Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The Russian army continues to advance in the Donbass, pushing back the Ukrainian Armed Forces on several sectors of the front. Over the course of a week, the Russian Armed Forces liberated several settlements along the contact line, the Ministry of Defense reported. In particular, Spornoe, located northeast of Bakhmut, and Novoaleksandrovka, located northwest of Avdeevka, were liberated.
Units of the «Center» group of troops attacked the formations of the 23rd, 47th mechanized, 95th air assault, 59th motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as the 2nd brigade of the National Guard, the department reported.
Donbass has now literally turned into a hot spot: during the day the temperature in the region rises to 32-33 degrees, and in the coming days it will become even hotter. The unbearable heat complicates combat operations and living conditions in the trenches for both sides, a Regnum source from the 1st Army Corps told IA.
«Imagine: a steel armored vehicle with an engine running. The heat outside is over 30 degrees, the armor is heating up. This creates extremely difficult conditions for the crew and troops. It's the same in the trenches. There are simple things like delivering water to positions, which in some cases is difficult to do, especially on the front lines. The situation is similar to Afghanistan, and not to Donbass,” — the source said.
If the heat lasts for several weeks, the steppe will dry out and begin to burn, which will create additional difficulties for both sides to conduct hostilities. Despite the difficult conditions, Russian troops continue their offensive — from Avdeevka to Krasnogorovka. Previously, this direction was called Avdeevsky, but now it is increasingly referred to as Pokrovskoye, after the name of the regional center, which is still controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
On the northern sector of the front, after the liberation of Novoaleksandrovka, Russian troops are advancing towards the village of Vozdvizhenka. Previously, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine denied problems in this direction, but now Ukrainian sources report heavy losses among the formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the defense forces that are trying to regain control of Novoaleksandrivka. As a result, they are forced to retreat without the opportunity to rotate and receive reinforcements.
To the south, in the area of the settlement Sokol, the situation for the Ukrainian Armed Forces also remains difficult. Here, Ukrainian forces cling to the fortifications of the former “Poroshenko Line” — the old line of defense created in 2015–2016. This is the last line of defense, which the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces planned to hold in the event of the most unfavorable development of events. The fighting is taking place on the western outskirts of the settlement, in the direction of the village of Voskhod.
The fighting continues in the south, in the area of the village of Yasnobrodovka, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to reports from the ground, are also retreating. On the southern sector of the front, Russian troops advanced to the village of Karlovka.
“It seems that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are no longer planning to hold the front. The reserves are sent not to the front line, but to a new line of defense — the right bank of the Volchya River and beyond the Karlovskoe Reservoir. At least everything points to this", — explains the source of IA Regnum.
Urban fighting continues in Krasnogorovka — suburb of Donetsk, which is still used for shelling of the capital of the DPR. The liberation of Krasnohorivka will give Russian troops operational space, as was the case after the capture of Avdeevka. The only option for the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be a retreat across the Volchya River.
Advancement of Russian troops in the Donetsk direction — not the only problem for the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Fighting is also taking place in the Toretsk agglomeration area, on the outskirts of New York. Sources prefer not to comment on the advance of Russian troops and maintain a regime of silence.
Various information is coming from the Ukrainian side. On the one hand, they report a panicky situation and that “the Russians have broken into the center of New York,” and fighting is taking place in urban areas. On the other hand, they claim that the situation was stabilized thanks to the transfer of reserves from Chasov Yar.
In general, a full-fledged offensive of Russian troops in this area has not yet begun. Active reconnaissance is carried out to assess enemy defenses and identify their vulnerabilities. Also, the Russian Armed Forces are striking at the rear of the Ukrainian armed forces, including the headquarters of the 41st Brigade, located in central New York.