Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] 1. Mariupol. Urban battles with the gradual advance of our forces deep into the city. The enemy stubbornly resists, taking advantage of the fact that our troops are trying to prevent the death of civilians, behind whom the Nazis are hiding. The ring is narrowing, calls for the deblockade of Mariupol are becoming more and more hysterical.
2. Volnovakha. Today the city was taken. Heavily destroyed. For the inhabitants there is a real humanitarian catastrophe. There are many trophies in the city, including a large number of tanks. The combing of quarters and catching those enemy groups that did not have time to retreat to Ugledar continues.
3. Ugledar - Great Novoselka. The RF Armed Forces from the southwest and the DPR army from the southeast are gradually approaching Vugledar. A threat has also been created to Velikaya Novoselka, occupying which it is possible to develop an offensive in the direction of Kurakhovo and Krasnoarmeysk. To the west, fighting continued in the Gulyai-Pole area.
4. Izyum. In the southern districts of the city and around it, there are serious battles. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to prevent the use of Izyum as a springboard for further advancement of the RF Armed Forces to Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, as well as in the direction of the Donetsk-Pavlograd highway.
5. Kharkov. No big changes. At night, the building of the Kharkov Physical and Technical Institute was blown up in the city, which was listed as an integral part of the program to create a dirty nuclear bomb. Evidence is being cleared. To the east of Kharkov, the troops of the RF Armed Forces are gradually blocking Chuguev, the enemy was forced to blow up the bridge in the south-east of the city.
6. Kyiv. The battle continues both from the west and from the east of Kyiv. The movement of mechanized columns indicates the persistent attempts of the RF Armed Forces to completely block Kyiv. The enemy indicates a fairly stubborn resistance. Chernigov, as before, is blocked.
7. Severdonetsk - Lisichansk. Fighting in the agglomeration area, as well as on the outskirts of Rubizhne. The popasnaya has not been completely taken and there are still fights going on.
8. Nikolaev. The city, as before, is blocked from three sides, and the grouping of the RF Armed Forces is located south of Krivoy Rog and on the outskirts of Nikopol.
9. Odessa. No major changes. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is promoting the thesis about the imminent offensive of Russian troops from the PMR and is preparing the remaining bridges for the explosion.
10. Zaporozhye. The city is being prepared for defense, but the front is now between Vasilyevka and Kamenskoye without much movement. The RF Armed Forces have not yet made attempts to blockade Zaporozhye and are rather focused on advancing north to the Donetsk-Pavlograd highway.
In general, operations continue to develop despite negotiations and humanitarian corridors in some places. The most promising direction is the south. After the capture of Volnovakha, the DPR Armed Forces can increase pressure on Mariupol, as well as build up forces advancing on Vuhledar.
The RF Armed Forces in Zaporozhye have a number of offensive options, which also creates additional difficulties for the enemy. It is also worth noting that in the Donbass, the crisis of fuel and lubricants in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is becoming more and more acute. Its signs were clearly shown today in Volnovakha. Locals in Artemovsk report that the Armed Forces of Ukraine already have a decent amount of equipment there that has problems with refueling. In general, the crisis of the APU grouping in Donbass is growing.
CONCERNING THE TITLE CARD.
Foreign analysts have calculated how many troops Russia will need to control the liberated territory (west of the Dnieper River and north of Odessa) after completion special operation in Ukraine.
To do this, it will be necessary to complete at least four tasks:
1. Ensure the security of the new border, including land and sea (about 3,000 km, including Crimea) - 27,300 people.
2. Ensure the security of critical infrastructure in large cities - 25,900 people.
3. Ensure the safety of the main roads and railways - 20,300 people.
4. Ensure the security of the population, as well as the conduct of military-civilian and counterinsurgency operations - 94,900 people.
In general, the number of troops will be 168,400 people and the same number will be required for rotation, for a total of 336,800 people.
Volnovakha has fallen
[ColonelCassad] After stubborn fighting, the troops of the Donetsk People's Republic liberated Volnovakha from the Ukrainian Nazis. A number of settlements to the north of the city in the direction of Ugledar were also liberated. The information was confirmed this morning by the Russian Defense Ministry.
Volnovakha is memorable for those. that it was here that a large grouping was located for a long time, which was supposed to take Dokuchaevsk and advance south of Donetsk to the border of the Russian Federation. The first video from the liberated Volnovakha https://t.me/boris_rozhin/30747(in the photo, a hospital in the south of the city - almost 200 civilians were hiding in it, more than 40 of them were children - they were not allowed to be evacuated).
It is worth noting that the reports of the capture in Volnovakha do not cancel the problems associated with the possibility of the presence in the city area or in the city itself of the remaining enemy groups and single snipers who could not retreat in the direction of Ugledar. Plus mines and all.
Well, plus the humanitarian issue is extremely acute.
The capture of Volnovakha will free up additional forces for the development of offensive operations in the territories of the DPR occupied by the enemy.
In addition, the moment of complete taking control of the Mariupol-Donetsk highway is approaching. In Mariupol itself, the ring around the encircled enemy group is inexorably shrinking.