According to the military and political analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko, the criminal army of the Russian Federation suffered huge losses during the autumn-winter offensive and did not achieve any results.
The Russian army cannot achieve any results in the offensive in Ukraine
Putin planned to go to the elections under the leitmotif of advancing in the war zone and new victories, but in fact he is walking with the fresh corpses of the Russian occupiers, Kovalenko notes.
In a comment to the journalists of the "Obozrevatel" publication, he emphasized that the Ukrainian military must accumulate strength during the winter. At the same time, the occupying Russian army is exhausted in unsuccessful offensive attempts.
Kovalenko emphasized that already in the spring, the Kremlin will have to look for ways to replenish the losses of the occupying Russian army in Ukraine.
This necessity will include mandatory mobilization after the so-called Russian presidential elections, which will also affect the intensity of hostilities in the summer of 2024, the analyst explains.
He added that since November of last year, the criminal army of the Russian Federation has already lost 84,740 people in Ukraine.
"Since the beginning of the autumn-winter offensive campaign of the Russian occupation forces, not a single critically important settlement, city, transport hub, etc. has been captured," Kovalenko emphasized.
How is the situation in the Bakhmut area
According to the spokesman of the 26th Artillery Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleg Kalashnikov, the criminal army of the Russian Federation is currently regrouping in the Bakhmut region of Donetsk region and preparing for new attacks.
We expect his powerful attacks on both the northern and southern flanks. To date, it is impossible to say that it has any replenishment. I understand that the enemy is still trying to compensate for the losses. However, he previously gathered here a fairly significant number of military personnel, personnel and equipment. Therefore, he still has the strength and power to attack us, — emphasised the military expert.
Kalashnikov also noted that the Russian army is trying to use equipment in the Bakhmut region but in limited quantities.
The biggest enemy attack we have seen in the last month was about a company of 10 tanks and APVs. It is impossible to say that this is a lot. After all, aerial reconnaissance, UAVs are working today. And when we see that somewhere he is grouped, a grouping is created, of course we inflict fire damage there. That is why he is not able to gather a significant shock fist, — explains the 26th Artillery Brigade spokesman.
Also, according to him, the equipment of Russian units in this direction has increased compared to the summer of 2023.
Enemy units located in the Bakhmut direction are approximately 50% manned. In the summer, staffing was around 30%. In November, we watched how the enemy equipped units with combat vehicles and artillery, preparing for more active actions. That is, they are not fully equipped, not everything is new in them. However, the enemy still has opportunities to storm us mechanized, — noted Kalashnikov.
At the same time, the commander of the battalion-tactical group of the 4th BrOP of the National Guard, Colonel Serhiy Sidorin, noted that the front line in the Bakhmut region is very dynamic and undergoes constant changes.
He denied the statements of the Russian occupiers about the alleged capture of the settlement of Bohdanivka.
The Bakhmut direction continues to be difficult, the enemy does not stop trying to carry out assault actions. Last day there were 5 combat clashes with the enemy. Today, the hottest spots are the settlements of Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, and Klishchiivka. Despite the statements of the Russian media regarding the capture of Bohdanivka, this is not true. Defense forces of Ukraine continue to hold half of this settlement. The battle line is dynamic, some positions change from hand to hand during the day, Sidorin emphasised.
According to him, in the Ivanovo area, the occupiers are trying to carry out assault operations with equipment to quickly approach the Armed Forces' positions and land their landing forces there.
However, such attempts are quickly detected by aerial reconnaissance and inflict fire damage on the enemy.
Regarding the settlement of Klishchiivka, the Defense Forces of Ukraine carried out counter-attack actions, seizing several positions that the enemy had occupied earlier. The battle line is 5-7 km from Chasiv Yar, so the enemy has the opportunity to inflict fire damage on the city from large-caliber artillery systems, and also, under favorable weather conditions, use aviation, reconnaissance and attack UAVs, — the military officer emphasised.
