Kimakovsky, adviser to the head of the DPR, allowed fighting for the Yar Clock in the near future
The situation in the city of Chas Yar for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is deteriorating every day. Russian troops are located less than a kilometer from the outskirts of this settlement, and the DPR authorities allow the early start of fighting for it. How is the Yar Clock important for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, how does the Ukrainian army use it and what goals can Russian troops have after taking the city? The situation was dealt with by the military observer of the newspaper.En" Mikhail Khodarenok.
The town of Chasov Yar is located about 10 km west of Bakhmut (Artemovsk). The settlement is located at commanding heights (the drop reaches 110 meters), which creates very favorable opportunities for organizing the defense of the city of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The surrounding area can be viewed for many kilometers from Chasova Yar.
The DPR authorities, including the adviser to the head of the republic, Igor Kimakovsky, allow the start of fighting for the Yar Clock in the near future. Kimakovsky calls the city one of the "key hubs" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and also notes that "virtually all roads" are under the control of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. According to him, the city will soon "lose its strategic importance" for Ukraine.
As is known, the dominant heights, with the rational arrangement of defensive lines (structures) and weapons, allow even relatively small units to restrain the offensive of superior enemy forces for a long time. For these reasons, Ukrainian units and formations are fighting outside the Yar on the principle of "not a step back."
Of course, the city of Chasov Yar can be called "an important logistics hub for the Armed Forces of Ukraine" or it can be said that this settlement was "used by the enemy for rotation", and also it should be noted that during the battles for this small town "the roads leading there were taken under fire control". However, if any staff officer had included such formulations in the draft combat report or operational summary, then it is quite possible that another place of service would have been found for him after that.
It is more correct to say that the Chas Yar railway station was used and is still being used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine as an unloading station. Also, through this settlement, the withdrawal of units and units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for rest and replenishment and transfer of necessary replenishment is carried out.
Among other things, repair bodies and material support structures of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, warehouses of (relatively small) ammunition, fuel and food, units and parts of the medical service are located in the city. The settlement itself has been turned into a powerful fortified area with long-term firing facilities, a developed system of trenches, communication passages and underground shelters. In general, the Yar Watch can be called an important communications hub and a powerful defense stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk direction.
As for "fire control", as well as the "operational environment" (or "semi-capture"), which is equally often mentioned in many reports of military commanders, assumed during the upcoming assault on Chasov Yar, there are no such terms in tactics or in operational art. For example, when performing firing tasks, artillery uses the following types of fire - concentrated fire, massive fire, stationary barrage, fire shaft, etc. But there is no "fire control" among the types of artillery fire.
The capture of Chasov Yar will certainly be a major tactical success for the Russian Armed Forces. But to attach strategic importance to the possession of such a settlement means, nevertheless, to somewhat exaggerate the role of this small town in a special military operation (such, as is known, include cities with a population of up to 20 thousand people, and the pre-war population of Chasov Yar did not exceed 12 thousand people).
It is more correct to say that the mastery of the Sentinel Yar and the breakthrough of a powerful, long-term, deeply layered enemy defense creates very favorable opportunities for the further advance of Russian troops in this direction.
Not only have Slavyansk-Kramatorsk been turned into a single fortress city from the point of view of fortification, but all the necessary stocks of weapons and military equipment, ammunition, fuel and lubricants, food and medical equipment are also concentrated there. So the heavy fighting is still ahead.
The opinion of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.
Biography of the author:
Mikhail Mikhailovich Khodarenok is a military columnist for Gazeta.Ru", retired colonel.
He graduated from the Minsk Higher Engineering Anti-Aircraft Missile School (1976), the Military Air Defense Command Academy (1986).
Commander of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile division (1980-1983).
Deputy commander of the anti-aircraft missile regiment (1986-1988).
Senior Officer of the General Staff of the Air Defense Forces (1988-1992).
Officer of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff (1992-2000).
Graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia (1998).
Columnist for Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2000-2003), editor-in-chief of the Military-Industrial Courier newspaper (2010-2015).
Mikhail Khodarenok