Continuous assaults, water-logged trenches, and cold: How Ukraine is holding the line in Bakhmut; Russian attacks successfully repelled by Ukrainian forces in Luhansk, Donetsk Oblasts; Ukrainian forces destroy 80% of Russian aerial targets; ISW: Russian forces struggle with outdated equipment, personnel shortages as another round of mobilization looms, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

By admin On Dec 2, 2022

Continuous assaults, water-logged trenches, and cold: How Ukraine is holding the line in Bakhmut:

For more than six months, Russian troops – from elite units to released criminals from the Wagner Private Military Company – have been fighting with the stubbornness of idiots, as if against a wall, for the defensive positions of Ukrainian troops near the once 70,000-person city of Bakhmut. This region of Donetsk Oblast, together with Avdiivka, located north of Donetsk itself, has been the hottest point of the full-scale war for weeks. It is also the only place on the entire thousand-kilometer front where the enemy is trying to advance. The losses of the occupiers here are estimated at thousands of dead, but they stubbornly mount new attacks, which take place in the solid autumn mud.

In an interview with NV, the commander of the Svoboda battalion, Petro Kuzyk, whose unit is one of those holding Bakhmut, spoke about what is currently happening on the front line.

Kuzyk: In this area, they have concentrated assault groups, and a lot of resources. They are trying to show the whole world that they are capable of anything. When they realized that they could not take Bakhmut head-on, they began a circling maneuver, trying to go around from the right and left. They began to press attacks in all directions. So now their offensive has spread all over the area. The situation is difficult, because in some areas, for example, in Kherson, a lot of our equipment was concentrated, and could hit its targets well. There is still no parity in artillery here near Bakhmut. The Russians have much better armament in terms of artillery. They are thrashing us.

And now our defenders here are outnumbered thanks to the “Wagnerites” and inmates. We talked to a prisoner. They follow prison colony rules. He himself is an anti-tank missile operator. He was thrown into an assault. He asked why exactly he should go on an assault, because he is an anti-tanker. He was beaten quite seriously, thrown into the cold, and a week later was called and asked if he would join an attack. And he agreed, because he remembered a story when the men were standing in formation, the commanders came and said: “Guys, we understand everything – cold, rain, swamp – it’s hard. If you don’t want to, raise your hand, you won’t have any questions.” Two people raised their hands, they were taken aside and shot in front of the entire formation. Then they asked: who still does not want to fight? These guys are driven by fear and constantly storm our positions in small groups. —>READ MORE HERE

General Staff says Russian attacks successfully repelled by Ukrainian forces in Luhansk, Donetsk Oblasts:

The Ukrainian army repulsed several attacks by Russian invading forces in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, the Ukrainian military’s General Staff reported in its daily morning update on Facebook on Nov. 30.

The enemy attacked in the vicinity of Stelmakhivka in Luhansk Oblast, and around Bilohorivka, Bakhmutske, Pervomayske, Nevelske and Mariinka in Donetsk Oblast in the past 24 hours, the General Staff said.

Russian invasion forces also carried out two missile strikes on civilian objects in Kosharivka in Kharkiv Oblast and in Slovyansk in Donetsk Oblast, as well as 47 air strikes and 35 artillery attacks on Ukrainian positions and settlements. Across the front, the situation is as follows:

In the Volyn and Polisk areas in north-western Ukraine, the situation has not changed notably – there is no evidence of the presence of any enemy offensive forces.

In the Siversky area in north-central Ukraine, invading forces conducted shelling with mortars and artillery near Manukhivka, Vorozhba, Prokhody, Mykhaylivske and Mayske in Sumy Oblast.

In the Slobozhanske area in north-eastern Ukraine, invading forces conducted shelling with artillery of various calibers in and around Vysoka Hora, Strilecha, Chervone, Hlyboke, Starytsia, Ohirtseve, Hatyshche, Ambarne, Petro-Ivanivak and Dvorichne in Kharkiv Oblast.