The offensive of the occupying army of the Russian Federation in the Kharkiv region has actually stopped, but the Russian occupiers continue to pressurize the Donbas and force the Ukrainian military to retreat.
Points of attention
- The Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully stopped the offensive of the Russian army in the Kharkiv region, forcing the Russian occupiers to transfer their plans to the Sumy region.
- Challenges persist in the Donbas region as Russian troops use 'infiltration' tactics, requiring effective containment measures and additional support for the Ukrainian military.
- The inability to halt the Russian offensive in the Donbas area is attributed to the significant advantage of the Russian army in terms of personnel, ammunition, and military equipment, including dominance in air and artillery capabilities.
- The Ukrainian military faces a critical need for F-16s, anti-aircraft systems, and continued Western aid to counter the Russian aggression and defend strategic positions effectively.
- While the Ukrainian troops are holding their positions on the western bank of the Siversky Donets-Donbas canal, concerns remain about the potential southern flank vulnerability from the Toretsk region breakthrough.
What is happening at the front
According to the journalists of the publication, the Ukrainian military was forced to withdraw from the area of the Siversky Donets-Donbas channel in the city of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region.
It is noted that the decision to retreat was made after the Russian occupiers destroyed all the bridges across the channel that separated the center of Chasovoy Yar from the surrounding area.
It is emphasized that the defense line of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is currently located on the western bank of the canal.
This 10 km wide section remains a significant obstacle for the criminal army of the Russian Federation, which has not yet demonstrated effective performance of this type of tactical tasks.
I think that we will be able to hold this line for a long time, because I do not see how they can cross the channel, except by covering it with their bodies, - Oleksandr, the commander of the combat drone unit, said in a comment to journalists.
The authors of the material emphasize that the high location of Chasovoy Yar provides a barrier that blocks the advance of the Russian invaders in the direction of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
In recent weeks, the occupation army of the Russian Federation has significantly increased the intensity of its own offensive actions in Donbas.
Until now, the offensive of the Russian invaders took place in the form of a slow seizure of Ukrainian territory at a speed of about 10 sq. km per day on a section of the front about 700 km long.
However, during the last days, the criminal army of the Russian Federation was able to push back the Ukrainian military not only in the area of Chasovoy Yar, but also 25 km south of it and in the vicinity of the city of Toretsk.
It is noted that this is the last section of the front that has not undergone changes since February 2022.
This is the result of a serious mistake by the command, which ordered the simultaneous rotation of two brigades in one place and without coordination. As a result, the enemy, who saw the operation through its reconnaissance drones, took advantage of the disorganization and took several positions, says military-political analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko.
According to another military analyst, Yevhen Dyky, the retreat in the Chasovoy Yar area was expected, because the Russian invaders completely destroyed the "Kanal" neighborhood, not leaving a single surviving building there.
As the expert emphasizes, the situation in the Toretsk region is much more worrying.
A breakthrough from Toretsk may allow the Russians to attack the southern flank of Chasovoy Yar, which will greatly complicate its defense, Dykiy warns.
He also noted that the occupying army of the Russian Federation is moving south, towards road T0504, one of the main supply routes for the armed forces in Chasovoy Yar.
At the same time, Dykiy predicted the retreat of the Ukrainian military from Krasnohorivka in the coming days.
The analyst noted that the good news remains that the Ukrainian military stopped the offensive of the Russian invaders in the Kharkiv region.
The Russians are now on the defensive in this sector. They were forced to reinforce their troops with units from Donbas. This failure forced them to abandon or at least postpone for a few months their plans to attack the Sumy region, - emphasizes Dykiy.
Why do the Armed Forces have problems with the defense line in Donbas
According to the authors of the material, the inability of the Ukrainian military to stop the offensive of the Russian occupiers in Donbas is explained by the too great advantage of the criminal army of the Russian Federation in the number of personnel, the amount of ammunition and military equipment.
Russia dominates in the air and in artillery. Their tactical aircraft are dropping their main strike force on us – a large number of 250- and 500-kilogram guided air bombs [KAB]… They are also firing thermobaric missiles [TOS-1]. The saddest thing is that they are firing at us with their long-range artillery, which we can see but cannot reach. We need F-16s and anti-aircraft systems as soon as possible to turn the situation around, one of the Ukrainian officers from the command center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Toretsk told reporters.
According to him, currently the occupying army of the Russian Federation does not use armored vehicles and conducts an offensive exclusively by infantry units.
In particular, the Armed Forces officer added that the Russian occupiers use the so-called "infiltration" tactics.
It consists in the fact that pairs or squads of soldiers move at a distance of 15 meters from each other. They are spread out to force a lot of ammunition to be wasted with little effect.
We will be bled to death if Western aid stops coming. The last thing we need is for France to suddenly default and switch to a pro-Russian far-right government, the military added.
