Ukraine war: Russia destroys military camps in western Ukraine - and prepares for a long war

Created: 06/13/2022, 04:54

By: Daniel Dillmann

The Russian army advances further in the Ukraine war.

Heavy fighting is reported from the Luhansk region.

• Russia on the rise:

  In the coming weeks, the entire Luhansk Oblast could be taken.

• Fierce fighting for Sievjerodonetsk:

  Russia achieves success in a strategically important city in the Ukraine war.

• Use of new weapon systems:

  Ukraine accuses the Kremlin of using themable rocket artillery.

• The situation in the morning

  : All information and developments in the Ukraine conflict in our new ticker.

+++ 3.14 p.m .:

22 people, including several civilians and a 12-year-old child, were injured in a rocket attack on the western Ukrainian city of Chortkiv on Saturday evening.

According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, the airstrike was aimed at a weapons depot in which large quantities of anti-tank missiles, man-portable air defense systems and grenades supplied from the West were stored.

According to Russian sources, the depot was destroyed in the process.

According to Russian sources, the attack on the weapons depot was carried out using Kalibr cruise missiles fired from the Black Sea.

According to Ukrainian authorities, in addition to the ammunition depot, several residential buildings in the city, which is less than 150 kilometers from the border with Romania, were also damaged.

In contrast to the east and south of Ukraine, the west of the country is only sporadically the target of Russian attacks.

These mostly apply to military facilities in which foreign arms shipments are housed.

According to Ukrainian sources, civilians were injured and buildings destroyed in a Russian attack on a weapons depot in western Ukraine.

(Iconic photo) © Anatolii Stepanov/AFP

Ukraine war: Secret service sees signs of Russian war plans by autumn

+++ 11:46 a.m .:

The Ukrainian military intelligence service assumes that Russia is preparing for a war by October.

US military experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) referred to Deputy Director of Intelligence Vadym Skibizkij.

He assumes that Russia wants to continue the war for 120 more days.

However, success in the Donbass is always decisive for the plans.

Meanwhile, the ISW experts assume that Russia does not have large reserves of trained armed forces up its sleeve.

This assumption is due to the lack of personnel at the front.

In addition, Skibizkij announced that the Russians had 40 more combat battalions.

There are already 103 battalions in Ukraine.

+++ Update, Sunday June 12, 2022 08:40:

A US official told the Washington Post that Russia is likely to take the entire Luhansk Oblast in the coming weeks.

The Ukrainian cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, which have become the epicenter of the battle for Donbass, could fall to Russian forces within a week, according to the US official, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue, was quoted by the Washington Post as saying.

This could create a de facto new front line that could last for some time.

A Russian Army soldier on duty in the Ukraine War.

© Yuri Kabodnov/dpa

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Situation in the morning in the Ukraine war: Russia controls the city of Sievjerodonetsk

Kyiv - In the Ukraine war, the attackers from Russia apparently have the next big success.

According to the Ukrainian authorities, the Kremlin's armies now also control the city of Sieverodonetsk in the east of the country.

Nevertheless, bitter street fighting continues to rage in many places in the city.

“The situation remains difficult.

Fighting continues, but unfortunately the city is largely under Russian control," said Serhiy Hajday, governor of the Luhansk region, according to US news channel CNN.

The Ukraine War in Pictures - Destruction, Resistance and Hope

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But the Ukraine war is not only raging in Sievjerodonetsk.

The surrounding small towns such as Popasna or Lyssychansk are also the scene of heavy fighting.

In many places, the Russian army is said to have started bombing the civilian infrastructure across the board.

According to the Ukrainian military, the defenders managed to repel an attack in the Metelkino suburb.

The Russian army had to withdraw from the suburb.

Situation in the morning in the Ukraine war: Russia uses new types of artillery

Russia's territorial gains in the Ukraine war are apparently mainly due to the use of thermobaric rocket artillery.

That's what Hajdaj said on Ukrainian television.

With the new weapon system, Russia would “clear down from floor to floor” buildings that the Ukrainian army uses as a hiding place.

This, in turn, forces Ukrainian troops to constantly change positions.

In his nightly address to the people of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the armed forces in the east of the country.

He was "proud of our defenders, who were able to stop the advance of the enemy and the occupying forces for many weeks".

"Syeverodonetsk remains the epicenter of the war in the east of the country," said Zelesnkyj.

Ukraine War: Battle for Sievjerodonetsk reminiscent of Mariupol

Similar to Mariupol, the battle for Seyerodonetsk could ultimately end in front of a large industrial plant.

The Azot chemical plant is located in the city in question, a large building complex in which up to 800 civilians are said to have found shelter.

In addition, 400 Ukrainian soldiers are said to have entrenched themselves there.

The numbers are based on information from Rodion Miroshnik, leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk republic, which in turn is allied with Russia.

One is already negotiating with the soldiers about the evacuation of the civilians.

Hard fighting is also being reported from the south of the country during the Ukraine war.

The armies there are stuck in a deadlocked trench warfare.

"The Russians don't skimp on ammunition," a Ukrainian army fighter told British news channel Sky.

The company's own reserves, on the other hand, would run out.

This was also confirmed by Vadym Skibitsky, a high-ranking official in the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

He demanded new shipments of arms from the West as soon as possible.

"It has long since become an artillery war," Skibitsky said, according to the British Guardian.

(dil/dpa)