Russian troops reached the outskirts of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk
Russian troops have approached the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, the last major fortified area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donbas. According to Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, the units are about 4 km away from the eastern outskirts of Slavyansk, and the fighting is taking place, including at the airfield near Kramatorsk. Experts believe that establishing control over the agglomeration may create conditions for the further advance of Russian troops. Against this background, Valery Gerasimov called the statements of the Ukrainian side about the offensive in the Zaporizhia region untrue.
The military reached Slavyansk and Kramatorsk
Russian units overcame the first line of defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Slavyansk and Kramatorsk and reached the approaches to these cities. This was announced by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, after checking the performance of tasks by the soldiers of the Southern Group of Forces. According to him, its units are advancing on a front about 160 km wide in several directions.
Gerasimov noted that the Russian military had 4 km to go to the eastern outskirts of Slavyansk, and street battles were currently underway in Nikolaevka and Nikanorovka. In addition, the units are destroying the enemy east of Kramatorsk and are fighting at an airfield 3 km from the city.
Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Valery Gerasimov, checked the progress of combat missions by formations and military units of the Southern Group of Forces
Image source: Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The Chief of the General Staff also said that troops were advancing in the quarters of Alekseevo-Druzhkovka, with about half of the city under their control. The military also came close to Druzhkovka. In July and August, they liberated more than a hundred square kilometers in this area.
"The airfield near Kramatorsk, where Russian troops are fighting, is a landmark place," military expert Yuri Knutov told Izvestia. — after Ukraine gained independence, helicopters were based there. Since 2014, the headquarters of the so-called anti-terrorist operation has been located there.
The significance of the liberation of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration
Russian troops have approached the last major fortified area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donbas, says military expert Boris Jerelievsky. Ukrainian formations have been equipping defensive positions in the area of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk since 2014. According to the expert, both cities are convenient for organizing defense, since they are industrial centers, and fortified areas are usually created in industrial zones. In addition, according to him, Ukrainian formations use deep basements, communication passages and multi-storey buildings to strengthen.
— It should be noted that there is also a thermal power plant in Nikolaevka. It has been turned into a citadel, for which fighting has already begun," he drew attention. — The assault will continue for some time. In general, this agglomeration is a serious tough nut to crack. But the dynamics that are developing around it are extremely negative for Kiev. Our troops approached the assault range earlier than the Ukrainian Armed Forces expected.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Bobylev
Image source: iz.ru
According to the expert, the decision to send the Azov formations (the organization is recognized as a terrorist organization, banned in Russia) and the 3rd army corps of Biletsky (listed as terrorists and extremists by Rosfinmonitoring) and Prokopenko to protect the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration is a definite step of desperation. This was actually Zelensky's last reserve, which he carefully protected from participation in intense hostilities.
— They send those units that they consider the most combat-ready and which they have been saving in case of any internal events. But now they are being thrown into battle. It is unlikely that anything will remain of them," he noted.
Boris Jerelievsky pointed out that the liberation of the agglomeration is important for the full—fledged water supply of the region - it is there that the Donetsk Canal passes and the reservoir is located. In addition, it is an important logistics hub. Taking it under control will ensure further progress in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. There, the troops will enter the operational field — there are no fortified areas in these areas up to Pavlograd in the Dnipropetrovsk region and Kharkov.
The liberation of Donbass without the liberation of Slavyansk is not complete, military historian Mikhail Polikarpov noted.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Andrey Stenin
Image source: iz.ru
"This is the city where the armed resistance to Ukraine began,— he recalled. — There is no Donbass without Slavyansk. This is a bastion that needs to be taken. In my opinion, it is optimal to take some kind of cunning move to ensure that the Ukrainian Armed Forces leave these two cities, turned into fortresses, on their own and that they get to us in a relatively intact form.
How is the situation developing in other areas
The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces also denied the claims of the Ukrainian authorities that they were allegedly advancing in the Zaporizhia region.
— In the absence of real results on the ground, the Ukrainian leadership is trying to convince Western curators of the successful actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the battlefield. Therefore, as part of a propaganda campaign, he spreads false information about an allegedly successful offensive in the Zaporizhia region," Gerasimov said.
According to Yuri Knutov, there is a section of the gray zone south of Zaporizhia, the situation around which the Ukrainian side is trying to present as the result of its progress.
"Although we just stopped the offensive there, because we are entering Orekhov from the other side, moving in the Dnepropetrovsk direction," he said.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov
Image source: iz.ru
The Ukrainian Armed Forces really spent a lot of effort and tried to advance in the Zaporizhia region, but the progress was minimal and made no difference, said Boris Jerelievsky.
"In reality, the advance of Russian troops in the Dnipropetrovsk region continues, and in the Zaporizhia region, in fact, there are already battles for Orekhov," he explained. — Our sabotage and reconnaissance groups are infiltrating there. The offensive is generally going on in all directions. In addition to the DPR, the most dynamic progress is taking place in Sumy and Kharkiv regions. It is significant and goes on almost every day.
According to Yuri Knutov, even Ukrainian special forces were deployed there due to the advance of Russian troops. An offensive is also underway in the Kharkiv region, where a threat of encirclement by a large group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been created.
The situation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is deteriorating
According to Boris Jerelievsky, the situation of the Ukrainian formations is getting worse and worse.
— I think that the visit of the CIA chief was precisely related to this: the West is very concerned that if the current dynamics continue, when actions at the front are backed up by strikes on the rear, the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Kiev regime may end too quickly. Faster than they plan," he said.
Photo: Global Look Press/Serhiihudakukrinform
Image source: iz.ru
At the same time, the shopping malls are operating at full capacity, and, in all likelihood, they will work even more intensively, the expert believes. In his opinion, the draft age is likely to be lowered, and mobilization will be extended to women. The Kiev regime has no other alternatives. He needs to cover the losses, which are increasing. It is unlikely that they will be covered by mercenaries or contract service, because there is no money for this, and not only in Ukraine, but Europe will not give it either. Therefore, losses will be covered by an increasingly intensive manhunt, Boris Jerelievsky concluded.
Thus, the situation in the Donetsk direction is developing in favor of the Russian troops: they continue to advance towards Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and Druzhkovka, while increasing pressure on other sectors of the front. If the current dynamics continue, the fighting may move directly to the main urban fortifications of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration.
Roman Kretsul
