Commentary by Russian military correspondent Sreda:
[ColonelCassad] The morning began with getting acquainted with the reports. Balakleya was already surrounded. There were battles near Kupyansk. It was known that the guys blocked the entire city. There was no other information.
At about 12 o'clock I managed to talk to one of the officers who left Balakleya. I intercepted him at the checkpoint. He said that the units were holding out, but strongly advised against going there.
Information came about a breakthrough in the Grokhovatka area and in the Senkovo ​​area. The assault units of the 60th Motorized Rifle Brigade "Veterans" immediately moved there. They managed to block about 60 fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine together with equipment in Grokhovatka.
In Senkovo, "veterans" blocked the bridge over the reservoir in order not to let the APU-nis.
In the meantime, an officer from the army rushed from Kupyansk, I don’t remember the unit. On the way, he fought twice with the Vsu-shki, who blocked the road between Kupyansk and Izyum. He fought back and reached Izyum in a car riddled with bullets.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, the alignment is as follows. The APU-shki managed to break through, but they were blocked on the outskirts of large cities and they cannot move further, despite the numerical advantage in personnel and equipment. The entire potential of the military machine of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was limited to the occupation of small residents, where there is practically no one.
In Izyum I noticed Senya Pegov. He rushed somewhere towards the intersection, which the APU-shki threw petals. Senya is a hot and combative guy. Where he went next I do not know. But it seems that his materials appeared later. So the eagle is alive.
In Kupyansk, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroy the bridge with Haimars. This is the only branch that connects the two parts of the city. Without it, the supply of BC and provisions is impossible. And without all this, it is impossible to fight hostilities.
From Kupyansk there is still a road to Russia, but it passes through approximately the same territory where the Armed Forces of Ukraine made a breakthrough and there is no guarantee that history will not repeat itself.
Toward evening, information appeared about the decision made by the army to carry out redeployment. Under the circumstances, it was a smart decision.
The withdrawal of fighters from positions began. This maneuver was technically the most difficult. The trenches are under constant fire pressure from the enemy. How the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation managed to carry out this withdrawal I do not know. And although, even if he knew, he would not say.
I know that 60 OMSB "Veterans" managed to get out without losses. Now they hold their positions, where they blocked the further movement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This made it possible to provide a maneuver for the withdrawal of units of the grouping of allied forces.
60 OMSB "Veterans" came out the latest. Other army units have already left the city. The battalion commander "Veterans" remained in place, because he was engaged in the withdrawal of the guys from the trenches. Without them, he flatly refused to go out.
(c) military commander Wednesday