Ukraine Situation Report: Russian Invasion Day: 188 Poem by Gert Strydom

1
The Ukrainian counter-offensive is going strong,
and with all supplies being totally cut-off,
the Ukrainian artillery barrages blasted off
with the first line of defence pierced along

strong-points, with enemy artillery in a throng.
Putin brought more troops and did scoff,
thought about a prolonged standoff,
is now shocked that he had it totally wrong.

From the intense attack Russians are reeling
are shelled with tanks, aviation and artillery,
Russian units draw hastily back,
act with a devastated kind of broken feeling,
while intense bombardments they see,
do officers and necessary supplies lack.

2
At the front the defence-line is broken,
the Donetsk 109th regiment is withdrawing,
with great fright a Russian soldier had spoken,
the Beryslav plant was severe fire drawing

and with it many Russian weapons were ablaze.
In this territory actions were awaited
with the break-through people are amaze,
into non-action by Ukraine Russia was baited

by the Gerasimov Doctrine of deliberate subterfuge,
drawing Russians trains and supplies into fire,
attacks with tanks, artillery and aviation are huge.

At the end of summer the offensive takes place,
just as was said and nothing can this irony erase.

3
On the eastern part of the frontline,
in the direction of Izyum at Tosckivka town
the Ukraine do to Apolska their forces align,
as they cut the Russian forces down.

At Donetsk Russia controls part of Pisky,
cannot break through the second line of defence,
both the river and lake makes it risky:
many Wagner mercenaries die at their expense.

4

Russia attacked houses at the Zaporizhzia plant,
and some were quite close to where it is,
as terrorists they do death to the population grant,
in multiple ways are doing this.

5
At the Kherson front Ukraine attacked from the Mykolaiv side,
did with another attack ground gain
from Davydiv Brid along the Inhulets divide,
where many Russians at Davydiv Brid remain,

while on both sides of that river they are driving.
There are two more Russian defence lines,
but the 191th Donetsk regiment fled to be surviving
and the Ukraine cleared away some mines

and a lot of the Donetsk rebels did surrender,
while some to Kherson City ran away,
at Suhyi Stebnyk Russian did not enough defence render
and past Mala Olesandrivka Ukraine did them slay:

in the first and second lines of attack,
to circle to Davydiv Brid back.

6
The new floating bridge at Antonivka was hit,
at Berdyansk a munitions depot went up in flames.
Trapped at Nova Kakhovka Russians do into plans fit,
while Putin takes over and do his generals blame.

[Poet's notes: I do not get information from
the Ukrainian General-Staff and they are keeping
all information closed at the moment to protect
their own forces. Please note that OPSINT (Open
Source Intelligence) reports by Russian soldiers,
by Ukrainian soldiers, by reporters and
war-correspondents, by some fighting the war,
and a lot of other sources and analysts,
as well as religious ministers and care givers
and I believe God provide me with the source
material that I need for my poems. Natalia Humeniuk (the spokesperson of the Ukraine) did say that "Ukrainian forces are attacking in many directions on this front, " as she spoke about the Kherson front and the military grouping "Kakhovka" stated that pro-Russian separatists retreated in the region.]
© Gert Strydom