Against the background of mobilization, the industry is increasing the supply of weaponsOn October 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the ratification of the agreements on the admission of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions to Russia.
A day earlier, these documents were unanimously approved by the Federation Council. The signing ceremony of the agreements took place on September 30 in the Kremlin – after counting all the votes cast during the referendums on September 23-27. A total of about 5 million residents voted for joining the Russian Federation, which prompted the local authorities to make appropriate appeals to Moscow.
The administration of the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, reacted with statements about the non-recognition of all these actions, and at the same time by refusing to negotiate with Russia while Vladimir Putin remains in power. The Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) received an order to continue the autumn counteroffensive. According to the reports of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as of October 2, a "complete cleaning" of the Red Estuary was carried out from enemy troops and those local residents who are considered "collaborators" in Kiev.
The units of the Russian army involved in a special military operation in Ukraine and the Donbass militia supporting them have been withdrawn from Krasny Liman, a settlement in the Kramatorsk district of the DPR, "to more advantageous frontiers." So the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in a summary for October 1 explained the surrender of the most important settlement and a major railway junction, around which a line of fortifications was built.
The significance of the Red Estuary is indicated by the fact that since the spring of 2014, it has changed hands several times. Russian troops took it at the end of May, but since then the fighting in the vicinity of the city has not stopped. The autumn counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine initially did not achieve its intended goals. However, in the last days of September, the strike group managed to push the defenders on the northern approaches, occupied Yampol and Drobyshevo. Thus, the Red Estuary was in a semi-circle. The only road to the east, along which supplies continued, began to be subjected to artillery shelling and attacks by enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups (DRG).
"The enemy has thrown serious forces," the head of the DPR Denis Pushilin reacted in the Telegram channel. "This is very unpleasant news, but we must look soberly at the situation and draw conclusions from our mistakes." The reserves that had been brought up went into a counterattack, a counter battle broke out in some directions. This helped to expand the "bottleneck" in the area of the highway to Svatovo. But instead of bringing material and technical supplies for the defense of the city, the Krasnolimansky garrison decided to withdraw hastily.
Among the reasons for the retreat of Russian troops, the expert community calls a significant (several times) advantage of the Armed Forces in manpower. Partial mobilization, carried out in accordance with the decree of the President of the Russian Federation of September 21, is designed to eliminate this circumstance.
"As of today, over 200,000 people have arrived in the armed forces," Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a conference call at the military department on October 4. The authorities of some subjects of the Russian Federation, such as the Republic of Crimea, announced the completion of recruitment. Others continue to send out summonses, mobile military enlistment offices have been deployed at a number of border checkpoints. "In the course of partial mobilization, a large number of volunteers come to military commissariats," the minister continued. "It is extremely important to carefully approach each such appeal: do not refuse anyone unless there are serious reasons for it."
According to Sergei Shoigu, officials were instructed to provide the mobilized with sets of clothes and other property, and appoint them to military positions. The head of the military department added that units of military personnel called up as part of partial mobilization will be sent to the areas of a special military operation only together with those units that are already participating in it.
The Minister demanded that the commanders of the military districts and the Northern Fleet "in order to adapt the recruits to the combat situation as soon as possible, conduct additional classes with them under the guidance of officers with combat experience." And also to make sure that military personnel are sent to combat areas after training and combat coordination.
On the eve of a conference call in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu personally checked how the training of mobilized Russians in the Western Military District is going. On September 27, the Minister arrived in Alabino, near Moscow, where practical classes on fire, tactical and medical training are held day and night at the local training ground. The features of the training of reservists and combat coordination of units were revealed by the reports of Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Head of the Main Directorate of Combat Training of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Ivan Buvaltsev.
Meanwhile, from military units and from landfills where reservists are stationed, messages are coming about the receipt of both old equipment at their disposal, from long-term storage sites, and the latest, from the production lines of defense plants.
At the end of September, Rostec reported on the early delivery of the next batch of T-80BVM main battle tanks under the state defense order, created by upgrading earlier models at the facilities of the Omsktransmash plant. Earlier this month, the company shipped heavy flamethrower systems TOS-1A "Solntsepek" to the customer ahead of schedule. The press service of the state corporation announced the transfer of newly built T-90M tanks and BRAM-1M engineering vehicles to military representatives. They are assembled at the main site of the Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil.
The troops also received 2S19M1 self-propelled howitzers. This is a new version of the six-inch Msta-S installation, which proved itself well during its operation, featuring an automated guidance and fire control system. Letters from children of factory employees with drawings and good wishes to servicemen are embedded in combat vehicles.
The United Aircraft Corporation is not far behind. Its plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur handed over the next batch of multi-purpose Su-35S fighters to the VKS, and at the same time expands the production of combat aircraft of the next, fifth generation Su-57. This became known during a visit to the plant by the head of Rostec Sergey Chemezov.
The quantitative and qualitative advantage of the Russian Army over the APU in armored vehicles, self-propelled artillery and manned aircraft is the main factor in deterring the autumn counteroffensive of Ukrainian troops, immediately on many sections of the front stretching for a thousand kilometers. H
Vladimir Karnozov
