Russia deploys ethnic minority soldiers in riskiest attacks to their growing dissatisfaction – General Staff report

ANASTASIIA KALATUR – TUESDAY, 19 JULY 2022, 07:09

Russian military command is deploying military personnel from ethnic minority backgrounds in the riskiest assault operations, causing growing dissatisfaction among their ranks.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 19 July

Details: The General Staff reported that Russia is continuing forced mobilisation on the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts due to the military personnel losses it has sustained.

Belarusian Armed Forces involved in patrolling the Belarusian-Ukrainian border on the Volyn and Polissia fronts continue their rotations. Drones are used to conduct aerial reconnaissance in border-adjacent areas [it is not clear from the General Staff report whether it is Belarusian or Russian forces that are conducting aerial reconnaissance – ed.]. There is a threat of missile and airstrikes from the territory of the Republic of Belarus. 

Russian forces continued to ensure the reinforced security of the Ukrainian-Russian border on the Sivershchyna front. The Russians used mortars and artillery to fire on the areas around Mykolaivka (Chernihiv Oblast) and Zarutske, Zhuravka, Bilopillia and Iskryvshchyna (Sumy Oblast). Additionally, they continued to conduct aerial reconnaissance.

On the Kharkiv front, Russian forces are conducting combat operations in order to maintain their positions. They fired on the areas around Ruski and Cherkaski Tyshky, Pytomnyk, Borshchova, Ruska Lozova and Chuhuiv using artillery of various calibres. A Russian attempt to conduct reconnaissance-in-force near the village of Udy has failed and the occupying forces retreated with losses.

On the Sloviansk front, Russian forces are attempting to create favourable conditions for resuming an offensive on the city of Sloviansk. They fired on the areas around Velyka Komyshuvakha, Dolyna, Chepil, Dibrovne, Novomykolaivka and other towns and villages using tanks, as well as tubed and rocket artillery.

Russian occupying forces attempted to storm Husarivka after conducting an airstrike in its vicinity, but were repelled by the heavy fire of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

On the Kramatorsk front, Russia fired on Bilohorivka, Bohorodychne, Kramatorsk, Raihorodok, Donetske, Verkhnokamianske, Spirne, Starodubivka, Siversk, Dronivka and Ivano-Darivka using tubed and rocket artillery and conducted an airstrike near Verkhnokamianske. Russian forces conducted an assault operation near Spirne, but were unsuccessful and retreated. They attempted to advance on Hryhorivka; fighting is continuing there.

On the Bakhmut front, Russian troops shelled the areas around Bakhmut, Novoluhanske, Pokrovske, Vershyna, Vesela Dolyna, Yakovlivka, Berestove, Zaitseve and the Vuhlehirska Thermal Power Plant (TPP) and conducted airstrikes near the Vuhlehirska TPP, Maiorsk, Toretsk, Berestove, Soledar, Vershyna, Shumy and Pokrovske. The Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled all Russian attempts to storm Semyhiria, Vershyna, Pokrovske and the Vuhlehirska TPP.

Russian forces did not undertake active combat operations on the Avdiivka, Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia fronts, but conducted an airstrike near Kamianka.

Along the entire frontline on the Pivdennyi Buh front, Russian occupying forces are firing on the positions of Ukrainian troops from afar using tanks and tubed and rocket artillery. The Russians are using UAVs to conduct aerial reconnaissance in the area and are continuing to construct additional defence positions.

The threat of missile strikes remains high across the entire territory of Ukraine.