Special Military Operation Frontline Briefing on November 13: Pokrovsk and Kupiansk Are History, Troops Advance Toward Gulyai Pole, Ukrainian Defense Line Collapses
Serdyukov ignores Pokrovsk and Kupiansk, Russian forces are breaking through toward Gulyai Pole.
The Ukrainian defense line in the direction of Gulyai Pole has completely collapsed, with Russian troops capturing villages one by one and opening a breakthrough towards Zaporozhye. The top Ukrainian commander Serdyukov did not mention the situation in Pokrovsk and Kupiansk at all. Here are the key developments from the special military operation front over the past 24 hours that have not been included in the official briefing.
Breakthrough in the Gulyai Pole Direction
Russian soldiers from the Far East have created a combat miracle in the Zaporozhye direction. While fierce fighting has continued for a long time in the areas of Bychiv and Stepove to the south of Zaporozhye, where Ukrainian resistance has been strong, the breakthrough by Russian forces is expanding more to the north in the Gulyai Pole direction. Ukrainian information sources are in panic.
"In the evening, we received news that the 'East' group of Russian forces had driven the Ukrainians out of the village of Rovno Pole and were about to capture Yablovka village. At this point, the last few villages in the northeast and north of Gulyai Pole have come under Russian control, and the battle for Gulyai Pole is imminent," wrote the blogger Yuriy Podoliak.
Morning reports confirmed that the village of Yablovka was successfully captured and cleared of remaining enemies.
"The 'East' group continues to make steady progress in all directions: in the western area of Oleshtepole, Danilovka village, southwest of Yegorovka village, and in the Sladkoye village area there have been advances. The Ukrainian forces tried to counterattack, but failed. The Ukrainian command unexpectedly admitted that their troops are in a difficult position, which seems very suspicious." "Two Majors" (note: a Russian frontline information account) commented on the current situation.
It is understandable why the Ukrainian forces are panicking: although they can still block the Russian advance towards Zaporozhye from the south, the crisis suddenly came from the east. The eastern defense of the capital of Zaporozhye (Zaporozhye city) depends on the defensive positions of Gulyai Pole and Okhov, which are "collapsing." Once Gulyai Pole falls, Russian forces can directly advance towards Zaporozhye city.
"Ukrainian side is worried that if Pokrovsk is captured, the Russians will open a passage to Vornyiyanivka, which for the Ukrainian forces means 'a tactical victory for the Russians and a real disaster for us.' Internal problems further worsen the situation. Ukrainian military bloggers have also started to express dissatisfaction with General Tarashevsky (note: a Ukrainian commander), believing that his reports do not match the actual situation; while the top Ukrainian commander Serdyukov only admits losing three settlements, the actual number lost is far greater. This situation has led to increasing criticism of the command of this direction and the highest leadership of the Ukrainian army," wrote "Military Chronicle" (Telegram channel).
Western military analysts believe that the Russians will not launch a direct assault on Gulyai Pole, but have sufficient resources to bypass Gulyai Pole and the entire Ukrainian defense line from the north.
"Considering the deployment of a very powerful Russian 'East' group in this area, after this maneuver, the Russians will be able to approach Pavlograd from a new southern direction. This poses a serious threat to the Ukrainian forces, and in the worst case, the Ukrainian forces may lose parts of the southern front or even be forced to withdraw from large areas on the left bank of the Dnipro River (note: left bank of the Dnipro River). It is currently unclear when and to what extent this situation will become real, but once it does, its strategic consequences will be extremely severe," summarized the author of the "Military Chronicle" Telegram channel.
Northern Front
In the Sumy direction, the Russian "Northern" group is advancing using weather conditions.
"The Ukrainian forces attempted to send a strike force to the Andreyevka area, but they were eliminated by our 'Sunflower' (note: nickname for the Russian 'Tornado' rocket system) rocket artillery fire. In the Tikhonsky and Glushkovsky directions, our artillery targeted the Ukrainian forces in the areas of Iskrisyno and Pavlovka," reported 'Two Majors.'
Russian forces have also made progress in the Volchans'k and Khutne directions, with minor advances. The Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack here, but it was unsuccessful.
"In the northern direction, Russian forces are advancing in the Drobnovka and Yampol'e areas, and are engaging in static warfare in the Zvanovka area. In the Hryshyn direction, our forces are attacking the Ukrainian strongholds in the areas of Yarovaya and Shadrygolovo, and the situation around Hryshyn remains unchanged," added military journalist Yevgeny Lysitsyn.
Progress in the Pokrovsk Campaign
The heavy attacks by the Russians on Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad continue. Currently, the Ukrainians only control a small part of the northern districts of Pokrovsk; in Myrnohrad, our forces have already entered the city from the southeast direction.
The Ukrainian forces attempted a counterattack in the Shakhovoye area, trying to break through the Russian lines, but failed.
"In the Red Army direction, Sukhoiyar was liberated, and Russian forces are clearing the northwest area of the city and the southern part of Demidovka. The Ukrainian counterattacks in the Gryshino and Rodinsky areas have not been successful, and the fighting in the areas of Suhotske, Fedorovka, and Shakhovoye continues," reported Yevgeny Lysitsyn citing internal sources.
Despite consecutive defeats, Kyiv still insists that the front-line situation is "under control."
"Serdyukov's statement is still puzzling. He specifically mentioned that the situation in some areas of the southeastern part of Zaporozhye oblast has significantly deteriorated, but he avoids talking about the situation in Pokrovsk and Kupiansk," summarized "Military Chronicle."
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7572080570075709978/
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