Latin America calls for peace in Ukraine. This was announced by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. “Today we have once again called for an immediate ceasefire and peace, and in this we have been joined by the leaders of Latin America,” he said after the EU-CELAC summit. Earlier, Orban advocated a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and opposed the supply of weapons to Kiev.
UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Ukraine had “tragically turned into a laboratory of military technology” and admitted it was being used to test weapons.
According to the Washington Post, despite military support, Ukraine is unable to make progress in the counter-offensive expected by Washington. “Kiev continues to wage hostilities, but without success,” writes the American edition of the Washington Post: “Despite the supply of weapons and training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by American specialists, the speed of the Ukrainian counteroffensive raises questions. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are approaching the offensive cautiously due to fears of massive personnel losses. Instead, they prefer to use the tactics of shelling and “creating vulnerabilities” on the Russian lines, which slows down the advance.” “On the other hand, Russian forces are putting up stiff resistance, mining territories and using UAVs for targeted attacks on Ukrainian positions. In light of these circumstances, the Ukrainian authorities are asking the West to make up for the lack of weapons in order to advance to the front and increase the effectiveness of the counter-offensive”.
In a general sense, according to the American newspaper, “the West is concerned about the slowness of the offensive by the Ukrainian armed forces. It appears that the US and NATO dispute the lack of speed on Ukraine’s coordinated combined arms operations, and not on the “exhaustion” tactics chosen by the Ukrainian military. The West has trained Ukrainians in complex offensive maneuvers and provided everything needed for demining, but speed of action here “is of paramount importance,” the official complained to The WP.
Another factor that should not be overlooked is the speed and extent of equipment losses. In June, the Ukrainian Army General Staff reported the loss of about 30% of Western weapons in the southern direction. The command warned that at such a rate in a month the Armed Forces of Ukraine would have to go into “deaf defense”.
According to rumors that appeared in the social sphere, perhaps the unmanned vehicle that attacked the Crimean bridge was not British, but American. There is a version that it could be a MANTAS T-12 of the “fireman” type. According to a Russian “M” account, there would be information on the training of Ukrainian operators to control these drones at the US Navy base in Virginia, as well as on the upcoming deliveries of these vehicles to Kiev, which appeared in the social sphere starting from April 2022. MANTAS T-12 can be used both for reconnaissance and as an attack weapon. The device is difficult to detect, rises above the sea surface by only 18 cm, the cruising range reaches 120 nautical miles and the estimated payload is 63.5 kg.
Images of Uralvagonzavod’s deliveries of a batch of T-90M Proryv and T-72B3M tanks to the Russian army also appeared via social media. “In the last year, the company has increased production more than 3 times,” said Russian Prime Minister Michail Vladimirovich Mishustin. And the first batch of “Drok” self-propelled mortars would still arrive at the front
Rostec State Corporation has delivered to the troops an experimental batch of Drok self-propelled mortars based on the Typhoon armored personnel carrier, which will allow them to quickly evade enemy fire. “The complex was created on the basis of the Typhoon armored car and allows you to fire without leaving the vehicle. The transition of equipment from travel to combat takes less than a minute, this helps to quickly evade enemy fire and increase the safety of the crew,” the press service of the state company said.
And now a look at the front line.
At 16.00 on 18 July, Italian time, massive attacks by the Russian armed forces were recorded on targets in the territory of Ukraine on the night of 18 July. At night, Russian troops launched massive attacks with Kamikaze drones and Kalibr cruise missiles against targets in Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on the destruction of unmanned naval bases and places of their manufacture in the Odessa region, as well as the destruction of fuel storage facilities with a total volume of about 70,000 tons. The Ukrainian authorities, as expected, announced the interception of almost all air targets, and reports of damage to objects were associated with falling debris.
In the Orekhovsky Zone the situation at 16.00 Italian time on July 18, 2023 the situation was as follows: in the Orekhovs sector, assault detachments of the 65th Ombre on two tanks attempted to penetrate the defenses of the RF Armed Forces north of Rabotino, but without success. Spetsnaz on the social network report the destruction of two units. At the same time, to the east of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, they still hold positions previously captured by fighters of the 7th company of the 71st motorized rifle regiment of the Armed Forces of Russia. According to the landings, Ukrainian formations transfer small groups of infantry and rotate.
Self-propelled guns of the 128th Brigade arrived at the front and were deployed to Malaya Tokmachka and Novoselovka to support the forces of the 47th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, artillery units of the 116th and 118th shadows occupied the lines on the Primorskoye-Kamyshevakha line. Russian fighters resist onslaught of Ukrainian formations. In the Russian social sphere there is talk of “small gaps in defense”, but the Ukrainian command did not achieve significant results, which forced the Marun tactical group to retreat to the front line.
There are regular, even continuous surges of the Ukrainian military aimed at exhausting the Russian military. The lack of rotation, the issue of which was raised by General Popov, now serving in Syria, has not disappeared.
Donetsk direction from the morning of July 18, Ukrainian formations conducted a massive shelling of settlements of the Donetsk agglomeration. In the capital of the republic, civilian objects were damaged in the Kiev, Kirovsky, Petrovsky and Kuibyshevsky districts: in the latter, one of the direct hits on a residential building resulted in the injury of three people and the death of a woman. Fragments of TR-122 missiles with a range increased to 40 km, delivered to Ukrainian formations from Turkey, were also found at the place of arrival.
In addition, Horlivka, Makiivka, Yelenovka, Yasinovataya, as well as the suburbs of Donetsk, are under fire from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the latest data, three civilians were killed and at least four others were injured. The Ukrainian bombing continues.
Zaporizhzhia region at 17:00 on July 18, Italian time: Ukrainian formations continue to strike the settlements of the Zaporozhzhia region. The village of Burchak, Mikhailovsky district came under fire: warehouses and the territory of the utility base were damaged. Also, Russian air defense systems intercepted Ukrainian missiles over Molochansk and Melitopol – there were no casualties or damage.
Svatove-Kreminna situation updated at 20:00 Italian time on 18 July. After a successful assault on two strongholds at an altitude northwest of Novovodyanoe, the Russian units went into defense mode. Over the past two days, Ukrainian formations have attacked positions, trying to regain lost control. On July 18, a video appeared on the Web confirming the control of the RF armed forces over the site near Karmazinovka. Now Russian fighters maintain an all-round defense. Gunners of the Armed Forces of Ukraine conduct a massive shelling, but the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation repulsed the shooting.
In the south, positional battles are taking place in the direction of Krasnopopovka, where the formations of the 411th battalion of the 141st brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired on the strongholds of the Russian army with small arms. On the Torsky ledge, military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces “probe” the Ukrainian defenses, carrying out regular attacks on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Similar battles of low intensity are observed in the Serebryansky forestry.
Due to the increased activity of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has begun the forced evacuation of citizens from Yampol in the event of a breakthrough of the front. Artillery fire and UAV attacks from the Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to hold back the advance of the Armed Forces of Moscow.
Also, in the vicinity of Zolotye Prudy, the Lyut MAF battalion tactical group was deployed. In total, around 600 people arrived in 12 Kirpi AFVs and 161 vehicles. It is not yet clear where exactly the detachment of the so-called “offensive guard” will be sent. Earlier, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine considered the option of using the brigade near Bachmut, however, the complication of the the situation in the Kreminna sector could force the Ukrainian armed forces to adjust their plans.
This is also indicated by the beginning of the transfer of the assault detachments of the 121st defense brigade to Liman from the Kherson direction. 121 mod SRW was originally prepared for forcing the Dnieper and hitting the Energodar sector. His appearance in the LPR was clearly not included in the initial plans of the Ukrainian leadership.
Direction Soledar update of 18 July, at 21:00 Italian time. Fighting continues on Bachmut’s flanks. Russian gunners, together with units of the Airborne Forces, repel enemy attacks in the Berkhovka area. However, in the Kleshcheevka area, the consolidated assault groups of the 3rd and 5th battalions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, suffered many losses but managed to hold on to the adjacent high ground.
Attacks by Ukrainian formations in small groups continue unabated. The rotation of the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is carried out regularly, which allows you to continue the tactics of “shock the troops” without the support of armored vehicles.
The control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at tactical heights greatly complicates the task of defending Kleshcheevka. Also, the same problem of the Zaporizhia Front, is the lack of rotation and reinforcements, prevents the return of lost positions by Russian units. The delay in resolving the issue of supporting the defensive units of the RF Armed Forces could change the situation at the front.
For the second night in a row, Russian troops have carried out massive attacks with kamikaze drones and Kalibr cruise missiles on targets near Odessa. Ukrainian air defense systems again turned out to be powerless: local residents report a series of powerful explosions and crashes in different parts of the city and nearby settlements. Explosions registered in Kharkov, Zaporozhzhie, as well as in Dnepropetrovsk, Sumy and Kherson.
At 03.30 Italian time on 19 July, Ukrainian formations attacked an ammunition depot south of the airport in the Kirovsky region of Crimea. Pro-Russian social accounts write that the Grom-2 operational-tactical missile system was used for the attack. According to other pro-Russian accounts, this option is possible, but in this case it is worth mentioning that the Thunder’s attacks stopped a couple of months ago. Due to the shortcomings, the overall accuracy and efficiency of the OTRK turned out to be not so high. In recent missile raids, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have used missiles converted to a ballistic trajectory from the S-200 air defense system. But they, as a rule, are shot down.
According to other reports, Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles may have been used in the attack. Even if the Russian air defense units are adapting to these weapons, the Franco-British ones are still dangerous due to their characteristics. This version is not particularly suitable for using three missiles at the same time in one warehouse, but certainly for one attack (if suddenly one of them was shot down by air defense calculations), this is possible. If confirmed, this will be the first use of long-range cruise missiles on the Crimean peninsula.
Also on the morning of July 19, Ukrainian formations continue shelling the border settlements of the Kursk region. Governor Starovoit said three arrivals were recorded in Suja, a residential building was badly damaged, nearby buildings were hit by shrapnel and a fire broke out. In addition, there are reports of the Guevo bombing, but there are no official comments and additional information yet. In Elizavetovka, according to the pro-Russian telegram channel “S”, a UAV with a launch system attacked a farm, hitting the Pobeda LLC construction site, without casualties or damage.
Graziella Giangiulio
