Page 28
British-French Storm Shadow / SCALP
-
EG
cruise missiles. Ukrainians launch them
from modified Su-24 aircraft. They also used
ADM-160 MALD decoys alongside them.
At the end of May, the Russians managed
to capture the ruins of the destroyed city of
Bakhmut, which had been fought over for
almost 10 months. However, Ukrainians began
counterattacks around the city, and fighting
for Klyshchivka, located south of Bakhmut,
continues to this day.
June 2023
In the early days of June, the Ukrainian
counteroffensive began in the south of the
country in the Zaporizhia region. However, it
progressed slowly from the start against well-
fortified Russian positions with numerous
minefields. Two days after its start, on June
6th, fearing a possible crossing of the Dnieper
River, the Russians blew up the Kachovska
Dam north of the city of Kherson. This caused
a huge humanitarian and ecological disaster.
At the end of the month, mercenaries from
the Wagner group who led the main charge
(and also the losses) in the battle for Bakhmut,
rebelled. Their leader, Prigozhin, seized
Rostov-on-Don on June 23rd. He hoped to
capture Russian Defense Minister Shoigu and
Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov, whom
he had long publicly criticized. However, they
managed to escape from Rostov just before.
On the next day, Wagner's columns headed
towards Moscow. They occupied one city after
another and shot down six Russian helicopters
and one Il-22M aircraft - a flying command post.
However, Prigozhin halted his mercenaries
200 km from Moscow. Shortly afterward, they
also withdrew from Rostov in exchange for
an alleged promise of impunity. As a result,
the coup failed, and Wagner's forces as
a significant force came to an end.
July 2023
The Kerch Strait Bridge leading to the
occupied Crimea became the target of another
naval drone attack on July 17th. At least one
road section was damaged. At the same time,
the grain agreement, which allowed the export
of Ukrainian agricultural products to the
world, expired. Russia began attacking grain
depots and port infrastructure not only on the
Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea but also on the
Danube River near the borders with Romania.
During his month, Ukraine began receiving
cluster munitions from the USA for its artillery.
August 2023
Denmark, the Netherlands, and subsequently
Norway announced this month that they would
supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. However,
after the necessary training of pilots and ground
personnel, Ukrainians will start receiving
them only in 2024. Altogether, it could be about
70 aircraft in the F-16AM Block 20 MLU version.
In August, the Crimean Peninsula became
the target of serious Storm Shadow missile
attacks. Several bridges were hit, and at least
two S-400 system batteries were destroyed.
Ukrainian drones also attacked airports on
Russian territory. At Soltsy-2 base, a Tu-22M3
bomber caught fire, and at the Pskov airport,
two Il-76 transport aircraft were destroyed,
and two more were damaged.
Exactly two months after the attempted
coup by Wagner mercenaries, revenge came.
During a flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg,
a civilian Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 was
shot down. Prigozhin and other Wagner leaders
died aboard. Two surface-to-air missiles
likely hit the plane, although the official
Russian version is that the passengers were
playing with a grenade during the flight, which
exploded.
Two-seater MiG-29UB from the Ukrainian 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade taking off from a highway.
Ukrainian Mi-24P helicopters
during a combat mission.
Loading of the unguided rockets into Mi-24P
helicopters.
ARTICLES
INFO Eduard28
April 2024