A bit ugly it should be noted even if seen through night vision and thermic.
Reports now from Russian sources that Wagner have broken through and taken Klischivka south of Bakhmut. If true, it’s getting really hairy maybe sooner than I thought in terms of operational encirclement.
Urban centre in the middle of the map is of course Bakhmut.
What brave souls these Ukrainian people are…
Geroman claims this, extrapolated as he has done, from other sources. Salt needed but it’s possible it is this bad. Sometimes Geroman is right, the bastard. Somtimes he is comically wrong.
that entire region is going to be a problem for AFU Forces. I know they’ve had some great successes in the last 3 months using tactics to their advantage, but this time RU have thrown the kitchen sink at a selected battleground and will not be denied no matter what the cost.
At some point the Ukraine forces have to cede this section of the front, start planning “what next”. Because looking at that map shows Bakhmut falling in the week. This isn’t a Mariupol situation where there’s a massive steel plant to hide in. no point in leaving a few hundred soldiers there to die.
not hard to see why RU forces want Bakhmut. it’s the crossroads of the Donetsk/Luhansk borders
(I think it is more impactful than they write).
Yeah, it opens up Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Granted, they no longer have the Izyum salient so the pincer they planned is not there and advancing will therefore be much more costly. Still, the fall of Bakhmut will be significant.
I note that it was also very heavily defended by Ukraine because Bakhmut would be a launchpad for offensives against RU controlled Donetsk.
yes, Donetsk was likely the goal of keeping Bakhmut and losing this keystone of their attack east will be hinderance to further progress in the area.
I cannot remember if Horlivka is still occupied by RU forces…
It has been occupied since 2014. In 2014 Ukraine tried to recapture it but failed.
If you are unsure about control, use this map
RU claims by relatively reliable Rybar…
I fear Ukraine may have got caught out and that several hundred men defending Soledar will be killed or captured as a result. They are encircled and will therefore be destroyed.
not looking good, big picture there shows RU are making progress all along that section of the line. Soledar to the south and Berestove to the north will become the pincers on Siversk
long thread, open if you want to read (btw building military trenches so of course leg targets)
It may be as bad as this, it may not, lots of fog of war. But let’s be open to the idea that it may be as bad as this and rather rejoyce if we later find it isn’t.