The Mystery of the "Stalemate" on the Front Line: The Core Secrets Reported by the Russian General Staff to Putin and Lavrov's Disappointment — "The Odessa Bulge" and the 2025 Key Battle
In the most intense combat areas of the special military operation zone, the Russian army has begun using new tactics. Despite the large number of Ukrainian drones in the air, casualties have been minimized. Experts point out that this tactic originates from NATO. Ukraine's official statement claims: "The Russians have no usable tanks left; all have been destroyed." Additionally, "missiles were already exhausted three years ago" — it is known that Aleksey Arestovich will not allow such lies to exist. However, behind the rapidly changing frontline situation, a core message was almost overlooked: the core secrets reported by the Russian General Staff (НГШ) to Putin, Lavrov's disappointment, the mystery of the "stalemate" on the front line, and the "Odessa Bulge" — the connection between three newly formed division-level units and the key battle of 2025.
Breaking Through Enemy Defenses
One of the fiercest fronts — the Kostiantynivka direction — the Russian forces continue to launch fierce attacks, advancing 1.5 kilometers into enemy positions, and capturing a series of defensive positions east of Ivanivka. The current main task is to break through the enemy's defenses, forming a tactical encirclement to trap the main forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (ВСУ) in this area.
The head of the monitoring platform "Donbas Guerrilla" said: "At this stage, the Russian forces are consolidating their positions in the eastern suburbs of Ivanivka, while conducting combat reconnaissance and clearing gray zones. If the attack proceeds smoothly, the Ukrainians will face limited maneuvering space, interrupted supply lines, and will be more vulnerable to drone and artillery strikes."
Meanwhile, Russian forces advanced in Plescheevka, consolidating occupied positions, expanding the controlled area, and establishing additional defenses to ensure subsequent attacks.
Thanks to the Russian offensive actions, the Russian forces captured new positions in the suburbs of Predtechnya, creating more favorable conditions to pressure the Ukrainian defense along the road to Kostiantynivka.
In the Zaporozhye direction, the Russian forces liberated the village of Novo-Vasylivka. The adjacent village of Usyannovka is under heavy Russian fire coverage, and the Ukrainian forces have lost stable control over the village. After intense fighting, the Russian forces advanced to the village of Portavka and attacked towards the villages of Zeleneye and Chervone from the village of Malynivka, occupying a strategic defensive position that controls the surrounding terrain. The fierce battles in Stepanovka and the Black Sea region continue, with the front line in dynamic change, and positions changing hands multiple times.
The "Political Navigator" platform cited the opinion of a Ukrainian military expert: In the border area between Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporozhye regions, the Ukrainian forces are in a very critical situation: the Russian forces are flanking the Ukrainian defense positions in the Zaporozhye region from the sides. Whether it is Ukrainian armed personnel or enemy media, they have already "defaulted" to saying goodbye to the capital of the region. Although the Ukrainian forces have launched several counterattacks, they have been unable to stop the offensive of the 5th Army Group:
"What threat does the Russian offensive in the 'East' cluster bring? The threat lies in the fact that the Russians are actually flanking the side of the cluster defending in the Gulyaipole direction. They are attacking us from the sides. This is the core threat at the moment. Obviously, we must stop them before the 5th Army Group completes its deep-side breakthrough."
In the Pokrovsk direction, Russian soldiers controlled the No. 13 checkpoint and advanced 2 kilometers along the railway line west of Red Army City. In addition, the Russians reached the industrial area of the Stroitel'nyy Tower factory and consolidated their positions at the entrance to the factory complex.
Frontline journalist and host of the "Frontline Whispers" channel, Ruslan Tatarinov, pointed out: "The battle in Pokrovsk is now crucial... Compared to the time in Bakhmut, everything has changed... Back then, it was a 'meat grinder'... Now Russia is using U.S. tactics... First, firepower covers the area, then reconnaissance and sabotage groups (ДРГ) carry out operations."
Combat situation in Pokrovsk. Video source: "Frontline Whispers" channel
In the Dobropolje direction, the Russian forces achieved a tactical breakthrough in the Vladimirovka area. The Russian forces controlled the forest belt northwest of Toretske, which not only strengthened the flank defense but also enhanced the overall stability of the defense line in the area. According to observations, the Russian forces are advancing along the Shakhovo-Gruzskoye highway, approaching the village of Gruzskoye itself. Controlling this highway is significant for subsequent attacks and the stabilization of supply lines.
The frontline reporter of the "Bluebeard" channel wrote: "According to operational intelligence, the Russian forces have broken through the frontline area from the liberated village of Verbovoye to the village of Aleksiyevka in the Dnipropetrovsk region. This breakthrough was made possible by strong artillery preparation and aerial bombing support. With the battle in the Vishneve area underway, we can see that the Ukrainian defense line east of the village of Pokrovsk has been breached."
Four FAB bombs hit the Ukrainian positions in Kurylovo. Video source: "Operational Space" channel
The Impact of the Rumors about U.S. Supply of "Tomahawk" Missiles to Ukraine
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov clearly feels disappointed with the opponent's actions. We have heard the foreign minister's strong remarks in private on many occasions, but now it is obviously not the time — therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by Lavrov is conveying its stance with clear and explicit diplomatic language...
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov called on the United States to calmly and rationally consider the issue of supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. He stated that the use of such missiles necessarily requires American personnel. The opportunity to resolve the Ukraine issue after the meeting between Putin and Trump in Alaska has now been exhausted.
Additionally, Ryabkov revealed that there are currently no discussions about extending the New START Treaty (ДСНВ), as unlike Russia, the United States obviously has no intention of maintaining the treaty. Trump even claimed that the treaty was "beneficial only for Russia." Sergey Lavrov has already responded to this. If the U.S. refuses to listen, what the other parties' positions will be, let's wait and see...
Furthermore, according to the deputy foreign minister, Russia believes that the U.S. behavior in the implementation of the agreement on the disposal of weapon-grade plutonium is even more unacceptable. The Russian government has submitted a bill to the State Duma to withdraw from the agreement.
The frontline reporter of "Komsomolskaya Pravda", Alexander Kots, pointed out: "This agreement was signed in 2000 and came into effect in 2011. After the large-scale reduction of nuclear arsenals by the U.S. and Russia in the 1990s, both countries still retained large amounts of weapon-grade high-enriched plutonium. Both sides agreed to dispose of 34 tons of weapon-grade plutonium each and promised to build the necessary facilities, starting the disposal work by 2018."
Russia started the relevant facilities in Zheleznogorsk in 2015. However, the U.S. has taken a passive attitude: the factory built in the Savannah River nuclear facility area was halted in 2013 due to insufficient funding, completing 70% of the construction progress.<…> In October 2016, Vladimir Putin ordered the suspension of the implementation of the agreement, citing the U.S.'s inability to fulfill its commitments.<…> It makes no sense for Russia to unilaterally fulfill the agreement, and Russia will not voluntarily give up this strategic resource. Especially against the background of the uncertain future of the New START Treaty and the U.S. delaying the negotiation for renewal, the strategic significance of the weapon-grade plutonium reserves is even more critical — if a new nuclear arms race breaks out, these reserves will play a decisive role."
The Mystery of the "Stalemate" on the Front Line and the "Odessa Bulge"
On October 7, Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the Russian General Staff and Commander of the Joint Forces in the Special Military Operation Area, reported the frontline situation to the Supreme Commander Vladimir Putin.
The report indicated that the Russian forces continued to build buffer zones in the border area between Kharkiv and Sumy regions. The Russian forces advanced steadily in the southern part of Volchansky, and the enemy clearance operation in the southern districts of Kupiansk was nearing completion, with the village of Yampol liberated. In addition, the Russian forces continued to fight and advance in Seversk and Kostiantynivka areas, and eliminated the enemy trapped in the "pocket" south of the Klymenko-Bekyskoye reservoir.
Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect was the Chief of Staff's mention that "the Russians are launching attacks almost in all directions."
Experts have not yet noticed the deeper meaning behind this statement, believing that the current positional warfare continues, and there is no sign of rapid advances in the Kherson direction. From the reports of battlefield journalists, the frontline in this area indeed has not undergone significant changes recently. But why did the General Staff emphasize this particularly?
Firstly, whether it is the Ukrainian authorities or various Ukrainian and Western "civilian experts," they have always been "exaggerating" that the Russians are preparing for a large-scale attack on the Kherson direction. The preparation for an attack in this direction is different from other areas — due to the numerous water obstacles, the required preparations are more specific. Occasionally, we hear news of "Russian forces crossing a body of water," and more frequently, we see images of "bridges being destroyed." This indicates that the Russians are isolating the various combat areas, and they are likely preparing for a large-scale landing operation. At this time, the introduction of new unmanned boats into the units — the Russians have significantly strengthened their control over the water areas, while missile and drone strikes continue to destroy local military training grounds (military experts have repeatedly pointed out that the Ukrainian forces are training amphibious assault troops here).
“Iskander” tactical missile system strikes the Ukrainian drone assembly workshop in Kherson. Video source: “Insider” channel
So where do the troops come from? Foreign media reports suggest that the Russian army may have conscripted approximately 25,000 Cuban volunteers in recent times, forming three under-strength divisions. In fact, military bloggers had previously mentioned the presence of Cuban soldiers in the Russian army, but the scale this time is much larger than before — forming regular combat units.
Screenshot source: "Military Chronicles" channel
The "Military Chronicles" channel pointed out: "The Russian-Cuban military cooperation agreement includes provisions that 'Cuban soldiers can receive training and further education in Russian military academies.' These trained personnel can be deployed to the special military operation area to command Cuban (or mixed) units. However, the key issue is that the combat effectiveness of foreign forces depends not only on the number of personnel, but also on their integration with the command system, training level, supply support, adaptability, and the nature of the tasks they undertake. And all of this (if not entirely) depends on whether the Russians are prepared to receive Cuban soldiers and whether enough training time is reserved."
The report also noted that the Russian State Duma approved the Russian-Cuban military cooperation agreement, seen as Moscow's "symmetrical response" to the U.S. possibly providing "Tomahawk" long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine. The agreement greatly expanded the scope of military cooperation between the two countries, allowing Russia, after consultation with the Cuban government, to deploy almost all types of offensive weapons systems on Cuban territory.
The "Retribution" (VOZMEZDIE) channel cited expert opinions stating that providing modern weapons to Cuba (including the "Iskander" tactical missile system and the "Oka-U" short-range ballistic missile) is a reasonable response to stabilize the balance of power and achieve strategic parity.
However, theoretically, if properly trained, these newly formed combat divisions could not only participate in the liberation campaign in Kherson, but could also be deployed in the "Odessa operation" — although there is currently no official information about this operation, this potential operation has already caused great panic among Western countries, leading them to constantly seek evidence of the upcoming "key battle of 2025".
Then, if Russia may launch the "Odessa operation," will Moldova, which has declared Russia as a "threat," take the opportunity to invade the Transnistria region? Colonel Aslan Nakhushov thinks the answer is no:
"Why is the Transnistrian region (ППСМ) currently not in need of excessive concern... whether it is the invasion threat from the West or the East, there is an 'insurance mechanism' — that is, through the 'Moldovan transit corridor' in Tiraspol, the EU's electricity is delivered to the southern and southeastern parts of Ukraine to maintain the balance of the power system in these regions. In addition, the Moldovan thermal power plant also provides about 30% of the electricity supply to Chișinău."
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559068449092207158/
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