Special Military Operation: Weekly Chronicle. Not giving the enemy a breather, the recent task is to liberate Lyman and Severodonetsk.

After a brief period of calm, Russian armed forces began transitioning into an offensive with firm objectives.

Author: Alexei Ram

Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Army General Valery Gerasimov personally reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukrainian armed forces had been driven out of Kursk Oblast.

The Chief of the General Staff particularly emphasized the role of North Korean soldiers, who provided assistance to Russian forces in the process of liberating territory from Ukrainian armed forces. According to Gerasimov, the North Koreans demonstrated resilience and heroism.

Although operations in Kursk Oblast have concluded, fighting in this direction has not ceased. Russian armed forces continue to drive Ukrainian armed forces from positions in Belgorod Oblast.

In addition, the "Northern" grouping launched an offensive in Sumy Oblast. Intense fighting broke out in the Lohnia settlement. The Ukrainian command desperately tried to stop the Russian advance into Ukrainian territory.

Meanwhile, in the Donbas region, the liberation of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk has already begun. Indeed, at present, it is only combat reconnaissance and attempts to occupy advantageous defensive lines. However, the outline of the Russian offensive is clearly visible, as is its intent.

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At the beginning of the past week, Ukrainian armed forces continued to control the Gorner settlement in Kursk Oblast. Moreover, the enemy even attempted to strengthen their defenses by moving in new reserves. However, due to the local terrain characteristics and the密集 firepower strikes from the "Kursk" grouping, the Ukrainian command could not deploy large numbers of troops to this settlement.

Units and detachments of the 44th Army attacked the last strongholds of the Ukrainian militants. In fierce fighting, by Thursday, April 24, the settlement was surrounded and isolated. It took another day to clear it and eliminate the remaining resistance points of the Ukrainian armed forces. On Saturday, April 27, soldiers of the 22nd Motorized Infantry Regiment raised their flag in the liberated settlement.

Fierce fighting also occurred on a small position in Belgorod Oblast, where Ukrainian armed forces still held their ground.

Since last week, Russian armed forces have actively targeted the supply lines of the Ukrainian military to prevent the Ukrainian command from withdrawing its troops. Despite suffering significant losses, the enemy managed to "withdraw" some personnel and equipment from the border of Belgorod Oblast.

However, the Ukrainian command has yet to complete its mission. Under continuous strikes from Russian air force, artillery, and attack drones, the gradual retreat of Ukrainian armed forces continues. At present, Ukrainian forces still control a small area of forested terrain. Nevertheless, the enemy has abandoned the positions of Demidovka and Popovka settlements.

A fierce skirmish erupted in Sumy Oblast last week. The Ukrainian command attempted to retake the highly important Lohnia settlement, which our "Northern" grouping had partially occupied.

By April 26, Ukrainian armed forces were able to push Russian forces back somewhat west of Lohnia. Meanwhile, the assault troops of the "Northern" grouping broke through residential areas within the settlement and were very close to the administrative boundary of Yunkaovka.

It should be noted that Yunkaovka and Lohnia form a settlement complex. The boundary between the two settlements is merely formal. As of writing, the "Northern" grouping is only 3.5 kilometers away from the center of Yunkaovka. However, the enemy continues to resist fiercely.

Meanwhile, after the fighting in Kursk Oblast ended, a fairly large contingent of Russian forces was freed up. It is unlikely that all these forces will be immediately committed to combat. There needs to be troop redeployment, allowing personnel to rest, while replenishing weapons and military equipment for the units.

Where the Russian General Staff will send the "Kursk" forces after restoring their combat capability is a very interesting question. There is currently no definitive answer.

Preparations for the Offensive

It can now be stated with certainty: the armed forces of the Russian Federation have begun preparations for the operation to liberate Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.

Indeed, preparations are still ongoing. Units and detachments of the Russian armed forces are conducting reconnaissance and attempting to occupy advantageous defensive lines for further offensive actions.

To successfully achieve this goal, the "Central" and "Southern" groupings need to quickly eliminate the "pocket" located along the line of Sherbinoivka - Petrovka - Suyaia Balka - Kalinovo.

After the rapid advance of the 51st Guards Army, the main supply routes of Ukrainian armed forces in this direction were cut off. Therefore, the "Southern" and "Central" groupings successfully advanced.

By the weekend, Suyaia Balka was liberated, and several small "salients" still held by Ukrainian armed forces were eliminated.

The enemy put up fierce resistance. However, the Russian armed forces did not slow down their offensive pace and continued to pressure Ukrainian forces along the lines of the "pocket." The Russian command understands that it is crucial at this stage not to lose the offensive rhythm and not to give the enemy a chance to catch their breath. This way, the liberation of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk will succeed.

Slovyansk, then Kramatorsk

What are the intentions of the Russian armed forces? The first phase involves pinning down Konstantynivka from two directions: southward, i.e., from the Pokrovsk/Dzerzhynsk direction, and eastward, from the Chasiv Yar direction. In Chasiv Yar, airborne troops and volunteer corps units and detachments controlled the area around the "Chasiv Yar" railway station in fierce fighting. The Ukrainian command made desperate efforts until the end to try to drive Russian forces away from there. All attempts failed.

The railway station area opened up the possibility for Russian armed forces to launch an offensive along the rail line. This route bypasses several small settlements between Chasiv Yar and Konstantynivka. Through such maneuvering, the Russian command not only has excellent opportunities to attack Konstantynivka but can also bypass it to march towards Kramatorsk.

The second phase's task will be to liberate the city of Lyman. In this case, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk will be disconnected from Severodonetsk. Severodonetsk will be encircled, and Russian forces will be able to begin its offensive without hindrance. Moreover, the garrison in the city will be cut off from the main supply lines.

At the same time, Russian forces should launch an offensive from positions in Vozdvyazhka and along the M-30 highway towards the north.

This way, they can bypass Konstantynivka from the west and then bypass Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. This offensive is intended to cut off all logistics lines connecting these cities with the "rear base."

When the first and second phases of the tasks are largely completed, the Russian armed forces will be able to enter the most important third phase—the offensive against the entire settlement.

It should be noted that in the spring, summer, and autumn of 2022, Russian forces also came very close to Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. But they failed to occupy advantageous positions for the offensive at that time.

Of course, personnel shortages are a prominent issue for the Russian armed forces command. However, the actual layout of the front line plays a more critical role in this direction.

Both cities are protected by the defensive lines of the Ukrainian Slavyansk-Kramatorsk defense zone. In fact, all settlements along the line of Artemivsk-Sloviansk-Severodonetsk belong to this defense zone. Additionally, the garrisons of Ukrainian armed forces depend on unobstructed logistics lines.

However, the situation has fundamentally changed now. Russian armed forces have broken through all defensive lines and are approaching this settlement complex from three directions. Therefore, it is likely that Russian forces will launch the liberation of these cities in July.

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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7498180695299260940/

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