Russian Federation (RF) troops using tanks and artillery launched probes and full-dress attacks at a number of Ukrainian defensive positions in Donbas, as Ukraine Armed Forces (UAF) units gained ground with limited counterattacks at two locations, independent news reports and official statements said on Monday, April 18.
A situation update from Ukraine’s Joint Forces East command said that during the past 24 hours ending at 0600 Monday, RF armored columns launched unsuccessful assaults on UAF defensive lines in and around the towns Novotoshkovke, Popasna, Andriievka and Marynka. UAF forces also repelled RF probing attacks towards the villages Zavody, Dmitrivka and Dubrovne, the statement said.
Strong RF forces were observed digging in in the vicinity of the Luhansk region villages Kremenna and Rubezhne, near Severodonetsk, and firing on UAF forces and civilian homes and businesses in the vicinity, but not trying to advance, the statement said.
RF forces over the day’s fighting in the Donbas sector lost nine tanks, fifteen infantry fighting vehicles, five trucks and five artillery systems, one combat jet, three attack helicopters and a medium-range observation drone, an official count from Ukraine’s Army General Staff (AGS) said.
The AGS estimate of RF attacks and destroyed equipment over Sunday was more than double estimated RF losses on Saturday. Independent Ukrainian media likewise reported an intensification of fighting across the Donbas sector.
Military journalist Kostyantin Mashovets in a Monday article said UAF forces launched a successful counterattack in Luhansk region, capturing the villages Svyatohirsk and Kremenna, near the key road and rail nexus Severodonetsk.
A second UAF attack pushed RF units south and east, away from the city Kharkiv, and liberating the villages Leb’yazhe, Bazalevka and Kutuzovka, Mashovests said. Official UAF sources confirmed a successful UAF counterattacks had taken place in both the Luhansk sector and the Kharkiv sector, but did not name locations captured, if any.
According to an unconfirmed statement by the public affairs section of 25th Airborne Brigade, a UAF ambush using artillery and strike drones on Sunday decimated an armored column of RF Marine Infantry in the Kharkiv-Izium sector, destroying 18 tanks, at least 10 infantry fighting vehicles, and a Ka-52 “Alligator” attack helicopter.
Kiryll Budanov, head of Defense Ministry military intelligence, in an Sunday evening interview on Ukraine One television said that Kyiv expects Kremlin leadership to step up the pace of its attacks in coming days and weeks in an attempt to defeat Ukraine and dictate peace terms by 24 April, the date Easter is celebrated Russia.
Limited time may force Moscow to launch assaults with insufficient preparation, and possibly to accept far-from-ideal battlefield results, Budanov said.
”They (Kremlin forces) are in a very big hurry, because they are very limited in time. One might say they want very much to get some kind of minor tactical advantage, or show some kind of limited tactical result, so that they can demonstrate that somehow Russia was victorious in this special operation. Easter is really pressing them,” he said.
