Russia-Ukraine SITREP Bullet Report for 18 JULY 2023 23:59* - A Lot of Fog of War

It has been 3,429 days since Russia occupied the Crimea Peninsula on January 27, 2014, and one year and 143 days since Russia expanded its war against Ukraine. The July 17, 2023 report is condensed and combat only. Regular reports return on July 19. The analytical podcast and TikTok return on July 20.

Today's report is a bullet report summary. Full reports return tomorrow.

Kharkiv

Dvorichna Operational Area

Russian reports of an advance to within 3 kilometers of Kupyansk and the Russian Ministry of Defense report of a 2-kilometer advance south of Lyman Pershyi are false. We maintain these are spoiling attacks considering that Russian operational tempo in Luhansk is greatly reduced.

• Fighting continues south of Masyutivka 
• A Russian attempt to advance west of Lyman Pershyi was unsuccessful

Luhansk

Kreminna Operational Area

• Mutual fighting was reported west of Dibrova, with Russian attempts to advance toward Torske abandoned
• Fighting continued in the Serebryanskyy Woods, with Russian forces still north of the powerlines and pushed back to the Siverskyi Donets floodplain west of Shypylivka - no map update due to the nature of the positional fighting and the repeated exchange of the same defensive positions

Northeast Donetsk

Soledar Operational Area

• Mutual fighting continued east of Vesele 

Bakhmut Operational Area

• A Russian convoy moving in the direction of Minkivka on the M-03/E-40 Highway was destroyed
• Mutual fighting was reported southeast of Orikhovo-Vasylivka
• Russian attempts to advance on Bohdanivka from the northwest failed
• Ukrainian offensive operations continued on the southern edge of Berkhivka and on the western edge of Yahidne 
• Russian forces continued attempts to advance on Ivanivske from the southern tip of Bakhmut without success

Klishchiivka Operational Area

• Ukrainian forces took full military control of the stronghold, trenches, and wood blocks on the western edge of Klishchiivka, with the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported Ukrainian troops within the administrative boundaries of the settlement came under artillery fire

Southwest Donetsk

Avdiivka Operational Area

• Significantly reduced Russian operational tempo continues with a failed head-on attack on Avdiivka and the traditional fighting south of Pervomaiske

Marinka Operational Area

• Russian forces attempted to capture the Trudovskaya Mine Shaft Complex south of Kraasnohorivka, suffered heavy casualties, including the loss of at least a tank platoon, and withdrew
• Traditional intense positional fighting continued in the area of Marinka with no change 

Lyubymivka-Staromlynivka Operational Direction

• Fighting continued on the northern edge of Staromaiorske and the northern edge of Pryyutne with no change in the situation

Zaporizhia

Orikhiv Operational Area

• Intense positional fighting continued near Robotyne, according to Russian sources; otherwise, there were no significant developments

Occupied Crimea

• The Russian ammunition depot at the training base located in Stary Krym occupied Crimea, suffered multiple explosions in the early morning hours - the massive complex is on fire with ammunition cooking off - Russian officials have ordered four settlements around the base to be fully evacuated due to the exploding munitions

Odesa

• Russian forces repeatedly attacked Odesa with 36 Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, Kalibr cruise missiles, X-22 antiship missiles, Onix missiles, and one Kh-59 missile - there were multiple explosions in the city and there are large fires west of the airport - additional information is pending

Back to the office tomorrow PM