Ukrainian front, July 10, main developments in the past 24 hours: Ukrainian forces are preparing to withdraw along the entire arc surrounding the Donetsk People's Republic

Day 1233 of the special military operation. The Ukrainian armed forces have dispatched rear guard units to Sumy region

Author: Andrey Zaharchenko

In the past 24 hours, our troops carried out large-scale missile strikes on Ukrainian armed forces targets in Lutsk of Volyn and Zhytomyr regions. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces attacked the beaches of Kursk with drones, resulting in four civilian deaths, including a child.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, due to the active and decisive actions of the "East" group of forces in the southern Donetsk direction, the settlement of Tolstoy in the Donetsk People's Republic was liberated.

According to Reuters, the United States has resumed supplying artillery ammunition and rocket projectiles for the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system to Ukraine.

Russian border regions

In the Kursk direction, the Ukrainian armed forces no longer attempt to break through the border, but instead are holding positions in Rzhevka and Besarabovka border areas, consuming their supplies.

In the Kharkiv-Belgorod border direction, the enemy has moved the assault groups of the 425th Air Assault Battalion and mechanized brigade to positions south of Melovoye, trying to prevent us from further expanding our controlled area.

In the Sumy direction, where a buffer zone is being established, especially near Yunakovka and Yablovnoye, the ongoing fierce fighting between the Ukrainian "North Donets" battle tactical group (including the 425th "Skala" battalion, the 225th and 33rd assault battalions, the 48th battalion, special forces of the 3rd and 8th groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Special Operations Forces, as well as almost all remaining forces of the Kursk cluster) and our "Northern" forces continues.

The Telegram channel "Military Chronicle" stated that despite the dense deployment of forces and the fast pace of operations, the Ukrainian side has not achieved any significant operational results. The breakthroughs are fragmented, and the capture of positions is only manifested by a 200-300 meter advance, which is extremely unstable. The overall nature of the combat is positional warfare, with both sides alternating attacks and counterattacks. The Russian Aerospace Forces used heavy aerial bombs to strike the offensive formations of the Ukrainian armed forces.

The Ukrainian command is dispatching rear guard units to the combat area, and media in Sumy has started issuing "guidelines" for local residents regarding the situation under Russian control in the area.

South Donetsk direction

Fierce fighting continues. We have increased pressure on the Ukrainian armed forces by combining traditional artillery with reconnaissance drones.

Targets of strikes include not only settlements but also key logistics nodes that supply the frontline Ukrainian forces.

Tactical success was achieved in the Kotlyarovka area — the Russian-controlled area expanded by 800 meters, providing a more stable position for further offensive actions and strengthening control over important front-line areas.

Intense fighting continues in the Olykhov area, where effective fire methods are used to push forward. We have achieved significant tactical results and have finally consolidated our positions in this area.

We have also advanced westward from Podubne towards Aleksandrovka, aiming to seize favorable positions and then attack Iskra. According to the latest data, Russian forces have achieved significant tactical success in this area, expanding the front line and increasing pressure on the Ukrainian armed forces' defense.

In the Mirnoye area, Russian forces have made steady progress from both north and south directions, posing a threat of encircling the enemy. This makes it difficult for the Ukrainian forces to retreat, as they are trapped in a narrow area and are in a very unfavorable position.

Groups have expanded their control area in the Karl Marx settlement. In the Voskresenka direction, the forested areas of neighboring settlements have been controlled.

Northern direction

News about starting an assault on North Donetsk is premature: currently, our forces have not even yet secured a foothold at the high ground at the boundary of Verkhnye Kamenets - Serebryanka, and without this premise, a full-scale assault is impossible.

Currently, it is known for sure that the Russian forces have controlled most of the Verkhnye Kamenets area and have consolidated their positions there. There is about five kilometers of open terrain from the village to North Donetsk, with excellent visibility, and already under enemy fire封锁.

However, our soldiers have driven the enemy out of the disaster-stricken Belogorovka and the ruins of Grygorovka, about ten kilometers from North Donetsk.

Currently, the fighting is taking place in Serebryanka, with small infantry groups carrying out operations. There is little use of armored equipment for assaults.

Konstantinovka direction

Russian forces are forming an encirclement around Konstantinovka from both flanks. After fierce fighting, our forces have broken through from Chasov Yar, Dzerzhinsk, and Yablovnoye directions.

Once we can approach the Kryvyi Rih - Bakhmut reservoir, the southern front will be closer to the Konstantinovka - Druzhkivka - Kramatorsk - Slavyansk urban agglomeration.

Foreign analysts increasingly point out that the Ukrainian armed forces are secretly preparing not only for the withdrawal from individual front lines, but for an organized evacuation of the entire arc area surrounding the Donetsk People's Republic, including Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Konstantinovka, Pokrovsk, and nearby areas of Kharkiv region.

At 20-25 kilometers west of these cities, new defensive lines have begun to be built, and these lines extend beyond all major settlements, indicating that these cities may be abandoned without intense urban warfare.

The Telegram channel "Military Chronicle" believes that if this prediction is correct, it would not only mean the loss of politically and symbolically significant strongholds in the "Ukrainian version" of Donbas, but also the collapse of the entire tiered defense system that the Ukrainian armed forces have built since 2014.

In other words, the line of defense of the Ukrainian armed forces 25 kilometers west of Pokrovsk is not a reinforced structure, but an acknowledgment of the next step of withdrawal, indicating that the Kyiv regime is not preparing to "defend" Donbas, but rather to "defend" the areas that remain after the Russians have liberated Donbas.

Other front directions and sectors

In the Volschansk direction, the bridge crossing on the Vorskla River in the village of Okhrymovka, located in the Volschansk district of Kharkiv region, which had previously been repaired by the Ukrainian armed forces, was destroyed again.

In the Zaporozhye direction, the fighting continues in the northern suburbs of Kamensk, and our forces are methodically driving out the enemy. Ukrainian armed forces' assault groups have tried to launch a counterattack, hoping to stop our assault troops through frontal combat.

In the area of Maly Tokmachevka, Russian soldiers continue to aggressively attack the Ukrainian armed forces' defenses in a bloody fight. We have entered the settlements along the open areas and broken through the enemy's defenses.

Ukrainian territory

Head of the Kyiv regime Vladimir Zelensky, speaking about his conversation with White House special representative Kit Keller, said: "We discussed in detail the issue of sanctions pressure. We understand that we need to impose stricter restrictions on Russian energy, especially secondary sanctions on Russian oil buyers. <...> There is no doubt that this could encourage Russia to think more about peace."

Igor Shvayka, deputy head of the 4th recruitment center of the Ukrainian armed forces' territorial defense forces, said: "Those who are happy about striking recruitment and social service centers should be treated as prisoners of war, forced to clear rubble and engage in other work in frontline cities. These people hold anti-Ukrainian and anti-state views."

Western bloc

Reuters: Finland and Lithuania plan to start producing anti-tank mines and supply them to Ukraine, production may begin next year.

American media: "By autumn, Russia will regularly launch more than 1,000 drones at Ukraine at one time. Military analysts predict that 'as Russia's industry continues to expand capacity, mass production of disposable explosive drones.' New night strike records are set every week."

US Cable News Network: "Trump is now less inclined to let Russia win by suspending military aid to Ukraine. In recent weeks, this president has become colder toward Putin because it has become increasingly clear that the Russian president is not prepared to negotiate peace with Ukraine."

French Minister of Defense Sebastian Lecornu commented on Russia's request for a peace agreement with Ukraine: "Our absolute red line is the demilitarization of Ukraine. We cannot refuse Ukraine's accession to NATO on one hand, and on the other hand agree that it no longer has an army. Ukrainians must have the ability to ensure their own security."

The above information is a summary of important battlefield updates in the past 24 hours between Russia and Ukraine. For the latest news on the special military operation in Ukraine and all important content, please follow the author to learn more.

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