Retired Russian FSB operative Igor Strelkov tells his vision of the course of the demilitarization operation in Ukraine
[CHERVONEC] Southern Front (Nikolaev - Zaporozhye)
On the left flank, the advance of Russian troops in the Nikolaev area continues. Apparently, an operation to block the city will be launched today. At the same time, preparations are underway for the assault and cleansing of Kherson (probably will also begin today). Along the lower reaches of the Dnieper - the situation is unchanged (expected).
On the right flank - advancement to the north on the outskirts of Zaporozhye. The main efforts are still aimed at cutting off the enemy grouping operating in the Donbass. However, so far (also expected by me) the environment is far away. Reports that the advancing Russian troops reached the nearest approaches to Izyum, Slavyansk and Kramatorsk have not yet received confirmation (although, perhaps, I simply do not have enough information, but nothing like this is reported to me from the field). The enemy continues to withdraw troops to the west to Dnepropetrovsk, although now - under active influence from the air and the corresponding heavy losses.
On the Donetsk front
On the southern flank (region of Mariupol and Volnovakha)DPR units fought hard battles and had tactical successes, occupying a number of settlements in the depths of the enemy’s defenses. Mariupol, however, as of yesterday evening, was not yet completely blocked, although the transfer of large units from the city and to the city was no longer possible due to the impact of artillery and aviation. Also, Volnovakha - there is no data on its complete encirclement, and the settlements to the west of the city, which must be taken for such a blockade, are not yet occupied (they were not reported to be taken). At the moment, Volnovakha is covered from the south (the road to Mariupol was cut in the Granite area), from the east and from the northeast.
In the central area, the enemy retains all forward positions and conducts brutal shelling of advanced units of the DPR Armed Forces and settlements, primarily Donetsk, Gorlovka, Makeevka and Yenakiyevo, as well as a number of other settlements. There is a lot of destruction, there are casualties and wounded among the civilian population.
On the right flank (LPR) . From the Svetlodar Bulge to the Seversky Donets, the enemy continues to maintain his line unchanged. To the north of this river, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to retreat in an organized manner (albeit with heavy losses), conducting rearguard battles. In all likelihood, Severodonetsk will not be left without a serious fight (today I expect fights for the city and its environs).
Central front
Left (southern) flank. From the most important area (on which it was necessary to concentrate (in my opinion) initially the main efforts, since it is here that it is necessary and still possible to solve the problem of complete encirclement of the Donetsk group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) - no reliable information was received.
As stated above, the locals do not yet know anything about the breakthrough of Russian troops to Izyum, Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, and I have no other information at my disposal. Let's hope that the statements made by the enemy about the preparation of these cities for an early assault have serious grounds. Until Russian troops reach the nearest approaches to these settlements, only Yury Podolyaka and an unnamed "veteran of the Vostok battalion" can confidently talk about the "imminent encirclement of the entire group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."
Central section. I'm waiting for the main information from Kharkov. Until the city is taken, further advancement to the west will inevitably slip. Yesterday all day in Kharkov there were fierce street battles with varying success. As a positive factor, it should be noted that (after the day before yesterday's losses) the Russian forces are actively using aircraft and all types of heavy weapons to destroy the strongholds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and "terbatov".
I believe that the battles for the city will not end today and will continue for another day or more (much depends on the tactical decisions of the commanders fighting there, on the spirit of the defending units, etc.). It will be necessary to "cleanse" the city from small groups of the enemy many more times and later. In any case, there is no doubt that Kharkov will be liberated. The only question is "when."
The advance of Russian troops in the direction of Poltava, the siege of Sumy and Chernigov also continues. According to some information, the delay in the assault on the above settlements is associated with a lag (for a number of subjective reasons) of the units and formations intended for this purpose with the arrival in the area.
Kiev area
On the northern site, Russian troops advanced to the suburbs of Kyiv - Brovary and began to form the "eastern" front of the blockade of the city. Today I do not expect any attempts to break through directly to Kyiv before pulling up and concentrating sufficient forces. The most likely attack of Russian troops on Boryspil with the aim of capturing this largest airport and cutting off Kyiv from communication with the southeastern part of Little Russia (along the Kyiv-Lubny highway). I believe it is possible to mark this promotion as the most serious success of yesterday.
Right bank area. Fierce battles continued on it yesterday with heavy losses on both sides. Russian troops continued to expand and deepen the breakthrough both to the south and to the west. On the outskirts of Kyiv, fighting continued in the area of the settlement.
Irpen, in the west - for the city of Borodyanka, in the south, Russian troops cut the Kyiv-Zhitomir highway and continued to advance in order to intercept the Kyiv-Bila Tserkva highway. I believe that the main efforts of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation today will be directed to the latter direction.
And accordingly, the enemy also (realizing the danger of a complete blockade of Kyiv from the south) will provide the most fierce resistance there. I note once again - in fact, the fighting is taking place in a zone of continuous development, interspersed with summer cottages and industrial zones. For the advancing, such a landscape presents the greatest difficulties and requires a lot of additional forces to control the territories already traversed. But the forces are coming - I know this for sure.
General conclusions.
Despite the fierce resistance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the military battalions, as well as objective difficulties with supplies, the offensive of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continues on all sectors of the front. At the same time, taking into account the experience gained, deep, but unsecured breakthroughs by the second echelons, the command has not yet made in order to avoid unjustified losses from the actions of enemy mobile groups on communications.
The second echelons are being actively and urgently pulled up, measures are being taken to urgently recruit and transfer units and divisions of the commandant's service to the theater. And the hasty formation of new ones on the territory of the Russian Federation has already begun (which pleases).
The main offensive military operations for today will be conducted in the area east and west of Kyiv, in Kharkov, in the Donbass and in the Zaporozhye region. Perhaps - near Poltava.
The enemy will continue to offer fierce organized resistance in the hope of pinning down the Russian troops by fighting the “fortresses” deliberately left surrounded by garrisons (Kharkov, Mariupol, Sumy, Chernigov, Volnovakha, possibly Severodonetsk, Slavyansk and Kramatorsk) and trying to prevent the complete encirclement of Kyiv (the garrison of which will soon be surrounded by forced).
At the same time, the enemy will continue to form defenses in the Dnepropetrovsk region and hastily create as many "territorial defense" units as possible through active mobilization (which, alas, was a very large percentage of those called up).
Today I expect new operational successes of the Russian troops, but not a strategic turning point in the direction of defeating the main groupings of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Operation Denazification
[CHERVONEC] In the first days, the Russian troops showed excessive peacefulness and fraternal relaxation. After the start of actions in accordance with all the rules, losses significantly decreased, reserves and other interesting things were brought up in the theater of operations;
The operation smoothly turns into a steam roller, slowly and inevitably rolling over all targets;
The Nazis concentrate in cities, actively use the tactics of a human shield, and without a shadow of a doubt they hit civilians with artillery and MLRS on occasion and without it. Relying on dominance in the information field, they shift all responsibility onto anti-fascists;
The Nazis are trying to damage the image of Russia and fan the fire of internal discontent in it. The anti-fascists, in turn, decided to play long and are patiently engaged in the encirclement of the APU group in the JFO, as well as blocking cities, playing to exhaust and strangle the Nazis;
Public opinion in Ukraine itself is now not on the side of anti-fascists, and there are several reasons for this, such as successful IPSO, as well as the effect of rejection of the invasion and the outbreak of patriotism. Here you need to understand that even despite the rolling of tanks throughout Ukraine, the charge of turbopatriotism is very far from 14 years old, and social problems are much wider. Such sentiments are not evenly distributed across the country, weakening from the northwest to the southeast.
The obvious mistakes of the Nazis make their own adjustments. In particular, the distribution of tens of thousands of barrels did not cause a wave of resistance to anti-fascists, but led to mass chaos and looting. Losses from internal conflicts and friendly fire as a result of mass armaments are high, and the costs of killing civilians are unacceptable.
In general, the usual CTO is going on, which, for good, Yanukovych should have done back in 2014.
Russia told the OSCE that the special operation in Ukraine will be brought to an end
[REGNUM] Russia's special operation to demilitarize Ukraine will be completed, which was announced to OSCE colleagues, Konstantin Gavrilov , head of the Russian delegation at the talks in Vienna on military security and arms control, said on March 1 on Rossiya 24.
Follow the development of events in the broadcast: "Russian special operation to protect Donbass - all the news"
Commenting on the talks in Vienna on the situation in Ukraine, Gavrilov said that he explained to the members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe what the goals of the Russian special operation are.
The purpose of the operation is to prevent the death of the civilian population of Donbass, to prevent a third world war. He added that the Russian side told its European colleagues the background to these events and stated that neither sanctions nor threats would change its plans.
At the same time, the Russian side announced that it intended to complete the "special operation of denazification, demilitarization of Ukraine."