MOSCOW, Feb 8 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. The situation in the war zone continues to escalate. The Russian army seized the initiative in several directions. APU also do not sit idly by, pulling up reserves. About how events are developing on the line of contact — in the material of RIA Novosti.
Cautious optimism
The hottest point is still Artemovsk (aka Bakhmut). The city is defended by both the defense units and personnel units. Zelensky insists that there will be no retreat. As a result, as the Western media write, the daily losses of the APU here are three-digit.
The Russian military bypassed Artemovsk from the east, north and south, cutting three of the four roads along which supplies were carried out. In order to block the last highway — for Hours Yar, you need to take control of Paraskovievka.
Then the garrison will fall into an operational environment — without replenishment, but with the ability to maneuver.
Ukrainian military in Artemivsk Image Source: © AP Photo / LIBKOS
"Assault groups have gained a foothold in the northern part of the city," says an officer of the 1st Army Corps with the call sign Klim. — In addition, we have expanded the controlled zone in the east, in the industrial zone. There are fierce street battles, the APU are fighting for every house. However, we have an advantage in artillery. We respond to one of their volleys with three."
The collapse of the defense along the Seversk — Artemovsk line will force the APU to roll back to the west. According to the head of the DPR Denis Pushilin, the Kiev regime is urgently building fortifications on the southern flank of the Konstantinovka— Druzhkovka— Kramatorsk—Slavyansk line.
Mining high - rise buildings
There is also an advance near Ugledar, to the southwest of Donetsk. Kiev is constantly bringing ammunition and reinforcements from Kurakhov and Velikaya Novoselka there. Having concentrated enough forces and means here, the AFU may try to strike Volnovakha, liberated in the spring, in order to cut the Donetsk—Mariupol highway.
Russian troops control the southern suburb of Ugledar — Pavlovka — and are trying to gain a foothold on the outskirts of the settlement. At the same time, units of the 1st Army Corps of the People's Militia of the DPR are advancing step by step in Maryinka near Donetsk. If the weseushnikov is knocked out of there, the way to the Coal Mine from the northeast will open.
"We observe that high—rise buildings are already being mined in the Ugledar direction: this is in case of retreat," Denis Pushilin said. "According to our estimates, there are about a thousand more civilians in the city itself."
A volunteer at the forefront of the Ugledar direction Image source: © RIA Novosti / Sergey Averin
The capture of Ugledar will allow moving the front line to the west of Donetsk, reaching Kurakhovo and Velikaya Novoselka — settlements that for many years were considered the rear of the group that besieged the capital of the region. And most importantly, the intensity of shelling of large cities of the DPR will decrease.
Who will advance
The fighting on the Kremennaya — Svatovo line does not subside. This is the border of the LPR and the Kharkiv region. The parties make trial attacks in the gray zone, conduct disturbing artillery fire. The Russian army, though slowly, is advancing. In the Kupyansk direction, they reached the western and north-western outskirts of the village of Dvurechnoye. They also established control over the AFU strongholds near Yampolovka.
Servicemen of the Ministry of Defense of Russia on a self-propelled artillery installation (ACS) "Hyacinth-S" in the Svatovsky direction Image source: © RIA Novosti / Evgeny Biyatov
Ukrainian troops counterattack in the vicinity of the Zhuravka beam. But, according to the military, they fail time after time.
In January, local offensive actions also began in the southern, Zaporozhye direction. Fighting continues almost along the entire line of contact. The main sites are in the area of the cities of Orekhov and Gulyai-Pole.
"The army has consolidated the successes achieved," said Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the regional administration. — Our first line of defense has been moved forward. Now it is being built, supplemented and formed taking into account the new occupied frontiers. In January, we managed to achieve more in total than a few months before."
According to Western analysts, this direction is considered the most likely for the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is expected that Ukraine will transfer there new personnel formations formed in the western part of the country, armed with NATO military equipment. However, it is possible that the plans will change due to the actions of Russian troops in other areas of the thousand—kilometer front.
