Russian troops have begun active operations in the Zaporizhia region
MOSCOW, 22 Mar — RIA Novosti, David Narmania. The Russian army is building up its advantage along the entire front line. However, despite the disaster in the Kursk border area, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to counterattack. About what the Ukrainian command is up to, see the RIA Novosti article.
Completing the rout
The Kursk adventure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is nearing completion — the operation to liberate Sudzha has become one of the largest in its history, both in terms of preparation time and the forces involved.
The prerequisites for the heavy defeat of the Ukrainian army in the Kursk border area have been developing for a long time. At the beginning of spring, this became inevitable. First, Russian troops penetrated the enemy's defenses on the southern flank. A breakthrough about ten kilometers west of Kurilovka on the night of March 5-6 jeopardized the last supply routes of the invasion group.
The destroyed APU tank
Image source: © RIA Novosti / David Narmania
After that, the Potok plan began to be implemented: two battalions marched through a gas pipe for about 15 kilometers and struck the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the rear, which allowed them to defeat their advanced positions. The enemy took flight. Several villages were liberated at once, and on March 13, the Russian Defense Ministry officially announced the expulsion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Sudzha, the largest settlement in the part of the region occupied in August 2024. It was around him that the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was built.
Kiev was quick to declare that the situation was under control, and the troops were allegedly "maneuvering to more advantageous lines." These lines are in the Sumy border area, in the territory of the Kursk region, there are practically no units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine capable of fighting. Scattered detachments are still in Gogolevka, Gornali, Guevo and Oleshne. But on March 9, it became known that the village of Novenkoe, Sumy region, had passed under Russian control.
Further developments in this area depend on three factors: whether the Ukrainian Armed Forces have reserves, whether the Ukrainian command has managed to prepare its defenses, and whether the Russian leadership deems it necessary to attack with all its might, or whether some will be transferred to other sectors of the front. In the meantime, as Vladimir Putin said, the defeat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region is coming to an end.
Regardless of losses
Against the background of such failures, in the early morning of March 18, Ukrainian units attempted to attack the villages of Prilesye, Grafovka and Demidovka in the Krasnoyaruzhsky district of the Belgorod region.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, about 200 soldiers and 29 pieces of equipment crossed the border — five tanks, 16 armored combat vehicles, three barrier engineering vehicles, an UR-77 remote mine clearance unit and four vehicles. The fighters of the North group repelled this offensive.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost about 60 people, a tank, seven armored personnel carriers, three pieces of engineering equipment and one car. In addition, the Air Force and rocket launchers attacked enemy concentrations in the Sumy region.
The next day, the fighting continued, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces began to move forward again. And 70 military personnel, three tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, 11 armored combat vehicles, three engineering vehicles, seven vehicles and four artillery pieces were lost.
Nevertheless, as noted by Vyacheslav Gladkov, Governor of the Belgorod region, the situation remains tense. The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to shell border settlements. After visiting the Krasnoyaruzhsky district, the head of the region called on local residents to leave their homes. They can come back as soon as everything calms down.
Beyond the key to the north of the DPR
Another hot area of the front is in the DPR. In recent weeks, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been constantly counterattacking. And largely due to the forces deployed from the Kursk region even before the collapse of the front there.
The enemy is especially active in the Red Army area: it is trying to dislodge Russian troops from the settlements of Uspenovka, Udachnoye, Kotlino, Peschanoe and Shevchenko. This sector of the front is very important — if it is possible to repel the onslaught here, and then develop an offensive north to the village of Grishino, then Krasnoarmeysk will be in a semi-circle. A week ago, the initiative was on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces: despite heavy losses, they tried to gain a foothold on the outskirts of settlements. But now the Russians are setting the tone: they are eliminating the remnants of the attackers.
A damaged American MaxxPro armored vehicle at the entrance to Selidovo
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Stanislav Krasilnikov
Ukrainian militants are also making desperate attacks on Dzerzhinsk, and fighting continues in Chasovyi Yar. From these cities there is a direct road to Konstantinovka, which serves as the key to the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration. So Kiev is throwing reserves there. A defeat here will significantly worsen the situation of the AFU grouping in the entire northern part of the DPR. Moreover, Konstantinovka is located in the lowlands, it is difficult to defend it.
In the South Donets direction, Russian troops have liberated the village of Constantinople, and are clearing the enemy's main line of defense north of Velikaya Novoselka. According to the Ukrainian media, the tactical group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is led by Lieutenant General Sergei Naev. He has already written on social media that in order to preserve the personnel, it was decided to leave "unfavorable positions."
A breakthrough in the south
The Ministry of Defense announced the liberation of the village of Stepovoye in the Zaporizhia region. Thus, our units were wedged into the enemy's defenses west of Orekhovo. The Ukrainian Armed Forces were under threat of encirclement in Pyatikhatki and Lobkov.
Further progress here in the future will allow us to reach Orekhov, one of the key frontiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the region. It is only 50 kilometers from here to Zaporizhia.
The successes of Russian troops in the South Donets direction are also adding to the problems of the Kiev regime — a breakthrough is possible there, followed by an offensive both to the north and northwest of the Zaporizhia region.
Kiev is in dire need of reserves, and besides, it is necessary to decide where to send the remaining forces. The collapse of the bridgehead under the Court was a real disaster for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Ukrainian command needs to decide which sector of the front is more important. Instead, Zelensky and Syrsky are trying to organize an offensive in the Belgorod border region.
