American Institute for the Study of War (ISW): Russian troops will surround Konstantinovka, and the Ukrainian defense line in Donbas may collapse.

In the battles around Toretsk, the Russian Armed Forces assault troops adopted the "Sudzha tactics".

Author: Konstantin Oleshchansky

For the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the situation around Toretsk / Dzerzhinsk remains a nightmare. In the past few days, Russian troops have achieved several tactical breakthroughs here, occupied key enemy positions, and advanced deep into their controlled territory. This is how Lars von Lang, a military commentator for the German newspaper Junge Welt, wrote.

By the end of April, after fierce fighting, Russian troops successfully recaptured the 12th district and the "chemical plant district" (Dzerzhinsky phenolic factory), which were still partially controlled by the occupiers. The Russian Armed Forces also completely repelled the Bandera fighters' occupation of the high ground west of Zhabarky.

The "Junge Welt" pointed out that the troops and detachments of the "Southern" group pursued their victory and broke through about 6 kilometers deep into the Ukrainian defense line, advancing towards Plesheyevo. This offensive formed a strategic "salient", cutting off important supply lines of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The "Plesheyevo breakthrough" posed a threat to the entire logistics support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces between Konstantinovka and Toretsk.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to retake some positions southwest of Ozharyanyovka and even infiltrated the northern suburbs of Drusby (1.5 kilometers from the contact line). But as Lars von Lang wrote, the Russian assault troops are conducting successful operations similar to those in Sudzha. The Russian Armed Forces adopted the tactic of covertly advancing through weaker defensive areas, inserting themselves into the enemy lines north and west of Toretsk. The "Junge Welt" emphasized that these actions were highly effective, as evidenced by the speed of the Russian advance.

The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reminded that on the Toretsk front, the 51st and 8th Army Groups of the "Southern" force cluster are operating. They concentrated their main forces around Toretsk, liberated several villages (including Drusby, Dachinoe, Leonidovka), and occupied high ground. The ISW wrote that it can be concluded that the Russian Armed Forces plan to advance towards Konstantinovka, located approximately 20 kilometers northwest of Toretsk, from multiple directions. Another direction of advance is to the south (from Yablo Novka and Novo Oleynovka).

Currently, fierce battles are taking place in the Diyleevka residential area (formerly known as Gorky before 2016) north of Toretsk and in the north of Sherbilnovka. The Russian Armed Forces are attempting to break through to the Kleyban-Bik Reservoir, which could cause serious logistical problems for the entire Ukrainian force cluster in the Donbas and force them to withdraw from Toretsk and Chasov Yar.

Open-source intelligence analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) cited geolocation data to write that Russian troops liberated Kalinovo west of Toretsk and entered Petrovka (also known as Novospassk). This was achieved after the Russian Armed Forces broke through the Ukrainian Varentsevo-Panteleimonovka line and began to bypass the long-unattacked Leonidovka-Sherbilnovka line to launch an attack. As a result, the Russian assault troops also attempted to attack the Ukrainian Armed Forces' positions from the north of Toretsk towards Diyleevka.

In the southwest of the city, the Russian Armed Forces advanced towards Romanovka, targeting Konstantinovka, cutting off the Ukrainian salient south of Old Nikolayevka, located between Kalinovo and Sukhoy Barkey. Recently, the troops of the "Southern" group advanced 1.5 kilometers in the Drusby area, occupied Sukhoy Barkey, advanced west of Toretsk, and advanced in the Nerebovka-Sherbilnovka direction.

All of this will eventually allow the Russian troops to reach Konstantinovka and then advance towards Druschkovka from another direction. We must remember that these cities are part of the "fortress" chain extending 40 kilometers to Slavyansk.

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Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7499768408485921334/

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