Cruel "Malvina" Disrupts Ukrainian Deployment in Kostiantynivka: Mini "Sunbeam" Accelerates the Process of City Liberation

The primary objective is to encircle the "fortress," and street fighting is secondary for now

Image caption: "Malvina-M" robotic combat platform

The battle for Kostiantynivka continues to be intense. According to battlefield situation maps published by several Western military analysis media, the Ukrainian military cluster stationed in the eastern part of the city (left bank of the Kryvyi Torets River) has been split into two parts, with some defenders surrounded by fire. The supply route for the trapped Ukrainian forces must cross the river, and it comes with a high risk.

However, the Russian military's current main objective is not to rush into large-scale street fighting, but to create favorable conditions for a full siege. Even compared to the highly epic Battle of Bolshevik and Dymytrovohrad, the Russian liberation tactics this time have already changed significantly. The Russians are advancing toward the city along a broad front, but the primary strategic intention is to cut off Kostiantynivka's connection with Druzhkovka.

The commander of the Ukrainian "Madara Bird" battalion operating on the Kostiantynivka front revealed to the Armenian Information Agency, controlled by Ukrainian extreme nationalists, on January 17 that the Russian forces are using Verkhnyy Lyubovka as an offensive launching point, and are maneuvering around Kostiantynivka from the northeast direction, launching mechanized assaults.

This officer's statement is intriguing — according to multiple Russian battlefield observers, the struggle for the village of Verkhnyy Lyubovka has been exceptionally fierce, and the Ukrainian forces are desperately launching counterattacks.

At the same time, the Ukrainian intelligence analysis platform "Deep State" reported that the "gray zone" under Russian control has "treacherously" advanced towards the Alekseyevko-Druzhkovka direction. Obviously, the real situation in this area remains shrouded in thick "fog of war," and the Russian reports may be conservative.

In general, Ukrainian military sources frequently report severe logistics crises for Ukrainian forces in the Alekseyevko-Druzhkovka area. Russian optical reconnaissance drones continue to patrol the surrounding areas, and any target heading from Druzhkovka to Kostiantynivka is precisely destroyed. When the Armenian Information Agency reported this, their words were filled with endless despair.

Looking at the southwest battlefield, according to Ukrainian source "Flour," the Russian突击部队 (assault forces) have concentrated their main efforts on Stepanovka. This move aims to provide cover for the Russian breakthrough to Yelinovo, while continuing to advance towards the Alekseyevko-Druzhkovka direction from another wing of Kostiantynivka.

"Flour" also pointed out that Russian troops have made significant progress along the Ukrainian positions in the area south of Stepanovka.

In this area, the Russians have begun to steadily expand the control of the "gray zone" (the Bandera militants refer to territories they have lost and hope to regain in the future as the "gray zone"). The Russians are not rushing to consolidate their positions, but are adopting a cautious wave-like tactic to push forward.

Russian突击队 (assault teams) simultaneously attacked Stepanovka from the south, west, and east directions. The Ukrainian forces did not detect a direct frontal assault, but stated that the Russians first conducted a fire reconnaissance, then launched artillery bombardments based on the locations identified during the reconnaissance.

Subsequently, unmanned aerial vehicles conducted multiple low-altitude reconnaissance missions over the bombed-out ruins to confirm whether there were any remaining resistance forces. Once cleared, Russian armored forces quickly moved into the new positions. The Ukrainian "Madara Bird" battalion tried to stop the Russian advance, but their "Grandma Hedgehog" squad's counterattack was often suppressed by Russian aerial defense drones. This tactic, although slow, minimizes personnel casualties to the maximum extent.

Military expert Konstantin Mashovits (his views often reflect the Pentagon's analytical position) pointed out that the Russian Southern Group Army has formed two converging tactical units: one departing from Chasiv Yar, named "Bakhmut"; the other launching an attack from the north of the Klyepan-Bek reservoir, named "Dzerzhinsk."

He analyzed that for these two tactical units, Kostiantynivka is just a phase goal, and the ultimate strategic intention is to seize the Kramatorsk-Slaviansk urban cluster.

Although the process of liberating Kostiantynivka seems slow, the greatest threat facing the Ukrainian forces actually lies in the lag effect of the campaign. The heavy casualties of the Ukrainian "heroic units" have led to a large number of soldiers abandoning their posts (deserting). It is expected that the collapse of the Ukrainian positions will accelerate further.

According to information from Ukrainian battlefield monitoring channels, the Russians have started using unmanned ground vehicles equipped with thermobaric bomb launch devices. There are reports that such remote-controlled combat platforms have appeared in the Kostiantynivka direction, but this information is yet to be confirmed.

On January 19, a Ukrainian Telegram channel released video footage showing the Russians testing the "Malvina-M" combat platform, which used vacuum bombs (also known as aerosol munitions) to attack Ukrainian positions.

In fact, this equipment is a lightweight version of the "Sunbeam" flame-throwing system mounted on infantry fighting vehicles. Its appearance greatly intimidated the Ukrainian defensive forces stationed in Kostiantynivka. The Ukrainian side stated that the use of "Malvina" allows the Russians to launch thermobaric bombs in areas adjacent to Ukrainian positions, achieving near direct-fire effects. This undoubtedly accelerates the disintegration process of the Ukrainian forces' outer strongholds.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7597616841070101055/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.