Operational data group “Information Resistance”

The Russian occupation forces in the Donbas continue to shell the positions of JF units, as well as settlements located near the line of demarcation. There is a tendency to increase the number of attacks and armed provocations by the occupiers from 7-10 to 18 cases per day. At the same time, the enemy is increasingly uses cannon artillery up to the caliber of 152 mm, also uses automatic rifle armament, heavy machine guns, mounted and hand grenade launchers. In addition, the use of 82-mm and 120-mm mortars by the invaders has become more frequent. There are cases of use by the enemy the anti-tank missile systems, ZU-23-2 AD systems and standard armament of armored combat vehicles in the course of shelling and armed provocations.

The main areas of enemy’s fire activity are the Popasnaya area, the Bakhmutka route section in the Krymskoe and Novotoshkovka areas, the northern and north-western outskirts of Gorlovka, the Svetlodarsk “arc”, the Yasinovataya junction area and the Mariupol direction.

Active attempts by the enemy continue to conduct reconnaissance of the advanced positions of the JF units and sabotage and reconnaissance activities using the neutral “gray” zone. The enemy command continues to maintain a high level of activity of its snipers’ groups, as well as organizing technical types of reconnaissance using optical-electronic surveillance, radio reconnaissance and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at a number of sites.

Measures to regroup and reinforce occupational formations in certain sections of the advanced units continue. Pulling up of small groups of armored vehicles (3-4 units each) to the front edge and arranging firing positions for additional firing means (mainly 82 mm and 120 mm mortars) are noted. A stock of supplies, fuel and ammunition is created at the advanced points of supply.

From February 26 to 28 of this year, the Russian occupation administration conducted a command-staff exercise “Thaw-2019” with the so-called government bodies and forces of the “unified state system for the prevention and elimination of natural and man-made emergencies” with the participation of all the power structures under its control in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. During the exercise, issues of evacuating the population from the emergency zone caused by military actions, deploying temporary shelters for the victims, providing them with essential items were trained, including identification and detention of reconnaissance groups.

During the event, it was noted that units of 1^st and 2^nd Army Corps of the RF occupying forces in the Donbas were brought to the highest degree of combat readiness, and deployment of command and control centers and personnel reception points with practical training on military reception issues were fixed. At the same time, units 1^st and 2^nd Army Corps deployed combat positions near residential buildings, which caused discontent among the local population.

According to the unified plan of the Southern Military District of RF Armed Forces within the framework of the “One Day of Fire”, training sessions were conducted with artillery and mortar units in 1^st and 2^nd Army Corps of the RF occupying forces daily from February 26 to March 4 at the “Centralny”, “Peredovoy”, “Udarny”, “Yuzhny” and “Primorsky” firing ranges.

The General Staff of the RF Armed Forces informed the command of the 2^nd Army Corps LPR that the application submitted earlier by the latter for the transfer from the RF of a significant batch of engineering equipment and property was “partially satisfied”. According to the IR group, among the vehicles that will soon arrive from Russia in the “LPR” are a few units of the ORV (obstacle removal vehicle).

The Command of 1^st Army Corps “DPR” (OTC “Donetsk”) stated in the governing documents that in at least two Corps brigades most of the vehicles of the transport group were disabled by “irregular use and misuse”. As a result – there are problems with the supply of ammunition, food, equipment and other logistic items to the front. As stated in the reporting documents, in connection with this, the commanding staff of the units have to use “personal vehicles” or “engage civilian volunteers with their own vehicles” to solve logistics problems.

Representatives of “public organizations” are actively involved in solving the personnel problems in 1^st Army Corps “DPR”. In particular, in Donetsk universities, the main propaganda activities of recruiting students into the ranks of militants are carried out by members of the “Young Republic” public organization, who themselves have no experience of “military service”.

The leadership of the “DPR” promised to provide a cash reward in the amount of 12 thousand rubles to the “Day of the employee of education and science of the DPR” (celebrated in October) in 2019 those educators who will actively participate in the activities of the “Year of the Russian Language in the DPR” or have previously “made a significant contribution to the development of the Russian language and literature”. In total, it is planned to encourage 20 people, 10 of them – from the territory of Donetsk region controlled by Ukraine. Candidates will be identified in October of this year.

IR