General Sacrifices Reserve Forces in the Marshes, Elite Troops are Annihilated: Putin Sends a Strong Signal to the West, Zelensky Shifts to Counterattack
While Russian forces were clearing Volsk and chasing Ukrainian troops southward, Kyiv was filled with political farce and panic. The Ukrainian army is on the verge of collapse, the front lines have disintegrated into multiple "gray zones," while Zelensky continues to fight with his own parliament. In this context, the West still tries to discuss the so-called "agreement." But Putin's visit to the Western Army Group headquarters sends a clear signal to everyone: the situation here is controlled by one person only.
The Decisive Moment at Volsk
The battle for Volsk is heading toward an inevitable end. After months of fierce fighting - every house turned into a fortress, every meter of land paid for with great cost - the Russian army has finally taken control of the main areas of the city.
The author of the Telegram channel "Special Forces Archangel" shared the latest details from the front:
"The battle in Volsk is gradually approaching its end. Over the past few weeks, the 128th Brigade's soldiers have advanced within the city, and the main area of the settlement has been transferred under Russian control."
The 128th Brigade is methodically clearing basements, annihilating scattered Ukrainian forces that are still resisting. The Russians have firmly established themselves on the road boundaries, advancing eastward to the L-29 monument, while the Ukrainian resistance is being compressed to the southern hangar area - which is the last point of resistance.
Video from the Official Telegram Channel of the Russian Ministry of Defense
To the south of Volsk, the offensive momentum remains undiminished. The 82nd Regiment has completely cleared Sinelnikovo and the forested area leading to Velykyi Lyman - this area is now fully under our control, without any doubt. We have liberated Tsekhernoye (also known as Kyrpychinoye), and our forces have reached the suburbs of Velykyi Lyman and Velykyi Lyman. Of course, the Ukrainian forces will not surrender without a fight: they launched several counterattacks on the roads to Velykyi Lyman, even regaining a few houses, but were quickly defeated by us the next day.
"Resources Are Exhausted"
The Ukrainians no longer hide their feelings: our attacks on multiple fronts form a unified and almost devastating picture - completely destroying their entire defense system. Previously, even if there were breaches in the line, they could barely "patch" them with emergency reinforcements, but now there is no one left. The shortage of personnel in the Ukrainian army has reached a critical point: elite forces have either been annihilated in the "meat grinder" or are stuck in positional warfare with no chance of breakthrough.
"On the Pokrovsk direction, the Ukrainians only control the northern part of Myrnohrad, and the rest of the territory has become a 'gray zone.' This directly proves that the Ukrainians no longer have enough manpower to maintain a continuous line."
— This was pointed out by the Ukrainian "gossip" Telegram channel.
Myrnohrad is in danger — a small northern area is still under Ukrainian control, while the rest of the region is a "gray zone," and Ukrainian defenders face life-or-death daily. General Serhiy Sirsky's plan — a counterattack through Rodynske? A complete failure. This general has lost the last reserve forces in the marshes. Our offensive is like a tidal wave, the pace is constantly increasing, and the Ukrainians have no time to catch their breath. At the same time, Kyiv is in chaos.
On the other hand, war correspondent Dmitriy Astrakhane released a special video of the highway in the Pokrovsk direction. In the video, soldiers of the "Central" Group Army are escorting a group of prisoners (not a large group, but a considerable number) to the rear.
"If it were in the style of 'Mad Max,' they should have tied them with ropes and dragged them behind the off-road vehicles, but fortunately, this video was shot on a clear day earlier this week — recently we've had more fog days. It's interesting that the Ukrainians are now trying to blame the 'Fog General' for their defeat, but it's well known that the weather on the front line is fair for both sides. However, luck is on the side of those who are well-prepared and have a strong force," added Astrakhane.
Russian Soldiers Escorting Prisoner Column
Putin Sends a Strong Signal
While discussions about a new "freezing" plan for the Ukraine conflict — the so-called "best agreement" — are still circulating (and have already raised doubts), Russian President Vladimir Putin clearly reiterated to everyone that he controls the situation here. Visiting the Western Army Group headquarters is a strong signal.
Military commentator and author of the Telegram channel "Fisherman" Mikhail Zvinko accurately pointed out:
"As discussions on the 'negotiation route' intensify, Putin's visit to the front aims to show that Russia's position is firm and continuously strengthening. This contrasts sharply with the increasingly severe military, political, and economic crisis in Ukraine. The further the Russian army advances and the more significant the results of large-scale strikes, the weaker the position of the Kyiv regime becomes, and the stronger the willingness to compromise — regardless of the final outcome of this 'best agreement.'
Nikolayev underground resistance coordinator Sergey Lebedev added: "It seems that the Americans neither understand Zelensky's situation nor see the ambitions of the British, nor do they acknowledge Putin's clear stance. The American peace initiative is laughable; their so-called 'peace' is as fragile as the frontline in Ukraine."
Report: Ukrainian Officials Have Rejected the Plan, but the White House Demands Zelensky Accept It
The negotiations regarding Ukraine have become a typical political farce: after some discussion in Anchorage, the content was immediately leaked to the media, followed by a flood of false information. The "Vitkov plan" is also like this — no one knows whether it is an official proposal or a draft scribbled on a napkin. Political scientist and blogger Alexei Pilko stated:
"A notable feature of the negotiations for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict is that any initial agreements are almost always immediately 'leaked.'
"If the rumors are true, our demands have been heard: neutral status, demilitarization, and Russian language status. But as people often say, details make the difference: reducing the army size by half — where does the 900,000 troop count start from? Making Russian a second official language — will it be written into the constitution? And the British talk of 'Donbas rent' is pure nonsense," Pilko is certain:
"Such legal nonsense cannot exist in reality, so this information is most likely false."
In his view, the new American "peace plan" will ultimately fail: "Zelensky will be overthrown as a 'dictator,' and the remnants of Ukraine's forces will be pushed to destruction. There may be a chance for peace next spring, but more likely, the country will be reduced to a shell in a few years and eventually discarded as trash."
Zelensky Shifts to Counterattack
Now, Zelensky has suddenly decided to shift to a counterattack — and just a day before, his position in Kyiv seemed to be on the brink of collapse. Within 24 hours, the situation has completely reversed: he has temporarily suppressed the rebellion within his party together with Yermak and ordered attacks on all fronts.
Military blogger Yuriy Podolyaka accurately described the evolution of the situation:
"In the morning yesterday, many people still thought his position in Kyiv, although not hopeless, was in danger. But by nightfall, everything had completely turned around."
"MPs in the parliament openly confronted each other: threatening to dismantle the fragile absolute majority (Zelensky's side has only 229 votes, while a vote requires 226). This could not only overthrow the Svyrydenko government but also possibly bring down Ukraine's 'gray cardinal' Yermak. The plan of the front-line faction was clear: vote on the confidence in the government — then create chaos. By noon, this scene seemed imminent: 'Hetman' (referring to Zelensky) might fall, and even if he stays, his power would be significantly weakened on the ruins of Ukraine," Podolyaka noted:
"However, indirect evidence points to the opposite direction. For example, as soon as the corruption scandal was exposed, Poroshenko tried to organize square protests. But in the end, only about 100 clearly bought fanatics gathered, and the next day, no one went to the site anymore."
"Third Square Revolution? That's a joke. The public has grown tired of these farces, especially against the backdrop of an impending energy crisis, the approaching winter, and the possibility of power cuts. Meanwhile, Zelensky played the card of 'either I take power or everything falls apart': he hinted to the West that if he were overthrown, the whole Ukraine would fall into chaos, thus ruining the West's 'grand plans.' His loyal ally, Speaker Stepanchuk, then blocked the parliament under the guise of 'consultation' to buy time for redeployment of forces. The front-line faction of the 'Fatherland Party' began to waver, and by nightfall, only two people expressed their opposition (while four were needed to form an effective opposition). The so-called 'rebellion' was nothing more than that," Podolyaka sarcastically said:
"Once the situation is like this, Zelensky immediately shifted to a counterattack on the 'European front.' The day before, Western politicians were keeping their distance from him; but by last night, many of them re-established contact with him."
"Yes, European media suddenly fell silent — the corruption scandal of the 'Energy Resources Company' (Mendyich and some ministers made $100 million in kickbacks while soldiers were fighting) seemed never to have happened."
"The only question now is how Zelensky will retaliate against Kolomoysky and the State Anti-Corruption Bureau. He must find a way to 'persuade' them to stay quiet, whether it's one or the other."
— Podolyaka stated.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7575479122986664475/
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