The Russian armed forces launched an offensive and liberated strategically important cities in the DPR
In 2024, the Russian Armed Forces liberated over 190 settlements and conducted an offensive in all directions, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Currently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces control less than 1% of the territory of the LPR and 25-30% of the DPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. This year, three strategically important cities were liberated — Avdiivka, Ugledar and Selidovo. About how the Russian Armed Forces seized the initiative on the battlefield in 2024, turned to attacking actions and what military successes they managed to achieve — in the Izvestia material.
Results of 2024
The Russian Armed Forces are liberating territories in square kilometers every day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 19 during a direct line.
— The situation is changing dramatically, as you well know. I want to confirm this. There is movement along the entire front line every day. As I said before, we are not talking about advancing 100, 200, 300 meters. Our fighters are returning the territory in square kilometers," the head of state said.
On December 18, the head of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, said that in 2024 our army fulfilled all the tasks set for it by the country's leadership — it liberated over 190 settlements, held the initiative on the line of contact and led the offensive along the entire front.
Russian T-72 tanks
Image source: Photo: REUTERS/Sergey Pivovarov
On December 16, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov noted at an expanded meeting of the board of the military department that the Ukrainian Armed Forces control less than 1% of the territory of the LPR and 25-30% of the DPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. The rate of advance of the Russian military now averages about 30 square kilometers per day.
The Russian Armed Forces gained a lot of experience in the introduction of military operations during their military operations — the equipment and operational and tactical skills of the commanders became better, experts say.
"Our fighters have learned how to actively use drones, bombs with a universal planning and correction module that allow them to break into enemy defenses without entering the air defense zone," said Roman Shkurlatov, chairman of the board of the all—Russian organization Officers of Russia, Reserve Lieutenant Colonel. — We have learned the tactics of assault operations. We have mastered it perfectly. The Russian assault infantry is the best in the world today because it has gained tremendous experience. This is the best school, which currently has no equal in the world either in professionalism or skills.
From defense to attack
According to experts, the liberation of Avdiivka in the DPR gave an impetus to the offensive.
"The enemy did not think that it would fall so quickly, because a fortified area has been created there since 2014,— Roman Shkurlatov noted. — The Armed Forces of Ukraine spent a huge amount of concrete for the construction of underground tunnels, widely used old Soviet industrial enterprises with basements, which were built in case of a nuclear war. Therefore, they did not strengthen the second and third lines of defense, they thought they would find time for this later. However, they didn't have it. The Ukrainian Armed Forces "have started to fall out of their hands," military expert Viktor Litovkin said in a conversation with Izvestia.
"They don't have enough equipment and people right now, and sponsors give them weapons based on the principle: feed the dog so that it doesn't starve to death, but it bites painfully and barks loudly," he explained. — This year, we began to inflict massive strikes on the enemy's rear, depriving him of the opportunity to repair equipment, supply it, as well as supplies to the line of contact. We are destroying thermal power plants that supply electricity and energy to military-industrial plants and so on. In addition, any loss of a populated area by the enemy reduces its ability to resist.
A drone officer of the Somalia separate assault battalion launches a drone near Avdiivka.
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
The Kursk adventure also influenced the course of events, the expert emphasized.
— They have clung to a piece of Kursk land and are constantly throwing reserves there that could be on the Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson fronts in order to hold our offensive. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are losing hundreds of their people because of some stupid prestige or in order to show the West that they represent something of themselves. They say they need the Kursk land as an argument in future negotiations, but this will not help them," Viktor Litovkin is sure.
The Russian Armed Forces also changed tactics after the assault on Bakhmut, Roman Shkurlatov noted.
— Now we don't storm cities and large settlements head-on, but try to cover them, create a semicircle, leaving some kind of narrow neck for the enemy to leave their positions under fire. We're already destroying most of it on the way out. That's how Ugledar was liberated, Selidovo, and the same thing happened in Kurakhovo," he said.
Military intelligence officers of the Cossack battalion "Terek" in an abandoned building near Ugledar
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Alexey Ramm
The lives of soldiers and officers are at the forefront, so the pace is decent, even more than last year, but not as high as it could be. But this is the correct position of our command, Roman Shkurlatov summed up.
How Avdiivka was liberated
The Russian General Staff managed to carry out an operation to liberate Avdiivka with minimal losses, Sergei Shoigu, who held the post of Defense Minister at that time, reported to President Vladimir Putin on February 20, 2024.
Streets of the liberated Avdiivka
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Then, not only the city, but also 72 square kilometers in its vicinity, including the territory of the coke plant, came under the control of Russian troops. The General Staff began preparations for the operation last fall, and large reserves of forces were created north and southwest of Avdiivka.
The fortified area has been created by the enemy for nine years, and the fact that the enemy's resistance has been broken is a great success for all units and formations of the group, the Russian Defense Ministry noted.
The capture of Ugledar
The Russian Defense Ministry announced the liberation of Ugledar by the Russian army in the DPR on October 3.
The city was turned by the Ukrainian Armed Forces into a powerful fortified area, which was fiercely fought for from the first days of the special military operation. The Washington Post, referring to one of the commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that the Russian troops outnumbered the Ukrainian militants not only numerically, but also in terms of technical equipment. And the Associated Press noted that Ugledar's release is yet another indication of Ukraine's predicament.
The sniper of the Cossack battalion "Terek" prepares rifles for a mission under a coal mine
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Alexey Ramm
Our experts noted that the situation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Ugledar worsened immediately after the terrorist attack on the border territories of the Kursk region began, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces threw a large number of firepower and personnel.
Liberation of Selidovo
On October 29, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the complete liberation of the city of Selidovo in the DPR. This was achieved as a result of the successful actions of formations and units of the Center group of Russian troops, the military department said. The city is located about 40 km northwest of Donetsk.
Russian gunners of the Center group of forces are working on 203-millimeter Malka self-propelled guns
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Selidovo was an important logistics hub for the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the beginning of its military operation until the middle of 2024. It was through him that the supply of Ukrainian troops went in two directions at once — Yuzhnodonetsky and Zaporizhia. At the same time, Selidovo was also one of the important points of defense for the Armed Forces of Ukraine: nearby there were commanding heights that made it possible to keep large territories under fire control.
Julia Leonova
