Twenty eight Grad systems registered on the contact line – intelligence

WATCH IN ENGLISH

Combined Russian-and-militant troops bring multiple rocket launchers back to the contact line. Increase the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, practice their use to assault Ukrainian troops. Militant command is on rotation.

Kyiv, May 27, 2016. Multiple rocket launcher systems are back on the contact line. Twenty eight 122-mm Grad systems were registered in the area of Amvrosiyivka, Donetsk, Makiyivka, Krasny Luch and Yasynuvata, said representative of the Main Intelligence Department of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry Vadym Skibitsky. At the same time Russia keeps repairing heavy equipment and bringing it back to militants. Ten tanks and self-propelled artillery systems arrived in Donetsk. Moreover 1st and 2nd army corps received reinforcement from Russia: 1900 tons of fuel and over 600 tons of ammunition, ten 152-mm Akatsia self-propelled artillery systems and T-72 tanks as well as 11 armored personnel carriers. In the meantime militants are stepping up attacks on the positions of ATO forces. “They made a total of 219 attacks over the past week, last week there were 147 attacks. Highest intensity was registered in the Donetsk sector numbering 80 attacks, number of attacks in the Mariupol sector is also growing: last week 44 attacks were registered in comparison to 17 over the previous week,” said Vadym Skibitsky.

He also said that since mid May militants have been stepping up the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to conduct reconnaissance activities. Over this week alone intelligence has registered 59 fights of UAVs. Three of them took off and landed from the territory of Russia. To remind, there were a total of 60 such flights in April. “Increased use of UAVs results from setup of specialized UAV units within the 1st and 2nd army corps. Moreover the process of forming such units within brigades and regiments of these army corps is underway,” noted Skibitsky.

He added that the use of UAVs to attack ATO forces is increasing. “For example quadcopters threw three grenades in the area of Tarasivka on May 16, the place is located 12km to the south-east of Volnovakha and 10km from the contact line,” explained Skibitsky. He added that new assault UAVs are being produced in Russia and are being tested in eastern Ukraine.

Number of sniper attacks is also increasing. According to military intelligence each unit of the 1st and 2nd army corps has a sniper unit. Each one is composed of approximately 30 military. “Snipers are being trained by Russian instructors in training centers located in Ilovaysk and Luhansk as well as on the training grounds Kadamovsky and Kuzminsky in the Rostov region,” noted representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate. He said names were identified of the officers of the 45th separate special forces brigade of the Airborne troops of the Russian Federation who are training snipers and radio communication personnel in Donetsk region. Among them are Nikolay Reshetilov, 26 year old graduate of the Ryazan airborne command college and Senior Lieutenant Aleksandr Stetsko, graduate of Novocherkassk military command and communication college. “Officers of the 45th separate special forces brigade were directly involved in training of over 100 snipers and subversives of reconnaissance units as well as radio communication personnel on the territory of Ukraine,” explained Vadym Skibitsky. He reminded that current commander of the 45th brigade is Colonel Vadym Pankov that was earlier on duty with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to military intelligence militants will have staff rotation. Commander of the so-called “2nd separate motor-rifle brigade” from Luhansk Andrey Ruzynsky was offered a command position in the 2nd army corps. In his turn he offers career advancement to the officers: Colonel Aleksandr Kozlovsky, Fyodor Panov, Lieutenant-Colonel Anatoliy Kudinov and Lietenant-Colonel Sergey Kuralyov. “It is worth noting that Sergey Kuravlyov has a criminal record for abuse of power and inflicting serious injuries on subordinates. Participation in combat actions on the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine allowed him to remain on military service and annul the criminal record,” explained Skibitsky.