Russia unleashes overwhelming firepower, forcing Ukraine to retreat to defense

Russian forces have recently achieved important tactical victories in various areas and are threatening Ukrainian forces with an upcoming large-scale offensive.

Russian bombs continue to hit Ukrainian hideouts in Avdeevka, while troops are preparing for further offensive operations in the city and its suburbs. Russian attacks continue near Severnoe on the southern flank and Russian control is expanding near the railway line in the north.

At the same time, Russian troops took control of Khromovo on the western outskirts of Bakhmut. The fall of Ukrainian defenders in the village threatened the strategically important Ukrainian stronghold of Chasov Yar, which Russian forces could approach in the near future.

While any major operations are complicated by bad weather conditions in the southern steppes, local counterattacks continue. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army’s hopes of launching an offensive on the eastern bank of the Dnieper are fading. Ukrainian troops still have a foothold in Krynki, but Russian artillery and air fire have forced them to retreat to the northern outskirts of the village, denying Ukraine any hope of advancing to the southern forest.

World - Russia unleashes firepower, achieves many tactical successes, Ukraine is forced to retreat to defense

The losses of the Ukrainian army forced Mr. Zelensky to admit defeat. He officially announced that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had ended without achieving its goals, and that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were moving to the defensive.

Kiev has finally decided to start building a new defense line following the example of the famous Russian “Surovikin line” in the Zaporozhye region. According to Ukrainian media, this was one of the reasons for the dispute between the President and the Chief of the General Staff Zaluzhny, who insisted on creating new fortifications.

According to Kiev officials, the fortification will include three lines of defense from Ugledar to Kupyansk in the east and along the Russian-Belorussian border. The “Zelensky Rampart” is also expected to protect Mykolaiv and parts of the Kherson and Zaporozhie regions. According to Ukrainian officials, Russia has spent up to half a billion dollars on the “Surovikin Line.” Thus, Kiev will have to find about $10 billion, five times the amount of foreign aid given to Ukraine in the past month.

HOA AN (according to SF, AVP)

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