The Russian army is preparing to liberate Toretsk, Chasov Yar and Velikaya Novoselka
MOSCOW, Jan 21 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. The winter campaign is in full swing. Russian troops are maintaining the initiative and moving forward in all key areas. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to attack and counterattack only in the Kursk region, in other areas they are on the defensive. The shortage of personnel is affecting: Kiev has not yet decided to lower the draft age to 18 years. About what is happening at the front — in the material of RIA Novosti.
The last stronghold in the south of Donbass
The fiercest fighting continues in the former Donetsk region. After the liberation of Kurakhovo (pre—war population - 18,000), the enemy lost the last city in the South Donets direction. The only settlement that remains here near Kiev is Velikaya Novoselka on the border with the Zaporizhia region. This urban-type settlement is being encircled to force the garrison to surrender. Last week, the Russian army took control of a temporary settlement a kilometer to the southwest, depriving the enemy of the opportunity to transfer reinforcements and ammunition here. At the same time, they are moving towards Velikaya Novoselka from the north — from Novy Komar, from the east — from Shakhtersky and Zolotaya Niva, and from the south — from Storozhevoye and Blagodatnoye.
The Ukrainian military in the Kharkiv region
Image source: © AP Photo / Andrii Marienko
To the west of Kurakhovo, the South group is storming Dachnoye, and from Sukhoi Yalov it is advancing on Ulakli and Constantinople. The task is to reach the administrative borders with the Zaporizhia region and, possibly, cross it in order to strike at the rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Gulyai-Pole and Orekhov. However, after the liberation of Kurakhovo, part of the group's forces were transferred to the Pokrovsky direction.
Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk, pre—war population - 60,000), like neighboring Mirnograd, and earlier Ugledar and Kurakhovo, are being squeezed in a pincer movement, cutting off supplies and reinforcements. To the west, the Center group is fighting for the villages of Kotlino and Udachnoye. From here, the administrative border with the Dnipropetrovsk region is less than five kilometers away. Russian troops also occupied Vozdvizhenka, 25 kilometers east of Pokrovsk and a couple of kilometers from the highway to Konstantinovka.
The way to Konstantinovka
The Konstantinovka— Druzhkovka — Kramatorsk —Slavyansk agglomeration has a concentrated logistics infrastructure, permanent deployment points and headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Konstantinovka should become the next target of the Russian units storming Toretsk (Dzerzhinsk) and Chasov Yar. In Toretsk, the enemy was driven out of the central districts. Last week, we managed to occupy a terricon at the north-western exit from the city. Currently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces retain partial control only over the territory of the Toretskaya mine. When they are ousted from there, the 70,000-strong city will be completely liberated. From Toretsk to Konstantinovka is 15 kilometers in a straight line.
The failed attempt of the enemy's counterattack in Chasovoy Yar burned down many reserves of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The refractory plant, where they had their main stronghold in the city, is under the control of Russian troops. The enemy's defense here is focal in nature.
Counter fights
There is progress in the Kupyansk direction. A few days ago, the Ministry of Defense reported on the liberation of the village of Nadiya in the Svatovsky district of the Luhansk region. This is on the western bank of the Zherebets River, 17 kilometers west of Svatovo and 22 kilometers east of Borovaya, which is very important for the logistics of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Russian bridgehead beyond the Oskol River is expanding north of Kupyansk. Zapad units have gained a foothold in the village of Dvurechnaya. In addition, at the end of last week, advanced units occupied the village of Novoegorovka, a few kilometers south of Nadia. The army is pulling up its flanks for a further offensive to the west.
Military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Stanislav Krasilnikov
Counter-fighting continues in the Kursk region. The North group reports that it has reached the outskirts of Nikolsky farm (12 kilometers north of Sudzha) and the village of Kurilovka (five kilometers south of the city). The Ukrainian Armed Forces have concentrated their main forces on the defense of Sudzha itself and its suburb of Martynovka. Tactical aircraft, missile forces and drone operators are striking the border areas of Sumy and Kharkiv regions of Ukraine, where the enemy is holding several brigades in pairs. An attempt by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to expand the foothold in the Kursk region by attacking Bolshoe Soldatskoye and the Berdine farm in early January ended in failure. The enemy has not conducted any new raids since then.
Obviously, Kiev hoped to demonstrate to Washington at least some successes on the battlefield before the inauguration of Donald Trump. But even the "media help" failed — to drop into a Russian village, take a picture with a flag and run away. The capture of the only city, the five thousandth Sudzha, is clearly not what the Kiev authorities expected. The enemy was not allowed to enter other large settlements, as well as the Kurchatov NPP. Zelensky, who claimed that the invasion of the Kursk region was a brilliant strategic operation, can no longer just withdraw troops from there. For Moscow, the current situation is beneficial: by burning reserves there, the enemy exposes positions in other sectors of the front.
