Kyiv, June 8, 2023 (HSP/Photo: screenshot)
Updated June 8, 2023
Russian military analyst Yuriy Podoljaka discusses in detail the Ukrainian army’s nightly counter-offensive attempts
Zaporozhye direction
The Ukrainian army continued the “main attack” tonight: so far (until June 8, 4:00 a.m.) without results
So it happened after all. Before, we only speculated, but now there is no doubt that the enemy’s main attack will be directed at Zaporozhye. Or rather, it has already started here. And tonight, the main forces of the 10th AK AFU attacked the Russian positions south of Mala Tokmacka in several waves.
Before the attack, they used the technique they had practiced in the winter near Kupjansk – the attack of MLRS “HIMARS” on the trenches. The goal is clear – kill as many soldiers as possible, demoralize others. It was considered, but…
They attacked with large forces, but they were constantly defeated by the Russians. Some of the attackers exploded on mines, others were hit by Russian artillery, which by no means “rested” and which, according to the soldiers, worked diligently and precisely that night. The Army Air Force arrived the rest.
“Night hunters” and “Alligators” had a lot of work today (five hits on attacking columns in two hours). It is clear that in the heat of battle and at night it is difficult to calculate losses, but the enemy’s losses are huge, and most importantly… just like the previous day, his actions are practically ineffective.
It is clear that the enemy gave everything to this night attack, including yesterday’s losses, which he also laid on the altar of victory. But he did not achieve any victory. The Russian soldiers did not run away and the “Germans”, as they have long called the AFU soldiers at the front, are groping in place and… judging by the radio intercepts and movements, they are preparing for a morning attack with fresh forces.
However, their morale during the night was, if not completely destroyed, then certainly seriously “damaged”. And with our boys (I don’t want to single out anyone in particular, they’re all heroes there), the same spirit, and that very night, it showed itself in full glory.
And yes, even with this night battle and the previous events, the battle started is more and more reminiscent of the Battle of Kursk – a key battle from which the “Germans” who fought in 1943 could not recover.
Russian soldiers need a lot of strength and courage to survive the next day, which will be very long and … difficult. But today they have to endure.
And then, the best proof of the failure of the night attack was… persistent ignoring of this suicidal night attack by the Ukrainian armed forces by CIPSo propagandists. Their official version reads: “Night fighting was invented by the Russians”.
Well, yes, if they were successful, they would have driven us “to Melitopol” on social networks…
The Artemovsky direction – the night attack of the AFU on Berchovka also stopped
At the same time as the pressure on the main (Zaporozh direction) the enemy also started an offensive on Artemovskoye. The fight was less grandiose than in the south, but the assertiveness and effort to break through the enemy in the area of Berchovka was no less than in the case of the 10th AK AFU near Orechov.
All this, however, was contrary to the plans of the Russian soldiers, who, like their comrades in the south, also hit the “elites” from the AFU in the living.
Ugledarský direction – “Novodonsk Panfilovci” tasted the taste of victory
And at the end of talking about yesterday’s and night’s battles, I can’t help but mention the details of the battles for the Novodonetsk region, where, as you remember, the enemy has been unable to do anything with our heroes for three days, who did not leave their positions and thus completely derailed the Ukrainian advance on in this direction.
It’s time to talk about these guys in more detail. These are fighters from the special police units of the DNR (OBTF “Kaskad”). And to some extent it is significant that they gained fame just near Novodonetsk.
But let’s go back to yesterday’s events. The Ukrainians, like the day before, attacked the village with large forces. Wave after wave (through a narrow isthmus between minefields, previously created by the corpses of AFU soldiers and the remains of armored personnel carriers).
Moreover, at the end of one of these attacks, the enemy lost someone very important, and in order to get him off the battlefield, he made several “raids” and lost several dozen men (but in the end he managed to get this high-ranking person off the battlefield). But as a result, the enemy bled to death and his attacks ended.
The total loss of the enemy during the last day here alone was more than 200 men. And just like in other directions – an incredible amount.
They did not expect this: the Kyiv CIPSo received a complete shock and stun from the first results of the “counterattack”.
Despite the fact that numerous video confirmations of the intervention of enemy equipment the day before as a result of the “first days of the counterattack” were already published yesterday, the Ukrainian side completely ignored this topic.
There is simply total ignorance. There is no “counterattack” in the Ukrainian information space.
And that’s the first time I remember anything like that. This is also the best proof of the complete shock of people dealing with information warfare on the Ukrainian side. This is certainly the only time in the last year and a half that their army has been trying to advance for three days with absolutely no information support.
Fighting in the Zaporizhia region – situation at 11:00 a.m. on 08.06.23
The enemy, apparently convinced that it is impossible to break through, especially on a wide front, the defense of the Russian armed forces, has changed the breakthrough scheme since this morning. The offensive on the flanks (on the side of the Kachovská reservoir and in the area of Veľká Novoselka) gradually began to weaken (which was also noticed by our units at the front), and today he concentrated all his firepower on the heroic Russian regiments of the 42nd division (291st and 70th), which they stand in the way on the Orechovský direction.
As early as five o’clock in the morning, they again began to make more and more attacks against the positions of the 42nd division, trying to push us with “meat”, which is constantly pouring in here in the hope that our boys will run out of ammunition, which is very problematic in the current hellish conditions of attacks to supplement.
So far they have not succeeded, but the fury of the enemy’s attacks is not abating. However, the first worrying signs are already appearing for the AFU. Judging by radio intercepts, some enemy units simply refuse to go to slaughter. For now though, there are plenty of other idiots set up to win.
By the way, it is very remarkable that the AFU drone strike companies have not yet said their hesitant word in this battle. It is very likely that it is the “fault” of the Russian REBs, which were able to largely neutralize the actions of enemy drones.
Of course, the Russian tankers, gunners and airmen also did well, spinning a veritable carousel over the battlefield, constantly covering from the air the regiments of the 42nd division, which today are “gaining immortality” through their activities.
So far, the enemy has occupied only the first line of trenches of our first line of defense in some places (the result of MLRS “HIMARS” strikes). And that only after two days of almost continuous attacks, dozens of destroyed and shot down armored vehicles and many hundreds of people killed and injured.
I think that it was clearly not by chance that our command placed the 42nd Division in the most dangerous direction. The tenacity of its fighters is well known, and they confirmed it again yesterday and today.
Urgent situation in Zaporizhia until 13:00 local time
Sources of the @wargonzo project from different directions of the Zaporozhye Front report three repulsed AFU attacks.
The Ukrainians have suffered losses in personnel and equipment and have achieved no tangible results, but continue to move infantry and armored vehicles to the line of contact.
On the Orechov-Tokmak direction, Russian troops are trying to push enemy infantry out of advanced positions.
Unfortunately, there are losses of life, which is natural in such intense battles.
At the same time, the artillery of the Ukrainian armed forces does not reduce its intensity and the heavy shelling of the Russian lines continues. Russian artillery responds. They report from the scene that another tank, which looks like a German Leopard, was destroyed.
According to one of the participants, he had not seen such a strong fight for a long time. The guys fight very hard, but they don’t give up.
The situation in the Zaporizhia region until 6:00 p.m. 06/08/23
For 17 hours, the 291st regiment (its larger part), plus some units of the 70th regiment, as well as separate units of the 45th and 22nd special purpose brigades, stubbornly repel the attacks of the “AFU elite”.
The enemy’s best units have been attacking the positions of one Russian regiment for almost a day and are unable to do anything about it.
Wave after wave, almost continuously for 17 hours. And the regiment stands and does not retreat. What’s more, he sometimes even counterattacks to knock out those who manage to get into his advanced trenches. And not only does he try to do that, but he also knocks them out.
In the meantime, information is coming from Kharkiv, Zaporozhye and Dnepropetrovsk about the rapid overflow of the hospitals with the wounded. Voluntary groups are begging people to come donate blood, as the influx of the just-wounded continues to grow (from all sides at once).
Description of the course of the battles for the Novodonetsk region from the source directly from the place.
You guys from OBTF Kaskad are the best. You were the first to give a serious answer to the enemy during his “counterattack”. And now others are following in your footsteps.
According to the report of the Minister of Defense Shoigu, the 47th AFU mechanized brigade went into a “counterattack” near Orechov yesterday and today.
In fact, it is one of the best brigades in Zelensky’s army. She was originally cast from “the best human material” (a very serious selection was made for her). Many of its soldiers were volunteers.
In addition, the brigade is headed by one of the most talented commanders of the brigade – Alexander Sak (the youngest commander of the AFU brigade – I think he was only 30 years old), who, as a fighter of the 93rd mechanized brigade, caused us a lot of problems in the spring – summer of 2022 near Kharkiv.
For which he was later appointed brigade commander.
So, yesterday and today, the Russian 291st regiment defeated, I dare say, the best AFU brigade. And that makes their victory more significant.
PS But this battle, which basically started today at one o’clock in the morning and is still going on intermittently, is not over yet. Despite this, the losses of the 47th brigade caused by the 291st regiment are already very, very painful. Kyiv no longer has such “material” (for their compensation).
