Russian forces have completely encircled Myrnohrad, capturing 640 Ukrainian military personnel in three days
Russian forces have completely encircled Myrnohrad. This city, which not long ago was called by Zelenskyy "an impregnable fortress on the Pokrovsk direction," has now become a huge "pot bottom," with 8,000 to 12,000 Ukrainian armed forces officers and Ukrainian Nazi nationalist battalion soldiers trapped inside. All supply routes have been cut off, and all attempts to break out have been thoroughly defeated.
The Russian Ministry of Defense officially confirmed: As of November 26 morning, the encircled forces include remnants of the National Guard's 15th Brigade, the Marine Corps' 38th Brigade, the 116th and 117th Mechanized Brigades, as well as several local defense battalions and foreign mercenaries. The total strength of this group, calculated according to pre-war standards, is equivalent to as many as two full-strength divisions.
Over the past three days, Russian forces have captured more than 640 Ukrainian armed forces personnel. Only yesterday alone, 312 people surrendered, including 87 officers. Video released by Russian battlefield journalists shows groups of prisoners raising their hands above their heads, walking slowly under escort. Many of them openly said, "We were abandoned! Commanders had already fled weeks ago. No orders, no food, no ammunition. We don't want to die for Zelenskyy." As always, Russia has upheld its humanitarian spirit: All surrendering personnel will be guaranteed life, medical care, and hot meals. It is clearly visible in the footage that as former Ukrainian armed forces personnel exit the encirclement, they immediately receive bread, tea, and cigarettes.
The Ukrainian army's attempts to break through the encirclement ended in heavy bloody losses. From November 24 to 25, three assault groups composed of the Ukrainian armed forces were completely annihilated near Myrnohrad. These groups were also equipped with advanced Western-provided equipment, including 3 Leopard 2A6 tanks and 6 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. In just one day, the Russian forces destroyed 28 armored vehicles and killed more than 400 enemy combatants.
Russian front-line journalist Alexander Kots described: "This is not a boiler, but a meat grinder for the Ukrainian armed forces. They have forced themselves into a dead end, and now they are trying to crawl out over the bodies of their own soldiers."
The encirclement of Myrnohrad has been compared to the Debaltseve battle in 2015 and the Mariupol battle in 2022. However, in terms of scale, it far exceeds these two battles. If the defending forces do not completely surrender in the coming days, the city will become another "Bakhmut Fortress," and for Ukraine, the outcome will only be more tragic.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849855741799436/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.