(Image by NEIVANMADE)
Just a quick housekeeping note: my schedule this week is going to be weird. From tomorrow through Sunday evening. I’m going for Great Dane therapy, so that should tell the attentive Balloon Juice reader what is going on. Hopefully I will not have to wear Jasper as a hat on the drive from the airport. So the updates will go up, but I’ll be two time zones behind usual and they may be briefer than usual. Depending on how many Great Danes and cats and ducks are sitting on me at any given time…
Military deception, MILDEC, is defined in Joint Publication 3-13.4/Military Deception as:
… actions executed to deliberately mislead adversary military, paramilitary, or violent extremist organization decision makers, thereby causing the adversary to take specific actions (or inactions) that will contribute to the accomplishment of the friendly mission.
Here’s a great example:
So, the Ukrainian military shows that the Leopard recently destroyed by Russia’s Lantset was a dummy made of wood.
P.S. The guy on the video is a good friend of mine. pic.twitter.com/9HgboGBQEW— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) June 12, 2023
I’ve also seen some references to the static imagery of the Ukrainian armor – the Leopards and the Bradleys – that hit the mines and were then hit by fire from a Russian attack helicopter have been digitally altered by the Russians as part of their anti-Ukrainian propaganda efforts. The references range from the images being photoshopped to make the damage look worse than it is to being completely AI generated. I haven’t seen anything or anyone I consider really reliable, but if they were altered I’d go with the former over the latter.
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump:
The strength of our warriors yields results, and I thank everyone who is now in combat for this – address by the President of Ukraine
12 June 2023 – 22:21
I wish you health, dear Ukrainians!
I held a meeting of the Staff today. The key reports were from the commanders of the operational directions that are the most important and hottest – Khortytsia and Tavria.
The battles are fierce, but we are moving forward, and this is very important. The enemy’s losses are exactly what we need. Although the weather is unfavorable these days – the rains make our task more difficult – the strength of our warriors still yields results, and I thank everyone who is in combat now, everyone who supports our combat brigades in the relevant areas.
Generals Syrskyi and Tarnavskyi reported today on the successes we have already achieved, on the points of the front where we need reinforcement, and on the actions that can break more Russian positions.
Thank you to our guys for every Ukrainian flag that is now returning to its rightful place in the villages of the newly de-occupied territory! Thank you also for the significant replenishment of our exchange fund!
There was a report from the Commander-in-Chief on the general situation, and from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Security Service of Ukraine on stabilization measures in the de-occupied territory. We are working very actively to supply the necessary weapons and ammunition. There was also an intelligence report on the enemy’s options. We are maintaining and strengthening our operational dominance.
I am particularly grateful for Bakhmut as we are increasing our control in this area.
Today’s meeting also included a final report on the readiness and non-readiness of shelters across the country, in major cities and in Kyiv. Ministers Klymenko, Kamyshin and Kubrakov reported. The results are disappointing, to say the least. On Friday, relevant draft decisions will be prepared – both on those responsible and on ensuring an adequate level of protection for our people in all Ukrainian cities.
I also held several meetings on our international activities. This week, as always, will be very meaningful. First, we are preparing new weapons support from our partners for our warriors. Second, we are preparing to involve more global actors in the implementation of the Peace Formula. Third, we are working to make the Vilnius Summit truly meaningful.
I’ll let you know every detail.
And one more decision worth mentioning. The title of Hero of Ukraine has been posthumously awarded to Lieutenant Colonel of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Bohach. For extraordinary personal bravery, for repeatedly detaining and eliminating enemy saboteurs. For the defense of Mariupol and for such heroism and self-sacrifice, which leave no other option for Ukraine and Ukrainians but victory.
Glory to all who are fighting for Ukraine!
Thank you to each and every one who is now in combat, at combat posts and on combat missions! We are moving forward step by step!
We believe in victory. It will come!
Glory to Ukraine!
Over the past week, #UAarmy liberated seven villages in the Donetsk and Tavria areas: Lobkove, Levadne, Novodarivka, Neskuchne, Storozheve, Makarivka, and Blahodatne.
During the offensive, our forces advanced 6.5 kilometers and gained control of 90 square kilometers!— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 12, 2023
1) The Zaporizhzhia Territorial Defense Brigade officially announced the liberation of Novodarivka. https://t.co/1fWgoJQyHb
2) The 35th brigade officially announced the liberation of Storozheve. https://t.co/2Re5TlVmCr pic.twitter.com/taC8o3AfZC— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) June 12, 2023
🇺🇦 Wonderful morning news! Ukrainian flag again flies over Storozheve again. It was liberated by the 35th Separate Marine Brigade. pic.twitter.com/jk7XaPQ6th
— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) June 12, 2023
And all that jazz…
🎥 72nd Mechanized Brigade pic.twitter.com/OMeK0LOXKF
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 12, 2023
More US defense aid is set to be announced tomorrow:
#BREAKING US is providing up to $325 million in more military aid for #Ukraine, a defense official tells VOA, in a package expected to be announced tomorrow.
PDA 40 to include:
*#Strykers & #Bradleys that can replace those damaged & destroyed
*Munitions for NASAMS & #HIMARS— Carla Babb (@CarlaBabbVOA) June 12, 2023
Avdiivka:
Video of an assault on Russian positions in the Avdiivka area by Ukraine's 59th Motorized Brigade with humvees.https://t.co/2aMXrGzalz pic.twitter.com/6WiTxokD08
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) June 11, 2023
Zaporizhzhia:
Russian T-80BVM obr 2022 tank reportedly captured by Ukrainian forces in Zaporizhzhia oblast. https://t.co/jX35pmRdXK pic.twitter.com/k6uA4A0zYB
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) June 12, 2023
Melitopol:
🇺🇦Melitopol Mayor said a bit earlier that in Primorsk, recreation center "Sonyachna", the base of Russians was allegedly targeted. Now it seems that confirmations of the strike have appeared. (46.6856928, 36.3402398) @GeoConfirmed https://t.co/Z3GwlB1V85 pic.twitter.com/6poxytxmje
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) June 12, 2023
Beryslav:
A friend of mine sent this video from Beryslav. It is just across the Dnipro from Kakhovka. Water level keeps dropping. She asked to share so the world can see what Russia has done to her home. pic.twitter.com/rJ6v0eXZu9
— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) June 12, 2023
Here is a thread detailing what is going on in the Russian occupied flooded areas. First tweet from the thread and the rest from the Thread Reader App:
What is happening in Oleshky and Hola Prystan now? (These Ukrainian towns have been occupied by Russia since Feb‘22 and are now flooded because Russia blew up the Kakhovka dam)
Some of the townspeople managed to escape from there, this is what they say:plz, share this thread pic.twitter.com/rbNsEeBPIs
— logvynenko (@logvynenko) June 11, 2023
1. 20-day lockdown, they are not allowed to leave or enter the cities. Volunteers who have aid are unsuccessfully trying to break into that area.2. Dry-land areas are blocked with checkpoints (10-20% of the city) at which russian occupiers simply rob people, tear up Ukrainian documents, break into the houses that have not yet been robbed. They tell to the locals, “We’ll be saved but you will die here.”3. People are not allowed to leave the town without a Russian passport. Most people don’t have one.
4. On the first day, many people escaped in their underwear and had no clothes.5. Locals try to help each other, rescue animals, collect all the food and medicine left in the city. Important to note – after the dam was blown up, the Russian military went around Oleshky and confiscated people’s metal or plastic boats with engines.6. The Russians disinformed ppl claiming that the water would stop in a few hours and there was no need to evacuate, many people drowned particularly due to this disinfo.7. Hola Prystan was flooded on the second day, not on the first, when people already thought that the water had stopped.8. There are recorded cases of the Russians shooting those who tried to evacuate. Soldiers on boats patrol the city, ignoring people and animals who are drowning or sitting on the roofs of houses.9. Corpses of people, animals, equipment, and Russian soldiers themselves are floating around the houses. The Russians have set up ambushes, they promise to bring another thousand soldiers into the city in the next few days for “filtration.”10. The Russians also did not inform about the dam explosions. The locals learned the news thanks to Ukrainian TV and the Internet.These people are frightened, not ready to talk on camera and share their contacts, so please don’t message me about them. However, we managed to voice-record a few testimonies which will be published on @ukrainer_en anonymously
What is this, if not genocide?
trnsl: @YuliaTymosha
The Ukrainians appear to have killed another Russian general:
Goryachev was a career VDV officer and reportedly began the war as the commander of the 5th Tank Brigade before getting promoted. The source says the situation is difficult in the AO of Russia's 37th and 60th Motorized Rifle Brigades.
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) June 12, 2023
Here’s a machine translation from the Russian Telegram channel:
The war takes the best
Heavy fighting all yesterday (June 12) went on almost along the entire line of military contact of the Vostok grouping, especially on the so-called. Vremevsky ledge. The situation is difficult in the defense zone of the 60th and 37th motorized rifle brigades.
As a result of an enemy missile attack, Major General Sergei Goryachev, Chief of Staff of the 35th Combined Arms Army, was killed.
A native of the Airborne Forces, Goryachev served as a soldier in the Kirovabad airborne division, after the RVVDKU he commanded a reconnaissance company, and then a paratrooper battalion in the 76th division, was the chief of staff of the 108th regiment. In the future, he led our contingent in Transnistria, commanded the 27th Motorized Rifle Brigade, 201st military base in Tajikistan, and a training center in Khabarovsk. Having joined the SVO as the commander of the 5th separate tank brigade, he “grew up” to the deputy commander of the 35th OA (with the rank of major general), was appointed chief of staff of the army.
According to representatives of the command of the United Forces (s), the army today lost one of the brightest and most effective military leaders, who combined the highest professionalism with personal courage.
Combat friends express their condolences to the families and friends of the deceased.
PS Unfortunately, it was not possible to find a photograph of the hero in a general’s uniform, perhaps one does not exist, in the war there is no time for a photo.
Moscow:
A drunk man that looks like Putin just can't understand what is the point of hitting residential areas in Russia. Similarly, what is the point of placing troops in the residential areas? Why mass murder and loot in a foreign country? Why blow up Kakhovka Dam? What is the point of… pic.twitter.com/B59ll5qM5i
— Dmitri (@wartranslated) June 12, 2023
Here’s the full text of Dmitri’s tweet:
A drunk man that looks like Putin just can’t understand what is the point of hitting residential areas in Russia. Similarly, what is the point of placing troops in the residential areas? Why mass murder and loot in a foreign country? Why blow up Kakhovka Dam? What is the point of invading at all when you dealt hundreds of times more damage than what you claim has caused the invasion?
More from yesterday’s prisoner exchange:
Commander of the Russian Volunteer Cops [RDK] Denis Nikitin was present at the prisoner of war exchange, where every Russian soldier was offered the option to join the RDK. Among them, was Vladislav Izmailov who refused to return to Russia and expressed a desire to join the ranks… pic.twitter.com/pS64LXzqhw
— Dmitri (@wartranslated) June 11, 2023
Here’s the full text of Dmitri’s tweet:
Commander of the Russian Volunteer Cops [RDK] Denis Nikitin was present at the prisoner of war exchange, where every Russian soldier was offered the option to join the RDK. Among them, was Vladislav Izmailov who refused to return to Russia and expressed a desire to join the ranks of RDK. Izmailov was not from the Russian military but was instead a PMC Wagner member who was freed from a Samara prison to serve in the PMC and was later captured in November last year. Evgeniy Prigozhin reacted by confirming the identity of the Russian and promised to “find and kill” him: “Actually, Vladislav Izmailov arrived to the PMC Wagner from a Samara colony, and in November he was captured. Vladislav Izmailov is a traitor, and I’m sure he will receive a worthy punishment according to all traditions of PMC Wagner. I hope we will find and kill him in a fair fight.” It appears no one else from the Russian group of P.O.W.s wished to stay or join the RDK showing that Izmailov likely has a good reason to do so.
That’s enough for tonight.
Your daily Patron!
There is a new video from Patron’s official TikTok, but we’re back to the embedding problem. So click across if you want to see it.
Open thread!
War for Ukraine Day 474: Ukrainian MILDEC!Post + Comments (54)