Even though the Russian forces are 10 to every one Ukrainian, the effect of the latest hit on a Russian weapons depot has been devastating. And Russian troops are discouraged as the Ukrainian military kills the ninth Russian general.
The Russians depend upon “unsecured cell communications and inept operational security.” And that is how one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops was caught by the Ukrainian intelligence telling a friend about “12 dead.” And among the senior officers was a vaporized “Big Shot Fucking Command,” according to The Daily Beast:
‘A general and five Russian military officers were killed in a Ukrainian strike on Russian headquarters using the U.S.-supplied M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.’
Major General Artem Nasbulin, the chief of staff of the 22nd Army Corps died in the blast, The Newsweek Magazine reported:
‘Spokesperson for the Odessa regional military Serhiy Bratchuk, wrote on Telegram about the “liquidation” of Major General Nasbulin “after HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) missiles hit the headquarters in the Kherson region” of southern Ukraine.’
Nasbulin was killed by an American HIMARS system with a target range of well over fifty miles:
‘[D]uring a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) firing salvoes during a military exercise in the Tan-Tan region in southwestern Morocco. Ukraine has said that the U.S.-supplied weapons have helped them kill a Russian general.’
The former commander of pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine Igor Girkin, who goes by the alias of Strelkov wrote on Telegram:
‘[L]arge losses in both men and equipment” in strikes against at least 10 large warehouses of artillery and other ammunition, several oil depots and a number of command posts. He said that Russian air defense systems have been “ineffective against massive strikes by HIMARS missiles.’
A war criminal during the War in Donbas Igor Girkin, complained:
‘While Kremlin continues leisurely chewing snot, the respected Ukrainian partners continue busily destroying everything they can reach with HIMARS, 777 and Ceasars which our Ministry of Defence (represented by General-chatter Konashenkov and his Radiant Boss – the Plywood Marshall) continues cracking like nuts.’
He continued, noting that The American HIMARS system “will be the first target for Russia in Ukraine,” according to The Russian Gazeta:
‘With a high degree of probability, the new package of American military assistance to Ukraine, which is estimated at $700 million, may include extended-range multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) M142 HIMARS. This will become the most long-range weapon of Kyiv. “Gazeta.Ru” understood the peculiarities of the work of these American systems and how they can be resisted.’
The White House said:
‘These systems will be used by Ukrainians to repel the advance of Russian troops on Ukrainian territories and will not be used to strike targets on Russian territory.’
‘This rocket of blood can spoil the entire Donbass. Plus, the Bryansk and Belgorod regions may be in the zone of its defeat. The Armed Forces of Ukraine may well inflict striking blows on Russian territory…one must understand that a real hunt will be arranged for them by the Russian army. And if they can be transferred to Poland by NATO aircraft .
‘ the installation is placed in the transport S-130, then further five-ton trucks with characteristic missile guides will be most carefully monitored from the air and destroyed. HIMARS will be the first target for Russian aviation.’
‘It is an almost everyday occurrence in the Russian-occupied parts of eastern and southern Ukraine. Russia’s ammunition depots blow up, with large fires erupting as tons of ordnance detonate for hours. Some of these incidents cause giant blasts with a radius of hundreds of meters.’
The map locates the biggest Ukrainian strikes upon Russian logistics centers and ammunition depots in occupied territories,’ The Kyiv Independent.
Ukrainian striking Russian facilities continue on a daily basis:
‘According to Russian military bloggers, such as the notorious Russian ultranationalist Igor Girkin, these “unpunished” Ukrainian strikes have already forced the Russian military to be more conservative with its artillery rounds, in preparation for a possible Ukrainian counter-strike in Donbas. ‘
‘In early July, another Russian military blogger Andrey Morozov (widely known as “Murz”) indicated growing “munitions hunger” due to Ukrainian attacks, not only in terms of 122-millimeter rounds but also 152-millimeter systems, which are also waning. Russia’s overwhelming artillery dominance, in terms of the number of pieces and its seemingly infinite supply of ammunition, is a key factor behind its painful advances in Donbas.’
Ukraine-born Israeli defense expert Igal Levin said:
‘So even if this does not shut up the Russian artillery completely, reducing its ability to deliver fire by 50%, to 3,000 rounds a day or even less, will be of a considerable effect on the battlefield.’
