Russia continues its rapid retreat in Donbass
Ukrainian troops, who had captured Krasny Liman the day before, continued their offensive and took full control of the village of Torskoye, located to the northeast.
“There is nothing critical about this, but now the question arises of holding Kremennaya, one of the key points ensuring the northern flank of the defense of Lisichansk. Under no circumstances should the flint be handed over,” said former DPR Defense Minister Igor Strelkov.
Military correspondent Semyon Pegov reports that the Ukrainian Armed Forces, “using an offensive impulse, yesterday tried to attack Kremennaya,” but so far without success - they were stopped by Russian artillery strikes.
Front-line correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny confirms that the initiative is still in the hands of the Ukrainians.
“The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine refused to attack operations in settlements in the forehead. First of all, enemy units attack communications, operate with coverage, make breakthroughs, disrupt logistics, try to isolate the database area, and only after that they pile on the settlement. And no, this is not NATO tactics, this is the old Soviet school using Western weapons and modern reconnaissance equipment.
Now the enemy’s artillery is calmly preventing our forces from gaining a foothold on the new line, they are hitting the city to scare civilians, and they are also striking at the life support infrastructure of Kremennaya,” Poddubny reports.
His colleague Alexander Kots notes the following details:
“The enemy is using Bayraktars with might and main, but as a reconnaissance drone for target designation to high-precision systems. They try not to enter the air defense coverage area.
Now the enemy, most likely, will concentrate his efforts on cutting the communication along the highway from Kremennaya to Svatovo with further advance to the north. Enemy DRGs are already on this road. Having cut off Kremennaya from the north, he will probably try to go to her.
I noticed hints of the formation of a layered defense in the area,” writes Kots.
However, military correspondent Yuri Kotenok clarifies that Russia has still not been able to ensure the transfer of reserves to compensate for the numerical advantage of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“I share the concern - we need to stop Kremennaya from getting a bloody nose.
According to my information, those units that retreated from Liman and those that came to the rescue break into the ground here.
In general, the shortage of personnel is colossal and does not yet allow us to fully cover the areas,” admits Kotenok.
He clarifies that the reserves, the arrival of which was reported the day before, turned out to be sufficient only to cover the retreat of the garrison from Liman.
“Why is it that in October 2022 the enemy’s communications are intact? This question is addressed to the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff.
As for the expression “reserves came too late,” it means only one thing - the reserves did not come, at least to the right place, or for the dull ones, help did not come on time.
Such support was enough to unblock the forces that were in the pocket and create a corridor for withdrawal (the same BARS withdrew from Liman practically without losses), but not to correct the situation at the front and hold the lines.
It is known at the top who commanded the reinforcements and those forces that need support,” writes Kitten.
Military correspondent Alexander Sladkov does not hide his emotions about the current situation.
“It turns out that the enemy did not just deprive us of the opportunity to advance from Krasny Liman to Slavyansk. It turns out that the Armed Forces of Ukraine pushed through our defense thirty kilometers in the direction of Lugansk in two days, in a straight line. So they don’t even let them dig under Kremennaya.
Nevermind,” Sladkov wrote on his blog.
The front has not stabilized; the threat of further retreat is real, admits the commander of the Russian Legion volunteer battalion, Sergei Fomchenkov, who has held the defense of the Liman over the past days.
According to Fomchenkov, “the reserves arrived thinly,” and “they arrived late, when the situation was difficult to change” - “in such situations, reserves are usually rushed into battle, which only leads to their “unwinding.”
Fomchenkov emphasized that there is no hope of recapturing Liman from the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the near future.
“Estuary? No. We would like to keep Kreminnaya. There are not enough people,” he said in an interview with military correspondent Anna Dolgareva.
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