Russia-Ukraine SITREP for 19 May 2023 23:59* - Bakhmut on the Brink - Bullet Report

Today is a bullet report. Back to business tomorrow. There was a small change to the map in Bakhmut. There was another round of drone attacks, and the team is physically exhausted from the extended research on determining the impact. I've told everyone to stand down for the night, and we'll do multiple Situation Reports on May 20.

KHARKIV

Dvorichna Operational Area

• Russian mercenary milblogger Rybar reported fighting among squad-sized units in the area of Masyutivka, with Ukrainian forces reportedly on the offensive. 
• The Russian Ministry of Defense (RMOD) reported that Ukrainian surveillance, reconnaissance, and sabotage (DRG) units were operating in the area of Synkivka.

Kupyansk Operational Area

• RMOD reported that Ukrainian DRG units were operating in the area of Orlyanske (Timkovka).

LUHANSK

Svatove Operational Area

• Situation is stable

Kreminna Operational Area

• Russian mercenary milblogger WarGonzo reported that Russian forces attempted to advance in the direction of Makiivka and were unsuccessful.
• RMOD reported that Ukrainian DRG units were operating in the area of Raihorodka.
• WarGonzo reported that Russian forces made incremental gains in the Serebryanskyy Woods, but since February 2023, Russian and Ukrainian forces have been trading the same defensive positions during positional battles.

Lysychansk Operational Area

• The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (GSAFU) reported that a Russian attack east of Bilohorivka was unsuccessful, while WarGonzo reported that Ukrainian forces went on the offensive and successfully advanced to the southeast.

DONBAS REGION

NORTHEAST DONETSK

Siversk Operational Area

• Situation is stable

Soledar Operational Area

• Situation is stable

Bakhmut Operational Area - map

• The Russian Ministry of Defense reported they completed 68 fire missions through the Soledar, Bakhmut, Kostyantynivka, and Klishchiivka Operational Areas/Direction, and five close air support sorties were conducted by Russian army aviation and the VKS.
• Ukrainian forces still hold the fortified area in the southwest corner of Bakhmut where the Mig-17 statute use to be at the T-504 Highway junction with Tchaikovsky Street and a handful of private homes east of Khromove. The total area controlled by Ukrainian forces is under one square kilometer.
• Russian attempts to advance toward Ivanivske were unsuccessful.

Klishchiivka Operational Direction

• WarGonzo reported that a Russian attempt to push Ukrainian forces away from Klishchiivka was unsuccessful.
• Russian forces attempted to advance west of the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas Canal toward Bila Hora and were unsuccessful. 

SOUTHWEST DONETSK

Toretsk/Niu York Operational Direction

• Situation is stable

Avdiivka Operational Area

• Ukrainian source DeepState reported that Russian forces had marginal success north of Krasnohorivka, with fighting moving back to the railroad tracks.
• GSAFU reported that a Russian attempt to advance on Avdiivka was unsuccessful.
• The Russian Airforce (VKS) continues to target non-military infrastructure that provides high propaganda value, dropping FAB-500S-E UPMK glide bombs on the Avdiivka Coke Plant Tar Distillation Plant, creating a fire that produced clouds of black smoke that could be seen from over 10 kilometers away. Coal tar is formed during the production of high-quality industrial coke, with the distillation plant breaking it down into four sets of products while removing any water from the hydrocarbons. The bombing set the stored distillate products on fire.
• GSAFU reported that Russian troops once again tried to advance through the no man's land between Sjeverne and Vodyane and were unsuccessful.
• GASFU and DeepState reported that Russian forces made another attempt to advance on Pervomaiske from the south, with Russian troops suffering heavy losses, the loss of armored vehicles, and the capture of Russian soldiers.

Marinka Operational Area

• Fighting for control of Marinka continued, with no change in the situation.
• In occupied Donetsk, a Ukrainian drone recorded the location of a company of Russian T-90 tanks east of Marinka. It is reported the vehicles were destroyed in an overnight HIMARS attack, and we are working on confirmation.

Vuhledar Operational 

• Russian forces attempted to advance on Novomykhailivka from the east and failed to gain new territory.
• WarGonzo reported that Ukrainian forces launched offensive operations near Solodke and were attempting to advance to the H-20 Highway, a key Russian Ground Line of Communication (GLOC).

Occupied Donetsk

• A Russian base adjacent to the Mariupol Airport was hit by up to four Storm Shadow cruise missiles. There was no other information at the time of publication.

Velyka Novosilka Operational Direction

• Situation is stable

ZAPORIZHIA

Hulyaipole Operational Direction

• Situation is stable

Orikhiv Operational Direction 

• Situation is stable

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

• Update on May 20, 2023

Zaporizhia Oblast

• Russian forces conducted 92 fire missions, three UAV attacks, and no air strikes along the Zaporizhia line of conflict.

Occupied Zaporizhia

• Situation is stable

BLACK SEA/CRIMEA/MYKOLAIV/ODESA

• The Black Sea Fleet has six vessels on patrol, including two Kilo-class submarines and one frigate capable of launching up to 16 Kalibr cruise missiles.

WESTERN AND CENTRAL UKRAINE

Kherson

• The situation is stable, and there were civilians wounded or killed during Russian shelling.

NORTHERN AND NORTHEASTERN UKRAINE

Kyiv

• On the evening of May 19 - 20, 18 Shahed-136 kamikaze drones were shot down during the 11th air raid in 19 days. Debris landed on the roof of one building in the Dnipro District, causing a fire. The only other reported damage was to parked cars and some broken windows in several districts in the city.
• The Eastern District air defenses shot down three more drones.

Sumy

• Russian forces targeted 17 villages along the border region of Sumy, firing 121 artillery rounds, mortars, and drone-delivered IEDs.
• The Khotin hromada was hit by three mortars, destroying a private home.
• In Sadky, which is part of the Yunakivka hromada, a drone-delivered IED killed three employees of Sumyoblenerho, the Sumy oblast power company.
• The Krasnopillia area was hit by 14 mortars, 20 Grad rockets fired by multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), and six artillery rounds.
• Velyka Pysarivka was hit by 20 Grad rockets fired by MLRS

RUSSIAN FRONT

• No significant activity