it seemed that the soldiers were not being taken care of. There were cases when it was necessary to hit positions, but they said: “[M109A6] Paladin - expensive shells” ... Therefore, people also died. Because it was necessary to work on art, but they didn’t work on it for some unknown reason. And that’s why my boys died.
– How long did you fight for Rabotino? I think you've been paying close attention to this.
– Wait: the task of taking Rabotino was set on the first day. That is, the battles for Rabotino took place from June 8 until the moment it was taken [at the end of August].
– Your guys went there too.
- Certainly. They came in, made ambushes, and did a very good job. Our 4th company, despite everything, continued to move forward with clenched teeth. Despite the loss of wounded. Many of my fighters have five shell shocks. Friend Fire suffered numerous wounds during this attack and kept returning. Well, now it’s already unwound normally, it’ll take a long time to rest. Three wounds only in the battles for Rabotino... And so for many.
– It is obvious that the Russians in this direction were preparing for assaults. They were not afraid of the Leopards and did not run as expected.
- The whole plan of the big counter-offensive was based on simple things: a Muscovite sees a Bradley, a Leopard - and runs away. All. “Guys, you’ll unwind them there!” - “But there is no active protection on the Bradley!” - “Don’t you piss! She’s already good.” - “And the tankers never fired from the Leopard!” - “Don’t you piss, they worked on the T-72!” Even though all the boys were awesome, I just fell in love with our tankers. - Some tanker by chance got to you...
– It was actually a rocket bomb! The T-64 on the trawls was supposed to work with another company. But then there was a certain managerial chaos. They give me a T-64, I work with it, get into coordination. I have to storm - they take him away from me, they give me other boys whom I see for the first time in my life and who don’t understand the task, they’re just shocked that they ended up here.
And they were dispatched, it seems, in the very first minutes of the battle with the ATGM. We continue the fight, roll back, roll up, continue to maneuver.
And then on the radio: “Friend Fritz, what should I do?”
I say: “Who is this?”
“I am so-and-so,” I understand that this is a tanker who should be with another unit.
“But you should be...” -
“Where is it, I’m with you, I’m on your tail...” -
“My kitty!” I was delighted. “Well, now things are going well for us! The first platoon is there, go around, get ready.” .
Certain elements of chance, due to the fact that some of the decisions of senior commanders were not logical in this particular situation, only confused. But thanks to this confusion, I ended up with another “Teshka” on the trawls, which paved the way for me to the Benfica position. And why did they lay it - because, in principle, the UR [mine clearance installation] had worked on this position before, in the first minutes of the battle. We managed to do this, and we just needed a tank to come through and make the passage again so that the infantry would not be blown up. It's all like some kind of series.
- Is war always chaos?
– Controlled chaos! The main thing here is, firstly, not to go crazy, and secondly, to understand your position in this chaos. And try in one way or another to subordinate it to a common goal and purpose. Yes, it was chaos. Because of this chaos, some companies ended in 15 minutes, some in 30, other brigades generally demonstrated “records”. My company did not end, we had minimal losses. Yes, there were cars damaged. In general, I was the first to be hit, the 152nd [mm] hit me...
- And Bradley...
- ...Bradley withstood everything. The shell hit the starboard side and the gooseneck was damaged. The armor withstood the debris, but the shock wave broke the wiring in the car... The only case when the Bradley could not withstand the impact was when the helicopters were operating, just a week later.
Ka-52 hit the vehicles, and one Bradley detonated. But there are cases when they did not detonate, when they withstood such blows. In principle, this is a very reliable car. This is not a BMP-2, where the entire crew dies, no. The Bradley may be hit, but the crew survives. And the engine is always pounding. The driver is recovering from a concussion, the engine is pounding - let's move on.
Yes, chaos. In this chaos, it is important not to lose contact with the senior commander. Because we need artillery, we need current orders. And when this stops happening, when the battalion sergeant transmits the battalion commander’s orders, this is not very good. Because you didn’t hear the order to transfer control to the sergeant. And in your headphones you can definitely hear that it’s not your battalion commander speaking.
Again, it is very important that senior commanders understand what is happening on the battlefield. You know, the control system in the 47th was so high that on my tablet I could see where each of my cars was. This helped in management, you understood who was where. And the brigade commander understood who was where, and the battalion commander understood. The only thing they didn’t understand was what was really happening on the battlefield.
And the situation was quite simple: ATGMs in every landing. The Russians knew our advance routes, and everything flew along these routes - the 152nd, 120th, and Grads... And here you are, where will you maneuver? Only back and forth, because everything else is mined. And what about us...
- You’ve been undergoing treatment for the fifth month and undergoing treatment. What is the situation with your left leg - is it also very seriously injured?
- Yes. The "anti-infantry" worked. Unfortunately, because my wounds were not treated well enough in Zaporozhye, the process of suppuration began, and I had to cut off half of my foot, although it basically survived. There were numerous fractures of the metatarsal bones, but the foot is there... Due to the large influx of wounded, the doctors simply did not have enough time to properly clean the wounds. I was cleaned for the first time in Dnepropetrovsk, two days later, when the process of suppuration began and the question of amputation of my left leg became a question. But I didn’t give it, and the doctors, thank God, helped me. The leg was saved, but not completely. Well, nothing, I’m training.
The Russians, for some unknown reason, decided not to flee. But there was no plan B.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
