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| 'They threw just anyone into the defense.' The Russian army knocks out the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Donbass |
| 2024-05-04 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Artemy Sharapov [REGNUM] The offensive of the Russian army in Donbass is gaining momentum. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are unable to seize the initiative and launch a counterattack, so they are retreating along the entire front.The day before, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that since the beginning of the year, Russian troops have taken control of more than 547 square kilometers of the territory of new regions of the country - and continue to advance. The most difficult situation for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is developing in two sectors of the front: in the area of the city of Chasov Yar and in the Avdeevsky direction. In the first direction, the Russian army is advancing with the goal of encircling the Kanal microdistrict and preparing for its assault. At the second, the Ukrainian Armed Forces, under pressure, abandoned positions that they planned to hold for at least several weeks. After this, a number of commentators hastened to declare that the Ukrainian defense in Donbass had collapsed, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were fleeing and could not organize resistance. In reality, this is not the case, a source in the ranks of the 1st Donetsk Army Corps, who is now in the Avdeevka direction, told IA Regnum. After a series of failures, the Ukrainian Armed Forces regrouped and are putting up fierce resistance. In turn, the Russian army is methodically opening up Ukrainian fortified areas. “To say that the front has wavered is, firstly, disrespectful towards the fighters. And secondly, it is simply false. Yes, there is serious, important success in the direction of Ocheretino, in general in the Avdeevsky direction. But for now the enemy front exists,” the source said. BUILDERS ON THE FRONT LINE The offensive of the Russian army destroyed the plans of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for the organized withdrawal of forces to new frontiers. The command of the Ukrainian army believed that the troops located in the Avdiivka direction would be able to hold the Berdychi-Semyonovka line and the settlement of Ocheretino to the north, in order to allow formations in the rear to form a defense. But after the Ukrainian Armed Forces fled from positions near Ocheretino, Russian troops occupied both the village itself and the nearest settlements - Novobakhmutovka, Solovyovo and Novokalinovo. According to the latest data, battles are taking place for the settlements of Keramik and Sokol. Volunteers close to the Ukrainian 47th Brigade blamed the neighboring 115th Brigade for the failure. They also answered that bloggers were to blame for everything, discrediting the honor of the brigade. In any case, a sharp change in the front-line situation forced the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to throw dwindling reserves into battle. Military personnel from construction units were even sent to the front line to build a defense line 5–8 kilometers from the front, the Japanese publication Japan Times reported. This information was confirmed by the source of the news agency Regnum. “I haven’t seen anything like that with shovels in the trenches, but it’s a fact that they threw just anyone. I think at the top they had panic and serious fears that the front would naturally collapse,” the interlocutor noted. To stop the Russian breakthrough, the 110th brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which had previously held positions in Avdeevka and was assigned for reorganization due to heavy losses, was urgently returned to the front. According to available data, it was not possible to restore the full-time strength of the brigade, but the Ukrainian command simply has no other choice. The threat of a defense breakthrough forces the Ukrainian Armed Forces to throw forcibly mobilized Ukrainians into the most difficult areas, but they cannot boast of either a strong fighting spirit or good preparation. HOPE FOR WESTERN MILITARY ASSISTANCE In fact, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are now preparing for new retreats. Real, not fictitious, lines of defense are being built in the rear of the Ukrainian troops. Obviously, the Ukrainian command allows a retreat from Chasov Yar. The closest defensive line is being created on the approaches to the city of Konstantinovka - 10 kilometers to the east. In this direction, not only trenches and trenches appeared, but also long anti-tank ditches, minefields and “dragon’s teeth”. In the Avdeevsky direction, similar defense centers are being built around the agglomeration Selidovo - Novogrodovka - Mirnograd and further around the city of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk). In both cases, the emphasis is on dense urban development, supported by industrial zones and field fortifications. At the same time, Ukraine continues to rely on the West, expecting that the situation at the front will be corrected by a new portion of military assistance from the United States and Great Britain. According to unconfirmed reports, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will receive what they have desperately needed lately: cannon and rocket artillery, as well as artillery ammunition, the reserves of which have almost run out. Also in Kyiv they intend to strike the rear of Russian troops using supplied ATACMS missiles. New supplies will not change the situation at the front, but they must be taken seriously, warns the Regnum news agency source. “No one will rush headlong now, even if somewhere the enemy caved in. Any retreat could turn out to be a deceptive maneuver, and our breakthrough could result in encirclement and defeat. Therefore, the authors who write that it’s time to go to Kiev should curb their ardor,” the interlocutor advises. FIGHT FOR "SKY" The Russian army successfully attacked, partly because it actively used front-line aviation, using adjustable aircraft ammunition (CAM) of various types. If the Ukrainian Armed Forces acquire new air defense systems and F-16 fighters, this will make it difficult to work “in the sky.” Press Secretary of the Ukrainian Air Force Command Ilya Yevlash said that Ukraine will receive the first such fighters after Easter. At the same time, the F-16, Yevlash added, can work in conjunction with the MiG-29 and Su-27, which will increase the efficiency of their use. If the Ukrainian Armed Forces actually receive new equipment and weapons, Russian troops may pause the offensive in order to rebuild tactics taking into account new realities. The command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will try in every possible way to prolong the pause and use it to strengthen the defense. However, the Russian army will definitely not allow the enemy to “cement” the front. |
| Posted by:badanov |