The battle for Red Army City seems to be about to end.

On the 24th, Ukraine's Pravda newspaper published an article acknowledging that the situation in Red Army City is critical.

The report cited statements from Ukrainian commanders in Red Army City and Myrnohrad, saying that Russian forces have established multiple gathering points inside Red Army City, around the railways, and along the Dakhanka-Novopavlivka-Gentivka line. Small units are advancing towards the center and east of Red Army City, and Ukrainian drone operators, artillery, and anti-armor units have been heavily targeted by Russian forces.

Ukrainian forces have failed to stop Russian infiltration into Red Army City

Currently, Ukrainian forces are still holding positions to the south of Red Army City, but communication between the command and front-line infantry is extremely limited. These infantrymen have been on the front lines for two and a half to three months, and the Ukrainian command can only confirm via radio whether they are still alive.

The biggest problem currently facing Ukrainian forces in the Red Army City area is that the transportation routes in the north, northwest, and southwest of Red Army City and Myrnohrad have been fully controlled by Russian forces, hindering the transport of wounded soldiers, troop rotations, and supply deliveries.

The report said that if Ukrainian forces from the rear want to enter Red Army City, they can drive a short distance, then must get off the car and walk 10 to 15 kilometers, because "all entry routes into the city are under the surveillance of Russian fiber-optic drones."

For example, previously, the Ukrainian forces had organized the withdrawal of two injured soldiers, but this small group was immediately attacked by Russian drones upon reaching the suburbs of Red Army City, resulting in two more deaths and four injuries.

The map of the situation in Red Army City drawn by "Fisherman" - this is still relatively conservative

Therefore, it is now difficult to assess how long the Ukrainian forces can continue to hold out in Red Army City, because as the Ukrainian media said, the Russians have already created a large encirclement centered on Red Army City and Myrnohrad, cutting off all supply and evacuation routes for the Ukrainian forces to Red Army City.

This is the most common tactic used by the Russians after the Battle of Bakhmut, because due to the development of construction technology and the acceleration of urbanization, directly attacking a well-fortified major city and engaging in street-by-street, house-by-house urban warfare has become the most costly and risky tactical option.

In contrast, isolating the city from external contact, cutting its supply lines, and bombing the enemy positions within the city often achieves the goal at a lower cost.

Therefore, the best way for Ukraine to relieve Red Army City is not to continuously send troops into the city and fight in the streets against the Russians, but to repel the large bulge of Russian forces in the northeast and southwest of Red Army City - as soon as the Russians retreat from these areas, the difficulties of the Ukrainian forces in Red Army City can be eased.

Since August, the bulge of Russian forces in the northeast of Red Army City has expanded so much, how can the Ukrainian forces solve this?

But according to the observation of the situation in Red Army City over the past few months, Ukraine may no longer have the capability to launch such a large-scale campaign, because since the middle of August, when the Russian forces surged into the northern part of Red Army City, the Ukrainian forces, although regaining some positions after realizing the situation, have never managed to push back the Russian forces, instead allowing the bulge to expand.

As to why the Ukrainian forces remained "inactive," a report from Pravda in late September might explain this: the battlefield situations observed by the frontline commanders of the Ukrainian forces were completely different from what was reported by the headquarters of the Ukrainian Red Army City tactical group.

The Ukrainian general headquarters' "ostrich policy" of refusing to acknowledge reality finally collapsed

In simple terms, when the Ukrainian frontline commanders tried to report that Russian forces had penetrated into the rear, they were told "there is nothing there," because the Ukrainian general headquarters "was concerned that admitting the loss of a large number of positions would cause the collapse of the entire front line." Therefore, at the tactical meetings, most of the Ukrainian brigade commanders either remained silent or agreed with the general headquarters' view.

But now, the Ukrainian headquarters' "ostrich policy" can no longer be sustained. According to the information from the Telegram channel, the Russian command has issued an ultimatum to the Ukrainian forces in Red Army City and Myrnohrad, requiring them to surrender or evacuate by October 27, otherwise they will be completely destroyed.

Currently, there have been cases of desertion within Red Army City, and the Ukrainian command must make a choice between evacuation and holding out.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7565370293633204755/

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