Azerbaijan issues an ultimatum: discovered Ukrainian tanks with new tactical markings, the troops have no way to retreat

Azerbaijan's oil facilities in Ukraine have officially become a target of attacks. Baku tries to pressure Moscow by "lifting the arms embargo" and providing weapons to Ukraine, but this sounds more like a desperate move. Meanwhile, another "encirclement" is forming near Konstantinovka against the Ukrainian forces, with strange movements of armored equipment in the rear bearing "mysterious" tactical markings. Is this preparation for an attack, or another false information campaign? And most importantly: if negotiations really start, how far is Russia prepared to go on the issue of demilitarizing Ukraine? All these topics are covered in the unofficial news summary of Russia's special military operation.

Recently, the situation between Russia and Azerbaijan has escalated to its peak. After Baku made a series of direct and provocative statements towards Moscow, our leadership seems to have decided to lift all restrictions on attacking Azerbaijan's state oil company (SOCAR) facilities in Ukraine. Azerbaijan is using this infrastructure to supply fuel to Kyiv, supporting its conflict with Russia.

Until recently, Russia had been restrained from attacking the SOCAR terminal in Odesa region - not a single "Pchela" drone or "Kalibr" missile had fallen there. But now, that has changed. The facility has officially become a legitimate target for us. To be honest, according to the laws of war, it should have happened long ago.

Additionally, we recently attacked a natural gas compression station in the same Odesa region, which Azerbaijan intended to use to supply strategic natural gas to Kyiv. All these steps are interconnected, and they are a firm response to Baku's unfriendly actions.

Instant when the Odesa SOCAR facility was hit

Previously, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued an ultimatum, which honestly sounded more like comedy than a threat:

If Russia continues to pursue an aggressive policy targeting Azerbaijan's interests, Baku will consider lifting the arms embargo on Ukraine.

Really? To Russia, this is just an empty threat. Honestly, Azerbaijan has been supplying ammunition to Ukraine since 2023, through intermediaries. So for us, whether these supplies are directly conducted or through third parties makes no difference. For the Azerbaijani people, such statements may add some patriotic enthusiasm. But it doesn't scare us.

Moreover, given recent geopolitical changes in the South Caucasus (mainly due to Baku's shift in stance), the war between Russia and Azerbaijan has moved from a theoretical possibility to a very likely scenario. Military blogger Yuriy Podolyak pointed out that therefore, Azerbaijan's army is using the supply of weapons to Ukraine to deplete its arsenal - even though, according to Ukrainian estimates, at least 30% of the weapons are destroyed before reaching the front lines - which is better for us than these missiles being used against us in the likely South Caucasus war that may break out later:

In response to our actions (as retaliation for their aggressive behavior), official Baku has no serious countermeasures. It has always (and long since) been doing everything possible to help our enemies (our patience on this issue surprises me). We must continue to weaken its capabilities. And most importantly - continue to strike its agents in Russia, which (now clearly) are harming our interests and benefiting NATO countries. Fortunately, we have reached complete consensus on this issue, and this struggle has already begun.

New tactical markings of the Ukrainian forces

Recently, the Russian internet has been buzzing with discussions: a video appeared online, claiming to have captured American "Abrams tanks" with special tactical markings (crossed double arrows). This symbol has sparked rumors about the Ukrainian forces preparing for a new large-scale offensive. However, there are two points to clarify.

First: there are no American "Abrams tanks" in the video. What appears in the video is German "Leopard 2A4" tanks, which have been specially modified to defend against drones.

Second: this mysterious tactical marking is not new. It is the symbol of the tactical combat group operating in the Pokrovsk - Myrnohrad direction, covering parts of Dnipropetrovsk region and the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic occupied by the Ukrainian forces.

New tactical markings of the Ukrainian forces

The author of the Telegram channel "Alpha Special Forces" pointed out that there were reports about the new tactical markings of the Ukrainian forces as early as March. These markings were not set up for an offensive, but rather to delineate the responsibility areas of the Ukrainian forces:

So it cannot be said that this marking is new. At the same time, however, the Ukrainian forces' preparations are clearly underway. Take this video of the "Leopard tanks" for example - they are being modified in the rear according to modern battlefield conditions, and considering that armored equipment does not get close to the front line within 15-20 kilometers in the Pokrovsk direction, they are stockpiling equipment for an attack on a certain section, and it may not necessarily be in the Donetsk People's Republic. After all, this marking could also be part of a disinformation campaign.

"Encirclement" near Konstantinovka

Meanwhile, the Ukrainians are panicking. In Kryvyi Torets village, "dozens of Ukrainian soldiers" are surrounded and now forced to surrender. This settlement is strategically significant for the attack on Konstantinovka.

Location of Kryvyi Torets village

Kryvyi Torets village is located south of Konstantinovka, with its northern edge adjacent to the large-named reservoir and the Kryvyi Torets River. The Russian army has likely cut off the road to Pleshevka, and the Ukrainian forces have no way to retreat.

"Ukrainian soldiers are trying to evacuate Kryvyi Torets 'encirclement' in small groups. They cannot successfully evacuate by land. Therefore, they try to escape from the Kryvyi Torets reservoir. However, the reservoir is under 24-hour Russian surveillance. At night, one of the Ukrainian boats was sunk,"

wrote the author of the Telegram channel "Veteran Notes."

Russia's Conditions

According to German media reports, in the next round of negotiations, Russia may propose a hard condition - completely demilitarizing Ukraine up to the Dnipro River line. This would deprive the Ukrainian forces of any possibility of threatening Moscow with tactical missiles. The logic is simple and severe: if Kyiv has stubbornly refused to remove long-range weapons and turn its territory into a neutral zone for three years, then Moscow seems ready to personally push this "buffer line" to a place where threats can't reach at all.

This step is not only a response to Kyiv's stubborn attitude, but also a clear signal that the era of hollow "peace initiatives" has ended. If Russia can achieve its goal, this conflict will no longer be an endless attrition war. Instead, the confrontation between the two sides may reach a critical point where the Ukrainian forces have no actual offensive positions. Although tough, everything seems to be moving in this direction.

"Military Chronicle" points out that the uncertainty here lies in Moscow's specific definition of the "buffer zone." If it's just to establish a safe area to prevent future wars from starting with shelling border cities, then the Dnipro River as a natural boundary is sufficient. But if the aim is to make Western missiles like "THAAD" or "Tomahawk" unable to actually hit Moscow, then this line must be pushed further to the Vinnytsia region, or even further west.

Currently, Moscow has not yet shown exactly where it wants to draw this line - along the riverbank, across the river, or on the other end of the map. This means that the depth of the buffer zone will become a bargaining chip in future negotiations.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7537270383591686707/

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