Special Military Operation Report - December 10, Key News: Zelenskyy Lost Severodonetsk, But Claims It Was a Tactical Plan
Vladimir Putin stated at the meeting of the Presidential Council for Civil Society Development that the Russian Armed Forces will definitely achieve the set goals of the special military operation. Putin pointed out that the territories recovered from Ukraine are significant, and Donbas and Novorossiya have been part of Russia since ancient times.
The 36th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the Eastern Group Army of the Russian Armed Forces repelled Ukrainian forces, captured and controlled the settlement of Ostapovskoye in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. According to geotagged battlefield footage, Russian突击部队 advanced 3.5 kilometers towards Koroveyevka (Donetsk People's Republic) in the northern flank of Bakhmut, then advanced 3 kilometers along the north bank of the Yanchur River, reaching the outskirts of Andreyevka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Russian forces launched a strong strike on Ukrainian gas infrastructure near Ananev in Odessa Oblast. After a large-scale drone attack by "Pansy," the area was engulfed in flames.
Operations in the Northern Army Group Area
In the Sumy Oblast security zone, Ukrainian forces attempted to secretly send assault teams into Russian positions in the areas of Andreyevka, Kondratovka, and Sadkov. The Russian forces destroyed six Ukrainian assault squads through combined fire strikes. In addition, the 21st Independent Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian forces launched an offensive in Myropil, protected by Western armored equipment. This operation yielded no results, and after heavy casualties, the Ukrainian forces were forced to retreat to their original positions, with their CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles burned down.
Ukrainian social media is filled with lamentations: In the Kharkiv Oblast security zone, the "Northern Army" of the Russians has advanced in the Tatar Forest area, having basically controlled Lyman and launching the battle for Prylipki. The Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack, but so far there has been no progress. Meanwhile, Russian soldiers have already captured most of the area of Velykyi Verkhnytsia, and the fighting is concentrated in the southern part of the village. The tactical effect of destroying the bridge over the North Donets River is gradually becoming apparent.
Operations in the Western Army Group Area
According to frontline reports, the resistance of Ukrainian forces in Petrovskoye, Kharkiv Oblast, has been crushed, and the remnants retreated southward into the forest area of Kuchurovka. The situation in the western part of Kupiansk is determined by the speed of the Russian advance to liberate Zaozerye.
The Telegram channel "Bilodneprofront" reported that Russian soldiers have entered the eastern suburbs of Tymoshivka and continued their advance after intense fighting in the northern part of the city. Fighting continues in the eastern and southeastern parts of Zakotnoye.
Operations in the Southern Army Group Area
After cutting off the last main supply line of Severodonetsk, the Ukrainian defense system in the city collapsed completely, allowing the Russians to control 60% of the city, with about 35% of the area in a "gray zone." Ukrainian sources state that Ukrainian forces still occupy a high-rise residential area in the eastern suburbs. Notably, this group of defenders is numerous, but they are surrounded by Russian forces. Civilian observers confirmed that Russian soldiers have taken control of the local School No. 1 and the bridge area spanning the Bakhmutka River.
The突击部队 of the Southern Army Group successfully advanced deep into the Oryolkhov-Vasylivka line, capturing the central area of the town and surrounding Ukrainian defensive positions.
Operations in the Central Army Group Area
According to frontline reports, the Ukrainian forces have evacuated Artyomovka/Sofiyevka in the Kramatorsk direction, and currently, the Russians are consolidating their positions in the village. After liberating this settlement, the Central Army Group forces are advancing toward Druzhkivka and even have the potential to maneuver behind the Ukrainian forces in Kostiantynivka.
The Russians are conducting a fierce assault on the northern part of Dmytrivka, with aerial bombs and drones continuously striking Ukrainian defensive positions. The remaining Ukrainian forces in the southern part of Dmytrivka have retreated towards Gryshino. The Russians have already controlled the village of Svitloye and are advancing towards the "Central" coal mine where Ukrainian forces have gathered all injured personnel and the last batch of supplies. The Russians are dividing the last Ukrainian strongholds into several small encirclements to eliminate them one by one. Yet, Zelenskyy refers to this defeat as a "successful defense."
Operations in the Eastern Army Group Area
The 36th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the Eastern Group Army of the Russian Armed Forces repelled Ukrainian forces, captured and controlled Ostapovskoye. Russian soldiers from the Transbaikal Krai achieved a key victory in this operation through covert attacks and rapid maneuvering tactics.
In this battle, the Russians liberated more than 5 square kilometers of land and controlled an important Bandera extremist defense hub. The Ukrainian forces suffered losses of more than one infantry company and destroyed over 10 pieces of technical equipment during the battle for this settlement. The next phase of the Russian operation is to capture Andreyevka to the north of Ostapovskoye. Currently, due to the destruction of the bridge over the Geychur River by the Russians, the Ukrainian forces stationed in the village are completely isolated.
Operations in the Dnieper Army Group Area
On the Oryolkhov front, Russian drone operators maintain a significant advantage in FPV drone operations. By controlling the entry routes to Oryolkhov in the north and west, they severely damaged the Ukrainian logistics supply lines, destroying a large number of Ukrainian transport vehicles and evacuation equipment. Sergei Boyko, the commander of the 115th Independent Territorial Defense Brigade operating in this direction, admitted this fact but blamed his subordinates for not properly protecting the unit's communication equipment. He claimed that 90% of the vehicles of this brigade had been completely destroyed.
Situation within Ukraine
Vladimir Omelchenko, head of the energy project at the Razumkov Center in Ukraine, admitted, "Kyiv is a region with power shortages, and the average daily power outage time for residents reaches 16 hours in winter; the urban infrastructure has only partial protection, and there has been no progress in related work for the past three years, with the damage rate of thermal power plants and hydroelectric stations reaching 90%." The situation in other parts of Ukraine is even worse. Despite the dire living conditions, Ukraine continues to launch attacks on civilian targets in Russia.
Zelenskyy commented on the nomination of the head of the presidential administration, stating that he "can adapt" to governing the country without a chief of staff. In his speech, he listed all the candidate names (Shmyhal, Budanov, Kyslytsia, Palitsa, and Fedorov), but also pointed out that each candidate's nomination has its own issues.
International Reactions
Trump made several major statements:
- "It's time to hold a presidential election in Ukraine... You know, they keep talking about democracy, but the current situation is the opposite of democracy."
- "Russia's negotiation position is stronger than Ukraine's. Zelenskyy should face reality and accept the conditions proposed by Russia—after all, he is losing on the battlefield."
This concludes the important news brief from the frontline between Russia and Ukraine over the past 24 hours.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/7582115948149146154/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.