A Russian Su-25 is over the region of Donbass
On May 7, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Russian forces have destroyed a large concentration of military equipment from the USA and European countries near the Bogodukhov railway station in Kharkov Region.
The Russian military revealed that strikes resulted in the elimination of more than 280 members of pro-Kyiv forces and up to 48 armoured and motor vehicles.
The strikes came amid the intensification of clashes in the area of Izum, in the south of Kharkov Region, and in the entire sector of the Russian advance towards the Slovyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration. Intense fighting was reported around Barvenko, Svyatogorsk and Liman in this area.
Also, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, 3 Ukrainian Tochka-U ballistic missiles and 9 Smerch multiple-launch rockets nave been also intercepted over Izyum city, Kharkov Region. Expectedly, the intensification of the strikes by Kyiv forces correspond with the intensification of the fighting.
The positional fighting continued on the contact line in the sector of the Severodonetsk-Lysichansk agglomeration. An active advance there by forces of LPR and Russia have been partly halted as Russian forces carried out a flank strike on the remaining grouping of the Kyiv government there.
A Russian missile over Ukraine:
Russian-led forces continued regular strikes on fortified positions of pro-Kyiv units around Severodonetsk, while Russian and LPR troops developed offensive in the sector of Popasnaya and Zolotoe.
Popasnaya remained a contested area, but as of the middle day of April 7 local sources claimed that the town came under full control of Russian-led forces and the demining work is ongoing there.
The breakthrough around Popasnaya, if confirmed, will mark the collapse of the northern flank of the grouping of Kyiv’s forces in the sector. This will likely lead to the collapse of Kyiv’s defense in Severodonetsk and Seversk and will open route towards Bahmut.
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The tense situation remains around the Azovstal plant in the industrial area of Mariupol. On May 6, clashes were reported in the area with Russian forces striking units of the Azov battalion and affiliated formations that tried carry out attacks from their encircled positions. The direct storm of the area (despite tactical advances of the Russians) is not going because Kyiv’s troops hold a large number of civilians as hostages. The humanitarian efforts to provide aid to civilians or evacuate them are used by Kyiv’s troops for own military purposes. 176 civilians have been evacuated from the area as of now.
Russian strikes pounded depots and positions of Kyiv’s forces around Nikolaev:
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As of the middle of May 7, no large clashes are ongoing there. Media reports claimed that some number of pro-Kiyv troops from the Azovstal plant left the plant under a white flag. However, it does not seem that the garrison led by Ukrainian radicals is going to surrender as long as they have hostages to bargain.
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Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry revealed additional details about strikes on military targets in Ukraine.
According to the statement, high-precision air-based missiles of the Russian Air Force hit 5 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration, as well as an ammunition depot near Bakhmut, the Donetsk People’s Republic.
At the same time, Russian operational-tactical and army aviation hit 18 military assets of Ukraine. The targets included 2 command posts near Skovorodnikovo in Kharkov Region, 5 areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment, 3 ammunition and fuel depots near Dachnoe in Odessa Region.
Odessa:
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The Russian military added that missile troops and artillery hit 44 command posts and 196 strongholds of Ukrainian troops as well as areas of manpower and military equipment concentration during the night.
Also, Russian air defence means shot down 13 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Berezovka in Nikolaev Region, Signalnoe, Luganskoe, Krasnogorovka, Yasinovatoe and Zugres in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Olgino in Kherson Region, Cherneshchina in Kharkov Region.
The Russian side says that since the start of the operation Russian forces have destroyed 152 aircraft and 112 helicopters, 762 unmanned aerial vehicles, 295 anti-aircraft missile systems, 2,895 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 333 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,364 field artillery and mortars, as well as 2,716 units of special military vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Just another Bayraktar TB2 shot down by Russia’s Pantsir systems:
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