The city where the history of the DPR and LPR began remains the last hotbed of resistance of the nationalist group in the Donbass
The troops of Russia and the People's Republics continue their offensive against the last pockets of resistance of the Ukrainian group in the Donbas. On March 3, they reached Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, where the history of the DPR began. According to experts, this threatens the entire Ukrainian defense in this direction. The capture of these cities will allow establishing control over the entire territory of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics, military experts believe. On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin told about the self-sacrifice of Russian servicemen and signed a decree awarding the deceased Hero of Russia. And during the second round of negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine in the Belarusian Belovezhskaya Pushcha, it was possible to reach an understanding on a number of important issues, including the organization of humanitarian corridors for civilians
Closing the environment
A group of troops of the Luhansk People's Republic reached the Krasny Liman-Privolye border - the northern outskirts of Severodonetsk, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported on March 3. Krasny Estuary (after coming under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, it was renamed the Estuary by the Ukrainian Parliament) is located less than 15 km from Slavyansk.
In the spring of 2014, this city was the center of Donbass resistance when Kiev sent armed formations to the rebellious region. In July of the same year, he was surrounded, but the militia units managed to break into Donetsk. Today, the last combat-ready forces of the Ukrainian grouping in the Donbass remain in Slavyansk and nearby Kramatorsk.
- Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, the most combat-ready units of the first line, are in the cauldron formed around Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and Severodonetsk, - military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia. - Forcing this group to surrender or its liquidation should be a huge blow to the AFU. The most experienced soldiers will be lost, hundreds of armored vehicles, tanks and artillery will be abandoned, nationalist battalions will be liquidated. There will be a huge gap in the front line from the Ukrainian side.
After that, taking control of the entire territory of the Luhansk and Donetsk republics will be a done deal, the expert is sure.
— In addition, the capture of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk will have a huge symbolic significance, - Dmitry Boltenkov continued. — It was from these cities that the creation of the DPR began, and the Kiev authorities consider their capture and retention to be their main achievement in 2014.
According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Russian units advanced on the adjacent flank with the DPR units and took control of the settlements of Blagoveshchenka, Blue Mountain, Petrovsky, Shevchenko, Sweet Beam, Ilchenkovo, Ocherevataya and Novoprokopovka.
At a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation on March 3, President Vladimir Putin said that the military operation in Ukraine is proceeding in strict accordance with the schedule, all tasks are being successfully solved.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Averin
Image source: iz.ru
According to the head of state, Russian servicemen "fight steadfastly, with a full understanding of the rightness of their cause."
"Even after being wounded, soldiers and officers remain in the ranks, sacrificing themselves, their lives to save comrades and civilians—" he said.
The Supreme Commander-in-Chief signed a decree awarding Senior Lieutenant Nurmagomed Hajigamedov the title of Hero of Russia.
- Unfortunately, posthumously. In battle, he confidently commanded his fighters. Like a real commander, take care of your subordinates. Having already been seriously wounded, he fought to the last and blew up the militants surrounding him and himself with a grenade. He took this step because he understood who he was dealing with. With neo-Nazis who mock prisoners and brutally kill them—" Putin said.
He noted the servicemen of the 100th Motorized Rifle Brigade operating in the Donetsk direction.
- The fighters under the command of Colonel Alexei Borisovich Bernhard in the Volnovakha area broke through the deeply echeloned defense, which the nationalists had been strengthening and equipping for almost eight years. The commander of the tank platoon of the Guards, Lieutenant Viktor Sokolnik, destroyed five tanks during the battle, the President of Russia said.
The 100th brigade is part of the People's Militia of the DPR. The Head of State also drew attention to the actions of the company commander of the 163rd Tank Regiment, Captain Alexei Levkin. He faced nationalist formations numbering 15 tanks and up to 6 infantry fighting vehicles.
- Having attacked the enemy with his fighters, Captain Levkin destroyed all the infantry fighting vehicles and five tanks, ensuring that the combat mission was carried out without losses, - Vladimir Putin stressed.
There was consistency and confidence in the president's speech, military expert Vladislav Shurygin believes.
- People have heard about the objectives of the operation, which concern us all — to secure the country for many years— - the expert noted. — It was firmly said that the state has the will and the tasks set will be solved. The special military operation in Ukraine is going according to plan and all tasks are being successfully solved. Soldiers and officers who died or were injured during the special operation, as well as their families will not be forgotten. These words are important for the army — for those who are now deciding our future. Vladimir Putin also reiterated that our army cares about the civilian population by providing humanitarian corridors, stressing that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. In his speech, he noted that Russia is fighting precisely with neo-Nazis who place military equipment in residential areas and take people hostage.
Foreign Front
On the same day, the Russian Defense Ministry said that as Russian troops surrounded and destroyed the main groups of Ukrainian nationalists, Western countries increased the dispatch of contractors from private military companies to combat areas.
- Foreign mercenaries who have arrived in Ukraine commit sabotage and raids on Russian convoys of equipment and supplies, as well as aircraft covering them. It is they who, on propaganda videos distributed in social networks by the Ukrainian special services, avoid getting into the frame of the phones of allegedly "local residents," said the official representative of the military department, Major General Igor Konashenkov.
All attacks by foreign mercenaries are carried out using weapons supplied by the West to the Kiev regime: Javelin ATGM, NLOW, Stinger MANPADS. Serious training is required for the development of such weapons, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation noted.
Part of the supplies that go to Ukraine are made under credit schemes under financial guarantees, military expert Andrei Frolov told Izvestia.
- Ukraine bought helicopters from France on a credit line — this is a major contract— - he said. - And some of them are used cars. According to him, Ukraine managed to get only a few pieces before the start of the military operation. Also, a contract was signed with France for the supply of patrol boats — this is also a credit history. The British promised to supply missile boats on credit. Deliveries of many systems from Europe have not yet begun — there is simply nowhere to bring the same boats. With helicopters, too, not everything is simple — it is unclear where to place them, they can be immediately destroyed. Therefore, now they mainly supply anti-tank, small arms, ammunition.
Photo: Global Look Press/dpa/Soeren Stache
Image source: iz.ru
As reported on Thursday in the Russian military department, Great Britain, Denmark, Latvia, Poland and Croatia legally allowed their citizens to participate in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine.
— The command of the French Foreign Legion plans to send ethnic Ukrainian servicemen to help the Kiev regime. According to Zelensky, about 16,000 foreign mercenaries are expected to arrive in Ukraine in addition to those already available in order to compensate for the crushing military failures of the Ukrainian security forces. A visa-free regime is officially introduced for them. Only last week, about 200 mercenaries from Croatia arrived through Poland, who joined one of the nationalist battalions in the south-east of Ukraine," Igor Konashenkov said.
The general said that on March 3, the defense attache at the Croatian Embassy in Moscow was summoned to the Russian military department.
— I want to officially emphasize that all mercenaries sent by the West to help the Kiev nationalist regime, according to international humanitarian law, are not combatants. They are not entitled to the status of a prisoner of war. The best thing that awaits foreign mercenaries when detained is criminal prosecution.
The official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry urged citizens of foreign countries "planning to go to fight for the Kiev nationalist regime to think seven times before traveling."
Roman Kretsul