(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Ukraine Invasion Day 413: ground attacks continue [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-04-11 Col. Serhiy Ilnytsky, the soldiers’ commander, who uses the nickname Sokil, or the Falcon, said the goal for Ukraine in the battle of Bakhmut was not so much to protect the city — once home to around 70,000 people, it is now mostly ruined — as bog down and weaken the Russian Army before the anticipated counteroffensive. “Bakhmut is just a pile of stones now,” he said. “It’s just a place where Russian soldiers go through the meat grinder.” Of his position in the fighting for the access roads, he said he felt it was solid. “I now have the field in front of me,” he said. “For me, it’s a good spot.” Bret Stephens puts his reactionary thinking on hold : Too much of the world has become hostile to liberal values in the last few years, and no regimes have done more to promote the new illiberalism than Moscow and Beijing. They will not be shamed into better behavior by moralistic rebukes, much less thwarted from their ambitions by diplomatic condemnation. A liberalism that knows that it is both valuable and fragile should be willing to pay a premium for its own defense, and that of its most vulnerable friends. "Ukraine has demoted a top battlefield commander after he admitted his unit had been decimated in fighting around the city of Bakhmut." A couple of thoughts. First every country spies on evenbtheir supposed allies. Second it appears the Ukraine war is bloody with heavy Russian losses. https://t.co/m0GxmGxQwh Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Luhansk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast) Russian forces appear to hold positions within 10km northeast of Kupyansk. Geolocated footage posted on April 11 indicates that Russian forces captured Lyman Pershyi (10km northeast of Kupyansk) and have likely occupied the settlement for a while.[11] Russian forces have made gains in the forest area south of Kreminna as of April 11. Geolocated footage posted on April 10 shows elements of the 76th Guards Air Assault (VDV) Division with TOS-1A thermobaric artillery operating 4km south of Kreminna, indicating that VDV elements have advanced in the surrounding forest.[12] Additional geolocated footage posted on April 10 indicates that Russian forces have captured Ukrainian positions in the forest just over 5km directly south of Kreminna.[13] The Russian command recently allocated TOS-1A systems to VDV forces for the first time on April 3, and ISW has noted a sizeable VDV commitment (including elements of the 76th and 98th Divisions) near Kreminna.[14] While ISW continues to assess that TOS-1A systems will not offer VDV forces a decisive offensive advantage, their application to operations near Kreminna may have assisted VDV elements in making localized tactical gains. The Ukrainian Luhansk Oblast Military Administration also noted on April 11 that combat activity has increased in the forests near Kreminna.[15] A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces occupied several new strongholds northwest of Kreminna near Makiivka (22km northwest) and in the area of the Zhuravka gully.[16] Russian sources amplified reports that Chechen “Akhmat” elements and the BARS (Combat Reserve)-14 battalion are active in the Kreminna area.[17] Russian milbloggers additionally claimed that BARS-16 elements are preparing for Ukrainian counterattacks near Spirne, 25km south of Kreminna.[18] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive actions northwest of Kreminna near Makiivka and Chervonopopivka (6km northwest) and south of Kreminna near Bilohorivka (10km south) and Spirne.[19] www.understandingwar.org/... Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Donetsk Oblast (Russian Objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast, the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas) Russian forces continued to conduct ground attacks in and around Bakhmut on April 11. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful ground attacks in Bakhmut, and near Khromove (2km west of Bakhmut), Bohdanivka (6km northwest of Bakhmut), and Hryhorivka (8km northwest of Bakhmut).[20] Some Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces are gradually advancing near Orikhovo-Vasylivka (11km northwest of Bakhmut) and Bohdanivka and near the rail station in central Bakhmut, but another denied any Russian successes northwest of Bakhmut.[21] One milblogger claimed that Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) Head Denis Pushilin’s April 10 visit to Bakhmut suggests that Ukrainian forces are losing more ground within Bakhmut, but Pushilin’s location remains unclear.[22] Russian milbloggers also claimed that fighting continues near the Bakhmut-Kostyantynivka highway and southwest of Bakhmut near Ivanivske (2km southwest), Klishchiivka (6km southwest), and Kurdyumivka (12km southwest), but that Russian forces have not made any significant gains.[23] Geolocated footage posted on April 3 shows that Russian forces have made marginal gains northwest of Ozaryanivka (15km south of Bakhmut).[24] www.understandingwar.org/... x After 13 months of war and a bloody winter, Ukraine needs more soldiers — and fast. As Kyiv prepares for an imminent assault on Russian occupying forces, new rules have made it easier for officials to issue draft notices. https://t.co/hXcAPEwNjW — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 10, 2023 The Russian military has faced “colossal losses” near the towns of Avdiivka and Marinka in Donetsk Oblast in recent days, losing around two companies of servicemen, or up to 400 soldiers, there each day, Ukrainian military spokeseperson Oleksii Dmytrashkovskyi said on April 9. According to him, the Russian army still refuses to "give up hope” for a successful offensive in the area. Dmytrashkovskyi added that Russian prisoners of war complained of being thrown into battle by “not sober enough commanders and without any training,” raising military personnel in the middle of the night, at gunpoint and forcing them to attack the Ukrainian army. kyivindependent.com/... Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis (Russian objective: Maintain frontline positions and secure rear areas against Ukrainian strikes) Russian forces conducted defensive operations in southern Ukraine. Satellite imagery from March 21 shows new trenches and dragon’s teeth fortifications near Sovkhoznoye, occupied Crimea.[29] Ukrainian United Coordination Press Center of the Southern Defense Forces Head Nataliya Humenyuk noted that Russian forces are conducting maneuvers on the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast to avoid Ukrainian strikes and establish better positions from which to strike Ukrainian positions on the west (right) bank.[30] Russian sources claimed that elements of the 22nd Separate Spetsnaz Brigade (Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation) and the “Storm-Ossetia” formation are active in Zaporizhia Oblast.[31] www.understandingwar.org/... 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