Russian forces continued conducting limited offensive operations in Donbas. Belarus might be preparing for a massive missile attack on the territory of Ukraine. The Ukrainian army destroyed 3 Russian military warehouses in one day. Ukrainian military forces reportedly destroyed more than a hundred Wagner mercenaries with a strike on Popasna. The surface vessels of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet continue to pursue an extremely defensive posture. Two ships entered Odesa port to load corn and oil. ️The UN is ready to facilitate the trip of IAEA experts to the Zaporizhzhia NPP through Kyiv, if Russia and the Ukrainian authorities agree. Five more foreigners who fought on the side of Ukraine face the death penalty in the Russian proxy state, the so-called DNR (“Donetsk People’s Republic.”) Latvia handed over four helicopters to Ukraine. Zelensky signed a decree on the establishment of an Advisory Council on the de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea and dismissed the heads of SBU departments in Kyiv, Lviv, and Ternopil Oblasts.
Daily overview — Summary report, August 16
The General Staff’s operational update regarding the Russian invasion as of 06.00 am, August 15, 2022 is in the dropdown menu below.
Military Updates
Heavy fighting continues in Donbas, 22 Russian ammo depots destroyed in one week: short review
Belarus is preparing for a massive missile attack on the territory of Ukraine in the coming weeks, as reported by Belarusian Gayun. According to the Belarusian activists, there are up to 14 S-400 air defense systems and about 60 missiles currently based in Belarus for these purposes.
- At the Zyabrovka airfield, 10 to 14 air defense systems S-400 “Triumph,” 3 radars “KASTA-2E2” and “48Y6 Podlyot,” 2 air defense missile systems “Pantsir” are located, reportedly. Plus an ammunition depot with a minimum of 15–60 missiles for the S-300/400 air defense system.
- Il-76 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces deliver missiles for the S-400 to the Gomel airport. They are taken to Zyabrovka from there.
Ukrainian Air Force destroyed the third Russian helicopter over the last 2 days
Anti-aircraft missile forces of the Ukrainian Air Force shot Ka-52 "Alligator" reconnaissance and attack helicopter in Donetsk Oblast on 15 Aug https://t.co/RJCmvDggrj pic.twitter.com/EqGAJaLl82
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 15, 2022
The Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed 3 Russian military warehouses in one day, two in Donetsk Oblast and one in Kherson Oblast.
Regional Updates
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1559209761182302210
In the Luhansk Oblast, Ukrainian military forces reportedly destroyed more than a hundred Wagner mercenaries with a strike on Popasna. Details are being verified, according to the head of the Luhansk OVA.
Azov fighters destroyed an observation post, arms depot of Russian troops in Kharkiv Oblast
Also, Ukrainian defenders from Azov unit destroyed 2 cars, 2 IFVs and eliminated 7 Russian soldiers in Ternova village https://t.co/J7WHfo7qeZ pic.twitter.com/ruivUA5Sai
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 15, 2022
In the Kharkiv Oblast, Russian troops shelled Kharkiv at night, hitting an industrial object. An enterprise, an infrastructure facility, and a church damaged. Craters 4 and 6 meters in diameter at the site of impacts. Previously, attacks with S-300 missiles from the territory of the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation reported. 7 wounded, 1 in serious condition.
The Sumy Oblast, a harvester blew up on a mine, the driver hospitalized.
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1559428996538028034
In the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, explosions reported in Enerhodar, according to the Mayor of occupied Energodar Dmytro Orlov. Civilians leave the occupied territories near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. In Melitopol, the Russian military evacuate their families, as reported by the mayor of the city Ivan Fedorov. Melitopol partisans damaged a railway bridge that led in a southwestern direction so that Russian trains from the temporarily occupied Crimea will not reach Melitopol now, Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov said. The invaders cannot restore the bridge for the second day. The occupiers shelled Nikopol with barrel artillery.
In the Kherson Oblast, Russian military command flees, as confirmed by Yury Sobolevsky, First Deputy Chairman of the Kherson Regional Council. The Russian occupiers stepped up aviation attacks, extended illegal night searches and detentions, and increased pressure on local residents.
Ukraine renders all bridges in Kherson Oblast inoperable for occupiers' heavy equipment
OperCommand South reported today that the latest bridge Ukraine hit, the Kakhovskyi bridge, which Ukraine hit on 8 August, is rendered inoperablehttps://t.co/zRfY6IPlOr pic.twitter.com/nyWl1H3hOa
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 15, 2022
In the Mykolaiv Oblast, another educational institution damaged. A building of one of the hotels damaged at night. No victims or injured repoted.
According to British Defence Intelligence, (last 48 hours):
- The surface vessels of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet continue to pursue an extremely defensive posture, with patrols generally limited to waters within sight of the Crimean coast. This contrasts with heightened Russian naval activity in other seas, as is typical for this time of year.
- The Black Sea Fleet continues to use long-range cruise missiles to support ground offensives but is currently struggling to exercise effective sea control. It has lost its flagship, MOSKVA; a significant portion of its naval aviation combat jets; & control of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island. he Black Fleet’s currently limited effectiveness undermines Russia’s overall invasion strategy, in part because the amphibious threat to Odesa has now been largely neutralised. This means Ukraine can divert resources to press Russian ground forces elsewhere.
Losses of the Russian army
As of 16 August, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the war to the present day:
⚰️russia's combat losses in Ukraine as of August 16
▪ 43900 killed soldiers (+150)
▪ 4152 APV (+11)
▪ 1880 tanks (+4)
▪ 989 artillery systems (+4)
▪ 233 aircraft and 196 helicopters (+1)
▪ 15 boats and cutters#StopRussia #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/3dqUZXOTQE— VoxUkraine (@voxukraine) August 16, 2022
Humanitarian
When the war started, Olena Horshkova refused to leave her job, city, and country.
Olena works for the Emergency and Rescue Service, #Zaporizhzhia, next to the Russian-occupied nuclear plant, with a team of demining experts and firefighters.
🎥 @ZarinaZabrisky pic.twitter.com/GTudBXaLIz
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 15, 2022
Russian troops hit civilian targets 73 times more often than military targets, according to Interior Ministry of Ukraine. More than 22,000 civilian objects were hit and only about 300 military objects, said Yevgeny Enin, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
️️Environmental
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1559302664281899009
Two ships entered Odesa port to load corn and oil. The SARA bulk carrier will load 800 tons of corn and the EFE vessel will load about 7,500 tons of oil. “We can talk about intermediate results — during this time, 16 ships left Ukrainian ports, which will deliver almost half a million Ukrainian agricultural products to 9 countries of the world, at the same time, 6 ships have already entered Ukrainian ports for loading. By the end of the month, we plan to attract at least 10 more vessels to Ukrainian ports to load Ukrainian agricultural products,” commented Yuriy Vaskov, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure.
Ukrainian parliament calls international community to condemn Russia's nuclear terrorism
Verkhovna Rada urges world organizations & parliaments to impose sanctions against Russia in response to its actions at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Planthttps://t.co/PJ8lRO7DRH
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 15, 2022
️The UN is ready to facilitate the trip of IAEA experts to the Zaporizhzhia NPP through Kyiv, if Russia and the Ukrainian authorities agree to this, the office of the UN Secretary-General said.
Legal
Dutch court to announce ruling in MH17 murder trial on 17 November – AP
An international team of investigators named 4 suspects in the downing. They are charged with murdering 298 passengers & crew on board by 🇷🇺Buk missile system over Donbas in 2014 https://t.co/m1KLyIKP0s
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 15, 2022
Support
Minister of Defence of Latvia Artis Pabriks: Latvia sends 4 helicopters for Ukrainian Air Force https://t.co/hhzugwVxEI
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 15, 2022
Latvia handed over four helicopters to Ukraine, as announced by the head of the Ministry of Defense of Latvia. He called on the West to strengthen military assistance to Ukraine.
Finland to rebuild Chernihiv Oblast
The oblast needs to restore 4,479 residential objects: 1,029 apartment buildings and 3,231 private houses, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of President's Office said after meeting with 🇫🇮Ambassador Päivi Laine https://t.co/RyHex6hRdc pic.twitter.com/NDvkKK7Jr4
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 15, 2022
New Developments
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1559317763969101826
Zelensky signed a decree on the establishment of an Advisory Council on the de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea.
Zelensky dismissed the heads of SBU departments in Kyiv, Lviv and Ternopil Oblasts.
Assessment
- On the war.
map source: https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-15
The Institute for the Study of War has made the following assessment as of 14 August, 2022:
Elements of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) militia reportedly refused to continue fighting in Donetsk Oblast and complained about the grueling pace of offensives outside of Luhansk Oblast. The emotional significance of recent Russian targets in Donetsk Oblast resonates with audiences in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), but not with LNR audiences tired of grueling offensives beyond their claimed borders. Several Ukrainian channels shared a video on August 15 of soldiers from LNR Battalion 2740 refusing to fight for the DNR.[1] The soldiers claim that they celebrated victory on July 3, when LNR forces reached the borders of Luhansk Oblast, and that their work is done. At least one Russian milblogger has criticized the LNR servicemembers for desiring Russian support for their own ”liberation” and then refusing to fight in Donetsk Oblast.[2] ISW cannot independently verify the origin or authenticity of this particular video. Its message reflects a larger trend of diminished LNR investment in and morale to support the Russian war in Ukraine, however. This trend is particularly dangerous to Russian forces seeking to recruit still more new soldiers from Luhansk Oblast to make up for recent losses. Further division within Russian-led forces also threatens to further impede the efficiency of the Russian war effort.
DNR units have previously recorded similar appeals when operating in Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Kherson Oblasts, which may indicate that proxy troops might not fully support the Kremlin’s expansive invasion plans. ISW has previously reported that servicemen of the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the DNR’s 105th Infantry Regiment complained when the unit was redeployed from Mariupol to Luhansk Oblast in late May.[3] The 113th Regiment of the DNR also published a similar appeal from the Kherson Oblast frontlines in early June.[4] Another serviceman of an unspecified DNR battalion complained that Russian border guards held the unit at the Belgorod Oblast border after the unit fought around Kharkiv City in mid-May to allow Russian units to withdraw first.[5] DNR-based war correspondents have been boasting about the DNR progress around Avdiivka, but such attitudes may sour again if the DNR units are recommitted to another axis.
Russia’s annual Technical Forum and Army Games which began in Moscow on August 13 do not represent any immediate military threat to Ukraine. The forum and army games are not military exercises. The forum is the Kremlin’s premier annual military-industrial complex exposition and generates reliable arms sale revenue, which the Kremlin uses to supplement income lost due to sanctions.[6] The Army Games are a complementary series of competitive military sporting events that the Kremlin uses to demonstrate Russian weapons systems in the field and develop relationships with foreign militaries. This year’s Army Technical Forum will be held from August 15 to August 21 and the Army Games will run from August 13 to August 27.[7]
Key Takeaways
- A reported video of LNR servicemen refusing to fight in Donetsk Oblast suggests further division among Russian-led forces.
- Russian forces attempted several limited ground assaults northwest of Sloviansk.
- Russian forces conducted multiple offensive operations east and southeast of Siversk and northeast and southeast of Bakhmut.
- Russian forces continued conducting offensive operations northwest, west, and southwest of Donetsk City.
- Russian forces conducted a limited ground assault north of Kharkiv City.
- Russian and Ukrainian forces continued to trade accusations of shelling the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
- St. Petersburg authorities officially denied summoning local men to military recruitment and enlistment centers for discussions of contract service.
- Russian occupation authorities continued preparations for the integration of occupied territories of Ukraine into Russia.