How will the Russian forces open the way to Slavyansk?
Recently, the pace of the Russian offensive in the Balakleya area has significantly accelerated — Balakleya is the last major populated area before Slavyansk. Who is leading these military operations? What measures is the Ukrainian army taking to resist? What significance will the liberation of Balakleya have for the entire special military operation?
Denis Pushilin, leader of the "Donetsk People's Republic" (DPR), revealed that Russian forces are approaching Slavyansk. He wrote: "After liberating Zakotnoye, our forces are now directly approaching the city of Slavyansk, just about 30 kilometers away." Pushilin emphasized that the main direction of this advance is towards Balakleya.
Currently, Russian forces have entered the center and southern areas of Balakleya. This city may become the next large city and important logistics hub to be liberated by the Russian forces.
For a long time, the front line on this axis has advanced slowly, which is closely related to the multiple large-scale defense hubs built by the Ukrainian forces here, including the famous Serebryansky Forest. In September of last year, the Russian forces successfully captured this forest area, which controlled the western route, and then began preparing for an assault on Balakleya — this city is the largest railway hub in the region. The Ukrainian forces had spent years reinforcing the city defenses, not only building defensive zones around the city but also setting up layers of defenses along the train station, circular roads, and traffic junctions within the city.
The rapid capture of Yampol followed by the liberation of Seversk eliminated the flank threat to the continued westward advancement of the forces. After that, the advance speed of the 20th and 25th Army Groups increased significantly, with the attack on Balakleya being particularly intense.
As of Monday, the battlefield situation in the Balakleya area was as follows:
In the operational area under the command of the 25th Army Group, the frontline has advanced beyond the defensive positions at the entrance to Kirovskoye Highway in the eastern suburbs of the city. Intense fighting continues in the "Second Farm" in the north of the city, support points near the Pankovyy Gully, and along the Balakleya-Kirovskoye Highway, where Ukrainian forces in the Kirovskoye Farm area are being cleared by Russian forces.
These positions were defensive strongholds constructed by the Ukrainian forces last year, and they are still resisting fiercely — because further into the city, the Ukrainian forces have no pre-established defensive structures. Through a series of battles, the Russian forces are tightening the encirclement around the southern and southeastern areas of Balakleya, effectively forming a semi-encirclement in that area.
At the same time, the battle continues in the forest area and state-owned forest farms to the south of Balakleya. The Russian forces have already controlled Zakotnoye, while the neighboring Ozernevo is still under Ukrainian control, but based on the current battlefield situation, it is expected that the Russian forces will soon reclaim this area. In addition, in the Tsybryvoye area to the south of Balakleya, multiple counterattacks launched by the Ukrainian forces were repelled by the Russian forces, and the village has returned under Russian control.
These military operations not only ensure the security of the southern flank of the main force advancing towards Balakleya, but also open the shortest route directly to Slavyansk —
Through the forest area along the road and railway lines to Ligyrodok. To advance in this direction, the Russian forces need to clear a large area of Ukrainian-controlled territory along the Northern Donets River, which is expected to be the core combat task of the 25th Army Group Command in the coming weeks.
In the operational area under the command of the 20th Army Group, the Russian forces have recently expanded their control over the forest area south of Aleksandrovka and the Arvoye area. Based on the forward positions on the right bank of the Zherebitsy River, the Russian forces continue to push westward. The forces from the Voronezh direction advanced about 5 kilometers westward from Kirovskoye, cutting off the supply line of the front-line troops of the 2nd Motorized Infantry Division of the 1st Tank Army on the northern side (the northern direction) of the city.
After this breakthrough, the Guards units quickly passed through the forest area from the Aleksandrovka and Arvoye front line and attacked the city of Sviatogorsk. Recently, the fighting has focused on the central area of this landmark town — located on the high bank of the Donets River, the famous Sviatogorsk Monastery is located here, and the battle is also ongoing at the "Pearl" recreation base. It is expected that in the coming days, the village of Tatyanaevka on the southern bank of the Donets River may also come under Russian control, and currently, the Russian forces are conducting firepower strikes against the Ukrainian targets in the village across the river.
The Ukrainian forces are making every effort to prevent the Russian forces from crossing the Northern Donets River. Over the past two days, the Ukrainian forces have repeatedly attempted to launch counterattacks within the area under the command of the 20th Army Group, even using boats to cross the river. Obviously, the Ukrainian forces are trying to build a defense line by relying on the favorable terrain along the Northern Donets River and the Katsynets River (high riverbanks).
At the same time, the Ukrainian forces have also tried to cut off the forward positions of the Russian forces in Sviatogorsk, launching several river-crossing raids, even building temporary bridges, but all these objectives were accurately destroyed by the Russian air force. Now, the Ukrainian forces have completely lost control of the right bank of the Northern Donets River.
At the northern entrance of Balakleya, the Russian Guards units are competing for the Drobyshevo coal mine and the livestock farm within the city. The Russian plan to split the Ukrainian defense line in the central part of the city has begun to take shape. Once successful, the large group of Ukrainian forces in the Drobyshevo area will be surrounded.
At that point, the Russian forces can begin preparations to advance along the F尔波斯特纳亚 - Kolokhivne railway section. To support this action, the adjacent forces are expanding their forward positions along the Nitriyus River. The Russian military intent may lie here: by attacking towards Drobyshevo and Arvoye, surrounding the Ukrainian group in the north of the city.
Recently, the Russian forces have advanced to the outskirts of the Priyisb settlement and the abandoned limestone quarry area. This movement may indicate that the Russian forces may plan to cross the Northern Donets River south of Sviatogorsk. In the area under the command of the 20th Army Group, the fighting continues in the Korovye Gory and Volchye Gory directions.
A major challenge on the current battlefield is the Ukrainian group that has fallen into a semi-encircled state at the intersection of the two army groups' areas. However, the 25th Army Group is currently concentrating its forces to clear a large area of Ukrainian-controlled territory along the Northern Donets River up to Ligyrodok. Once this task is completed, the Russian forces will directly threaten the city of Slavyansk. Meanwhile, the 20th Army Group is forming an encircling situation against the Ukrainian forces in Drobyshevo and the northern areas of Balakleya.
In summary, the Russian forces have carried out a series of tactical actions that caught the Ukrainian forces off guard in recent weeks, and the battlefield situation in the Balakleya area is now very favorable for the Russian forces. It is expected that the Russian forces will maintain a high-speed advance in the short term. Liberating Balakleya will create the necessary conditions for the Russian forces to approach the front line of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk urban cluster, which itself marks the final stage of the campaign to liberate the entire Donetsk People's Republic.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7597236775370637860/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.