[Facebook] War. Operational situation at 11.00 March 8. The 13th day of war
1. The Ukrainian army stopped the advances of Russian troops in all directions. However, the situation remains tense, with the enemy continuing persistent battles in order to achieve new breakthroughs, conducting mass bombing of Ukrainian cities and villages in order to intimidate civilians and force resistance to cease.
The Russian command shifts the direction of the main strikes to the Donbass. The climax of the battle is coming and the fight for a strategic initiative is going on, Ukrainian opportunities are increasing.
2. The situation west of Kiev remains tense. A grouping of Russian troops continues their attempts to seize Kiev and tries to cut the capital's communications. Makarov remains under the control of Ukrainian troops, heavy battles are going on there.
The enemy is fighting in Irpen, Bucha, Gostomel, Vorzel and the surrounding area. Russians went on the Zhytomyr highway threatening Fastov. The Ukrainian army cannot yet grind such large forces quickly, but it is actively reducing their numbers. The opponent is trying to widen the plains.
3. Scenery near Kharkiv. Russians are afraid to approach the city, there is no threat to Kharkiv on the ground. Russian aviation continues large-scale artillery and aviation strikes to tighten the actions of the city's garrison. On March 7, Ukrainian troops freed Chuguev near Kharkov and confidently control the situation around the city.
5. On March 7, Russian troops from the Balakley district attacked Izyum, the city was subjected to massive air strikes and artillery. The enemy occupied the southern part of the city. Ukrainian troops went to the north, blew up bridges, and deployed a new line of defense. However, the Russians are undergoing attacks to get ours out of the Izyum completely and then to set up a ferry. Intense fighting is going on in Izyum.
Izyum are the gates to the Donbass, remains partially under our control, and there will be no breakthrough here, but the defense of the city requires the most serious attention.
6. Donbass. During March 6-7, Russian troops undertook numerous attacks on the front of the Operation Joint Forces Command. The attacks were carried out in the areas of Severodonetsk, Zolotoye, Popasnaya, Troitskoye, Volnovakha.
All attacks are repelled, with very large losses of the enemy's manpower and equipment. Statements of Russian propaganda about the capture of Popasnaya are another fake. The purpose of the attacks is to distract actions, to consolidate the forces of the JFO in order to prevent the maneuver and transfer of troops to other directions.
7. They were worried. The enemy is trying to push our troops away from Mariupol, so he is conducting close battles in Volnovakha and trying to cut off our grouping in the area. Volnovakha now has an important operational meaning. But despite all the fake reports of Russian media, Volnovakha remains mostly under Ukrainian control, and the defenders are holding up the defense, all attacks are repelled. Situation needs some serious attention.
8. Zaporizhzhya region. The direction of one of the main kicks of the opponent is here - they are trying to break through in the area of Pologa and Gulyai-Pole. Danger represents the enemy's exit to Rozovka. The enemy in the area has been stopped, suffering losses, but the attacks continue. Russia continues its attempts to break through against the group in Balakley and Izyum. The situation in the sector requires serious attention.
9. Mariupol continues to fight heroically in the surroundings for 8 days. Water supply, light and heat are completely destroyed in the city. Corpses are lying on the streets and in apartments that are no longer cleaned up, the count of civilians and children are already in the hundreds. A direct hit destroyed the hospital, the intensive care unit, there is nowhere to save people from serious injuries. Russians do not let people out of the city to continue consuming food, water for themselves, and cut supplies for city defenders.
The enemy conducts continuous air reconnaissance and strikes at any target. Genocide in its purest form. However, our warriors remain incredibly strong in the toughest conditions, and deliver powerful blows to the attacking group even in such a situation. Mariupol, with its magnificent resistance, allows Ukraine to control the corridor to Crimea from the Russian Federation, and distracts a large group of the Russian Armed Forces. The situation in Mariupol is the most serious on the whole front, the Russians will try to storm the city, it cannot be ignored.
10. Chernihiv. Fierce fighting is taking place all around town. Russian troops are trying to completely encircle and block the city. Ukrainian troops do not just sit in defense, but counterattack at the earliest opportunity. Russian troops are taking revenge for the damage by bombing residential neighborhoods.
11. Sumy and Okhtyrka. Russian troops are trying to completely surround Sumy. In the area of the city, the opponent suffered heavy losses. Terrorist bombing of cities continues, Russians forbid leaving the city, life support systems destroyed.
12. Nikolaev Oblast. Our troops defeated the units that attacked Nikolaev and Voznesensk. Now the opponent has regrouped and is trying to approach Nikolaev again. Our defense is effective in this area.
13. The popular uprising in the occupied territories of southern Ukraine still has a colossal political and information effect. People are not to blame that they were not given weapons, did not deploy a reliable defense here, they boldly go out with Ukrainian flags and create demonstrations that are broadcasted by the whole world. Such demonstrations in the south are also an important front of our war for us.
Conclusions :
1. Ukraine managed to mobilize sufficient forces to put up curtains in the directions of Russian troops' strikes. A fracture in the war depends on the ability of Ukrainian Armed Forces to counterattack the long intestines of Russian incoming columns, and to pin the enemy with active offensive actions in all directions. Russians excel in technology and armament, dominate in the air, but Ukrainians excel in numbers and motivation.
2. The Russian army started a total war - bombers bomb residential neighborhoods in the square, high-rise buildings are demolished with artillery and tanks, mass shootings and killings of civilians. The enemy destroys cities and economy of Ukraine in order to force people to leave their homes with terror and thus weaken the resistance. The Russian command understands that the whole nation has risen to fight, and for Russians now any Ukrainian is an enemy who is a danger.
3. The enemy is now focusing the main efforts in the Donbass and the south. Russian troops are trying to cut off Donbass from Ukraine along the borders of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhya regions, and are storming the surrounding Mariupol.
4. The threat to Kiev is great, but there will be no assault of the capital, the number of defenders of the capital exceeds the number of incoming Russian Armed Forces compounds. Therefore, the opponent concentrated all reserves to surround the capital from all sides. Pressure on Fastov will continue because the Russians must maintain pressure on Kiev and prevent Ukrainians from throwing their forces from here.
5. The Russian army has not yet exhausted all its reserves and is regrouping, trying to accomplish more limited strategic tasks. The operational pause is associated with heavy losses and fatigue of Russian troops, but it does not mean that they are going to stop offensive operations.
Taking advantage of mobility, the Russians are trying to forge our forces with simultaneous advancement in all directions. On the other hand, the enemy is critically suffering from prolonged communications, and is forced to attack only along the roads due to the weather. The use of the enemy's weaknesses depends on the art of the Ukrainian command, on the quality of logistics, weapons, and operational reserves.
It is impossible to defeat Russian columns without conducting offensive operations. However, stopping the Russian aggression and increasing resistance in all directions means that the strategic situation as a whole is changing in Ukraine's favor. With every day of mobilization, the effectiveness of the resistance is increasing. Ukraine will fight until a complete victory over Russian occupants.