Clément Molin Profile picture
Jul 5, 2024 20 tweets 7 min read Read on X
The fall of Kherson, the first and biggest ukrainian 🇺🇦defeat of the war.

After seeing northern direction yesterday, lets see how 58th 🇷🇺 and 49th 🇷🇺 CAA took Kherson and Melitopol in two days. Here is an understanding of ukrainian crushing defeat in the south.

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The Russian grouping "Z" in Crimea was composed of around 50 000 men from 2 armies, 49th and 58th CAA, without fortgeting 22nd army corp.

At least they engaged more than 20 Battle Tactical Groups (BTGs), around 20 to 25 000 men. They had also ~12 landing ships. Image
The Ukrainian grouping was composed of only 1 500 men.
175 were part of 137th separate Marine Bataillon from 36th Marine Brigade. They were tasked at 3 points, Chonhar, Chaplinka and Kalanchak border crossing. Image
There was also part of the incomplete 59th Motorized Brigade with around 1 300 men. It was based in Radensk near the Olechky sands.

On february 23rd, the commander of Kherson grouping deployed this unit to their frontline positions. Image
However, they didn't had the time to do so. The commander (probably based in Kakhovka) decided to take the tank bataillon from the 59th to defend Melitopol direction which had nothing.

He said he needed 4 brigades to hold the frontline, he had barely one
pravda.com.ua/articles/2023/…
Was the terrain mined ?

No, for a few reasons, around 2018, they demined everything, including the bridges to avoid people from being hurt. The minefield in the area where know by everybody.
They tried to destroy bridges, only one was destroyed, near Henichesk. Image
Now, how the attack happened ?

Thread n°1 : first part

Thread n°2 : second part

Thread n°3 : third part


First, Russian planes and warships fired missiles at every objects of the Kherson region.
Air defense positions where destroyed In Kherson, Nova Kakhovka and Melitopol. 59th motorized brigade base was targeted, as well as Chornobaivka airport in Kherson. Image
In the morning, ukrainian forces began their retreat from all the military positions, with around 25 russian soldiers for 1 ukrainian.

At this moment, the 59th brigade headed toward the border. It standed its ground against Russian tanks near Brilivka. Image
On the other side, the 59th brigade tank bataillon and 137th retreated directly to Melitopol while a huge Russian forces took controll of Henichesk nearly whithout fightings. The retreat plan for 137th was already prepared for months. Image
At 11 a.m. 59th Motorized Brigade was still retreating while defending the road. Part of the russia grouping turned left to encircle Oleshky.

Russian paratroopers and BTG also entered Kakhovka while last ukrainian troops are retreating on the bridge. Image
During the afternoon, russian forces began crossing Kakhovka dam after its helicopeters secured it.

In Kherson, the situation is quite interesting (i will zoom in just after). Russian took the bridge at 12 a.m. and lost it at 15 p.m. Image
At 11 a.m. russian reconnaissance take the bridge and destroy ukrainian BRDM 2 reconnaissance. However, most of 59th brigade is still trapped in Oleshky.

Both ukrainian and russian planes are active, striking each others columns. Image
A russian soldier who fled to France said "I think the ukrainian were fucked up because we were stupidly advancing in columns, it would have been easy to destroy us".

It was the case in fact, i counted 5 ukrainian and 4 russian destroyed, by airstrikes.
At 3p.m. ukrainian 59th motorized brigade counterattack before the next Russian columns arrived at Oleshky.
Helped by 80th air-assault bataillon coming from Mykolaiv, it took back the bridge and retreated to the right bank overnight. (video)

The next day in the morning, ukrainian forces are controlling the antonovski bridge in Kherson. There is even a CNN journalist there !

but in the afternoon, 59th and 80th brigade are forced to retreat after the threat of encirclement.
Then, they all retreated to Mykolaiv, while russian BTGs were already running in their back in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblast. Image
The situation in Melitopol was even worse, 59th Motorized Brigade tank bataillon defended Melitopol, then Tokmak before establishing a new line with other units around Orikhiv, Hulialpole and Kamianske. Image
What saved ukrainien here is the fast reaction of 35th Marine Brigade, 28th mecanized brigade and 80th air assault which came to defend Mykolaiv, avoiding a direct attack on Odesa.
17th tabk defended Krivi Rih direction before ukrainian reinforcments arrived.
This defeat is the most important because in 2 days, they lost all Kherson and part of Zaporijia oblast.

They failed to destroy Dnipro bridges. If they did so, there would have never been a Kherson and Mykolaiv battle, thus liberating many brigades...

20/20 Image

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More from @clement_molin

Apr 3
Il n'y a jamais eu autant de guerres 🪖 dans le monde qu'en 2026, avec 5 grands pôles conflictuels

En tout, plus de 50 Etats sont confrontés à la guerre, la plupart en Afrique et au Moyen-Orient. De nombreux conflits sont oubliés.

🧵THREAD🧵1/12 ⬇️Image
La plus grande guerre en cours est la guerre en Ukraine, en cours depuis 2014 avec une accélération en 2022.

Elle englobe aussi les frontières avec la Russie-Biélorussie et les territoires occupés par la Russie. En tout, plus de 600 000 hommes sont de chaque cpoté sur le front. Image
Un deuxième pôle conflictuel, plus traditionnel est présent au Moyen-Orient. La guerre en cours a précipité 9 Etats supplémentaires vers la guerre.

Les principaux conflits en dehors de la guerre avec l'Iran ont lieu en Palestine, au Liban, au Yémen, en Syrie et en Irak. Image
Read 13 tweets
Apr 2
The Third Gulf War 🇮🇱🇺🇸/🇮🇷 started 1 month ago

In total, the US and Israel launched more than 26 000 munitions, while Iran retaliated with 1 725 missiles and 4 445 drones.

Here is everything you need to know about the situation in the Middle East :

🧵THREAD🧵1/20 ⬇️Image
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I continued to map US and Israeli strikes against Iran.

In total, more than 26 000 munitions have been used as per official records, mainly hitting western and southern Iran, as well as the main cities. Image
Strikes against Iranian leadership :

The IRCG leadership has been hitten the most, while the political figures remained less exposed. Most Iranians linked to the high security and intelligence leadership are now dead. Image
Read 20 tweets
Apr 1
Despite the smallest progress in 2 years, Russia 🇷🇺 launched a record number of airstrikes, long range drone strikes as well as drone and artillery shelling

These statistics clearly show Russia is preparing a spring offensive in Ukraine 🇺🇦

🧵THREAD🧵1/7 ⬇️ Image
This month of march 2026 saw the smallest territorial progression of russian forces in Ukraine since april 2024.

As you can see, the progress is usually increasing in the spring and summer and decreasing for the winter. (There is a hole in summer 2025) Image
However, this month was also the one with the biggest amount of all kind of strikes on Ukraine. Image
Read 8 tweets
Mar 30
Pourquoi la contre-offensive ukrainienne 🇺🇦 de 2023 a-t-elle échoué ? Qui est le responsable de cet échec, Zelensky ou Zaloujny ?

Cette offensive qui n'a rien achevé porte une responsabilité partagée, ses stigmates sont aujourd'hui encore visibles.

🧵THREAD🧵1/17 ⬇️ Image
L'échec de l'offensive du sud en 2023 est avant tout l'échec de Volodimir Zelensky.

C'est lui et le pouvoir politique qui portent une grande part de responsabilité, en ayant voulu contredire ce que prévoyait le commandement militaire. Image
Le plan Zelensky :

▫️Contre-attaquer à Bakhmout
▫️Répartir ses troupes sur la ligne de front
▫️Attaquer à plusieurs endroits en même temps pour espérer un effondrement russe Image
Read 18 tweets
Mar 29
I now mapped 350 (!) ukrainian 🇺🇦 long range drone strikes into russian 🇷🇺 occupied territory

🔹19 strikes against air-defense
🔹25 strikes against radar
🔹21 strikes against planes
🔹10 strikes against trains
🔹9 strikes against rocket/missile launchers

🧵THREAD🧵1/8 ⬇️ Image
Thanks to the very good job done by @UAControlMap and @UkraineDailyUpd gathering data from geolocators like @99Dominik_ @moklasen @giK1893 and others...

I gathered all those long range strikes into occupied territory since the year started :
In total, 350 strikes, of which 260 strikes against warehouse, antennas, electric transformers and various unknown targets, a lot of which are houses and buildings that can eventually be filled with high value targets. Image
Read 8 tweets
Mar 28
Quelques images satellites 📸 de villages/villes ukrainiens 🇺🇦 détruits par l'armée russe 🇷🇺 qui souhaite "libérer" l'Ukraine :

De nouvelles images satellites de 2025 révèlent l'état de destruction des villages/villes pris par la Russie ces dernières années.

🧵THREAD🧵1/15 ⬇️ Image
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Yeline, oblast de Tchernihiv (nord), 500km du front actif.

Taux de destruction : 100% Image
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Andriivka, oblast de Soumy, à 5km de la frontière russe, désormais occupé.

Taux de destruction : 100% Image
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Read 15 tweets

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