Ukraine resistance hits ammunition depots and complicates Russian logistics

Ukraine, resistance hits ammunition depots and complicates Russian logistics

Kyiv forces the army to distribute equipment, camouflage vehicles, unload ammunition from trains far from the front lines, which necessitates the use of trucks

The Russian Defense Ministry yesterday announced an operational pause to catch its breath after the hardships of Severodonetsk and Lysyhansk, but as Vladimir Putin’s words over the past few days have indicated, the advance continues. The leader granted rest to the troops that took part in the mission in Lugansk, while the East and West groups must continue until they reach the set goals, that is, the rest of the Donbass. The Russians are gathering equipment towards Siwersk, 8 kilometers from the current front line. The army then advances in small steps towards Sloviansk, conducts operations around Bakhmut and meanwhile bombs: in the Donetsk region, Russian missiles killed six people within 24 hours, another four died in Kharkiv, while two anti-harpoon ships were supplied by the British would be destroyed in the southern region of Odessa.

Putin’s men have a huge advantage in terms of artillery, they managed to fire 45,000 ammunition in one day in Lugansk alone, but the resistance found a key to getting towards it thanks to the new long-range missile launch systems that arrived from the West react who manages to get behind enemy lines. In recent weeks, the Ukrainians have hit numerous ammunition depots in the occupied territories to the south and east, neutralizing enemy military infrastructure: the first targets were destroyed in mid-June, then, with the arrival of more American Himars, in July the raids intensified. In addition, the increasing availability of these Western systems has allowed the Ukrainians to intensify the use of Tochka-U ballistic missiles, which until now have been reserved for special operations.

Now, argues Illia Ponomarenko in the Kyiv Independent, the Russians have lost most of the main ammunition depots in Donbass, including some as far as 80 kilometers from the front lines. In this way, Zelenskyy’s army is trying to reduce the imbalance and complicate Russian logistics, which largely depend on the rail network. In fact, these blows force the army to be more careful and disperse equipment, including planes parked at bases, to disguise the vehicles with twigs or pieces of wood to try to confuse reconnaissance. Soldiers are also forced to unload ammunition from trains at considerable distances from the front lines – up to 100 kilometers – to avoid shipments being hit, necessitating increased use of trucks. It also complicates communication between the men in the trenches and the depots and puts a strain on the entire supply chain: the Russian artillery is not neutralized, but its action can be reduced as a result.

July 8, 2022 (change July 8, 2022 | 20:19)