Strelkov and Militia Briefings, July 2, 2014

Combined for July 2, 2014

Translated from Russian by Gleb Bazov

18:00 – July 1, 2014 – Briefing from Igor Strelkov

In the course of the night from June 30 – July 1, the enemy conducted a series of artillery strikes against Slavyansk, Semyonovka, Nikolayevka, and Kramatorsk, using howitzer, mortars and Grad MLRS [Note: BM-24 Grad MLRS].

In all the settlements there is significant destruction and wounded. In the morning, in the course of an artillery strike on Kramatorsk, a motor coach was hit. Four civilians died on the spot; two more died of their wounds at the hospital. Four more were wounded. The city was also attacked [from the air] by a Su-25 [ground attack jet].

In the course of the day on July 1, the enemy continued shelling all of the above-mentioned settlements; two militiamen were wounded. Our return strike at an enemy column that advanced into the area of Kombikormoviy destroyed and/or damaged 3 trucks with ammunition and 2 refuelling vehicles.

In the first half of the day, the enemy attempted to attack the positions of the Militia staffed by personnel from Mozgovoi’s Lisichansk Battalion in the area of the city of Seversk. The attack was repelled with significant losses [to the enemy]; two APCs were hit and burned down. The enemy returned the favour by continuing to shell Seversk with heavy artillery.

02:00-09:00 – July 2, 2014 – Morning Briefing from Locations

The night was difficult.

02:00 (UKR) – Armed Junta units opened fire on Nikolayevka, using MLRS [Note: Multiple Launch Rocket System]. The shelling came from the Meloviye Mountains. Heavy artillery fire was also directed against the Artyom district of Slavyansk. At night, maneuver-centric engagements continued on the outskirts of Slavyansk.

05:00 (UKR) – Once again MLRS shelling was opened on Nikolayevka, this time closer to the centre of the settlement. We are receiving information about large-scale destruction; this information is being verified. Communications between Nikolayevka and Slavyansk are problematic.

05:30 (UKR) – Close to an hour, artillery continue to fire at Karlovka, at the area of the damb. Infrequent volleys were noted in Donetsk. Automatic weapons fire and explosions in Dzerzhinsk, at the Militia checkpoint on the canal (on the road between Dzerzhinsk and Gorlovka); a ground attack jet could be heard.

06:00 (UKR) – Two Grad systems fired full volleys [Note: complete sets of ammunition] at the fields between Elenovka and Maryinka; several explosion of large-calibre artillery shells were noted.

07:30 (UKR) – From Gorlovka, a flight of [Ukrainian jets] proceeded from the direction of Gorlovka toward Slavyansk. With respect to Gorlovka – Golma was bombed in the morning, [Ukrainian force] hit the dolomite plant and the boarding school. Morning artillery strikes were also conducted in Donetsk.

08:30 (MSK) – Howitzer artillery strikes against Nikolayevka continue.

08:50-09:00 (MSK) – A full-set volley of MLRS rockets was launched from the southern side of Krasniy Liman toward Yampol.

08:59 – July 2, 2014 – Briefing from Fyodor Berezin

Ukrainian forces conducted a so-called “clean-up” in Gornyak.

In the city of Gornyak, in the Donetsk region, the NazGuard [Note: National Guard], together with Praviy Sector militants, conducted a so-called “clean-up.” They were identifying people that work or sympathize with DPR [Note: Donetsk People’s Republic] … At least one woman has been executed. The exact information about the murdered and the arrested [civilians] is so far unclear. Praviy Sector militants warned some of the passerby directly: “If you do not disappear in two weeks – we will end you all.”

European values – how did we live without them?

Thank you Kiev, thank you for Maidan!

10:48 – July 2, 2014 – Short Briefing from Igor Strelkov

All night the shelling of the city continued. There is a lot of destruction and many dead among the civilians. The same – in Kramatorsk. The Militia was not harmed by the shelling. Since the morning, there have been periodic artillery strikes against our positions and against the city. MchS [Note: Ministry of Emergency Situation] brigades and the militiamen are clearing the rubble of the destroyed buildings in various areas. We are counting corpses. I will report with numbers when the count has been completed. For now, we have definite information that a family of three was killed.

11:34 – July 2, 2014 – Reports from Eyewitnesses

This morning, in Slavyansk, one more Ukrainian aircraft was taken out. A Su-24 was hit over Semyonovka. Having sustained serious damage, the aircraft flew beyond the horizon.

After yesterday’s shelling of Kramatorsk, a woman’s corpse was located under the rubble on Rumyantseva street. The second floor collapsed into the first floor. There are 6 wounded from Krasnogorka.

13:05 – July 2, 2014 – Briefing from the Militia

Ukies continued to shell Saur Mogila since the morning – looks like mortar fire, as well as several volleys from a Vasilyok, and one volley from a Grad system. Around 13:00 it’s quiet.

About an hour ago, a airstrike was conducted against Lisichansk. Approximately 4 rockets were launched. There are craters at the “Proletariy” plant. We don’t have casualty information yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV8zK6VK0fo

Severodonetsk/Lisichansk Video #2

Severodonetsk/Lisichansk Video #3

10:30 (MSK) – Ukrainian aviation conducted an airstrike against the city of Seversk. There are victims.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIIhGqzYgcM

July 2, 2014 – Information from Itar-Tass

The Result of the ATO in Kramatorsk

Itar-Tass reports that, as a result of a massive artillery strike against Kramatorsk on July 2, 2014, from 05:00 – 06:30 (MSK), over 100 residential houses were destroyed and burned down in three separate areas of the city. The shelling was conducted using heavy artillery, including MLRS.

Itar-Tass does not have [definite] information about the wounded, but sources in the Militia are reporting that dozens of people died in the course of the last twenty-four hour period, all of the civilian.

13:10 – July 2, 2014 – Briefing from Igor Strelkov

I cannot confirm that a Su-24 was hit over Semyonovka. Yesterday, I received a report that there was a launch [of an SAM rocket], but that it missed. Today, we heard aircraft very high overhead, and they did not open fire.

Fierce fighting continues on the border. The Ukies have put all their strength toward closing off the last [border] corridor in the Lugansk region.

Here[, in Slavyansk], the enemy is conducting shelling of the city with direct fire.

Yes, by the way, with respect to yesterda’s Militia losses in Slavyansk-Kramatorsk-Semyonovka-Nikolayevka – according to confirmed information, they consist of two wounded. We are still in the process of determining how many civilians were wounded or have died, particularly over the course of the night. Just now, another terrorist shelling of the civilian districts in the Artyom settlement has ended.

July 2, 2014 – Latest Hourly Briefings

Tensions remained high in the first half of the day. As a result of the nighttime shelling in Slavyansk, the city has been entirely de-electrified.

11:00 (MSK) – A scout is observed above Bogorodichnoye.

11:34 (MSK) – An airstrike conducted by two flights of Ukrainian jets against Lisichansk and Seversk; there is destruction and victims. In Seversk, the smell of sulphur persists after the airstrike. The strike came from the direction of Severodonetsk and Konstantinovka. MLRS systems fired volleys against Slavyansk from the side of Drobyshev. In Lugansk, a flight of the [Ukie] Luftwaffe conducted airstrikes against a residential area. Ukrainian military also shelled the civilian districts of Lugansk with artillery. One of the shells hit School No. 14 in the Shevchenko district.

11:40 (MSK) – According to unconfirmed information, a Su jet has been shot down.

13:00 (MSK) – Yet another MLRS artillery strike against Slavyansk. Heavy artillery is firing at Nikolayevka.

14:30 (MSK) – We are starting to receive the first information about destruction in Lugansk – a number of administrative building and the residential district in the Ostrovkiy district [have been badly damaged]; there are many dead among the civilian population. News of the sulphur smell have not yet been 100% confirmed. According to preliminary data, 10 civilians, including a child, died as a result of an airstrike against Kandrashovka (LPR [Lugansk People’s Republic]). We are clarifying the details.

15:15 (MSK) – An air attack siren is again heard in Lugansk.

20:29 – July 2, 2014 – Briefing from Alexander Mozgovoi

At 06:00 in the morning, the Ukrainian army conducted airstrikes against the cities of Lisichansk and Seversk. In Lisichansk, the airstrikes were directed against the glass factory; there are wounded. In Seversk, a [Ukrainian] Grad system shelled the city simultaneously with the end of the airstrike.

In the course of the battles, the Militia damaged 2 aircraft and inflicted losses on the enemy manpower in the range of 70-100 men [both dead and wounded]. Among the Militia, we lost 10 men as “300s” [Note: WIA/Wounded in Action]. Right now, the Militia are reinforcing the existing checkpoints and firing positions. From the Ukrainian side we are observing an advance with tanks (earlier they employed APCs [Note: Armoured Personnel Carriers]

July 2, 2014 – Interview with Igor Strelkov

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOusm0QgVf4

Well, in this case, we cannot be talking about a victory, because we have suffered losses in the battles. The enemy, overall, although it is taking them longer than they were hoping for, is continuing with the intended task of squeezing the ring of encirclement around Slavyansk.

Today the enemy attacked Nikolayevka, supported by enormous numbers of artillery and a large group of tanks and not sparing its ammunition. In the course of the attack, strikes were conducted [indiscriminately] against the positions of the militia and against residential areas.

A purposeful directed strike was conducted against the water supply system. The system enabled water to flow, under its own weight, to Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. As a result, both cities have been left entirely without running water. Now the cities simply do not have any external water supply other than artesian wells and, maybe, rivers. If anything is a humanitarian catastrophe, then [what is happening now in Kramatorsk and Slavyansk] is it. I guess this is what they consider to be a part of the “anti-terrorist operation.”

Furthermore, the enemy attacked our positions at Semyonovka. We faced a fairly difficult battle there, considering that the enemy showered our positions with Grad rockets. We have several dead and wounded. Our combined losses are over 10 men.In the course of the battle, our militiamen managed to hit a tank. Unfortunately, the fighter who hit the tank died. However, the enemy was in effect conducting reconnaissance through battle. This indicates that battles on this front will continue tomorrow, or, possibly, even today.

For now, we were able to hold Nikolayevka as well as Semyonovka. As payback, the enemy is shelling the cities, both Slavyansk and the neighbouring Kramatorsk, with Grad rockets. The cities are currently under fire. You have already seen the destruction [caused by the Ukrainian army]. I think there is nothing the enemy has not already tried and done that I can show you.

Today, a civilian motor-coach was subjected to artillery fire in the area between the centre of the city and Cherepkovka. Two civilians died, three were wounded. I can’t even estimate anymore the number of civilians who were or wounded during the day.

We continue to fight the battle, and, now, we have been completely encircled. Nevertheless, we will fight to the end. Since we can no longer expect any help from anywhere, we will continue to defend our motherland where it’s most needed. This is because we understand perfectly well that we stand between Russia [and the enemy]. And, if Russia is defeated here, it will not be just a bunch of militiamen defeated, it will be Russia and the Russian people who will suffer defeat.

They have employed the Msta-S [Note: Msta-S Self-Propelled Howitzer] artillery complex – i.e. a 152mm long-range long-barrel artillery unit. They brought 6 of such units here, to Slavyansk. They are conducting strikes from a fairly close range. They understand perfectly well that we are unable to reach them even at such close distances. We have no means of doing so, even if simply because the city is blockaded and we have very few shells [left]. We are expecting the enemy infantry, but we do not know when they will come.