Phase Of Despair: Kiev Retreats And Prepares New Provocations

For the last few days, the Russian Army continued to retain the strategic initiative along the whole front line, although offensive actions assumed tactical or operational-tactical character at most. In the Kursk region, Ukrainian forces made many attempts to counterattack, but in vain. As a result of several head-on battles, Russian troops advanced in the vicinity of Nikolayevo-Darino and Maryevka, as well as in the forest belts of the Sudzha district. According to British military analyst Alexander Mercouris, the invasion of the Russian territory resulted in a graveyard of the best Ukrainian troops and armored vehicles. In the north of Toretsk, Russian troops advanced the dominant height – the slagheap of the Toretsk mine. Besides, fighting took place to the west of the Central mine, in the area of the Avangard stadium and in the Central Market. Due to the ongoing hostilities, the city suffered significantly. In the Krasnolimansk direction, the Russian side took control of the settlement of Ivanovka on the western bank of the Zherebez River. The Russian troops thus struck in the western direction instead of the expected offensive in the south. The Russian Armed Forces are completing the encirclement of Kurakhovo, the city is already surrounded from several sides. Russians have taken control of about 90% of the territory, Ukrainian units have been kicked out of its eastern, southern and central parts. Residential buildings have come under the Russian stormtroopers’ grasp, and the Ukrainian military units have withdrawn to the industrial zone in the western part of the city, where a large pipe factory and a thermal power plant are located. These facilities are now being used by Ukrainian forces as fortified areas. In the Pokrovsk direction, Russian troops seized the village of Ukrainka. Now they are trying to block the highway connecting Velyka Novosilka with Huliaipole. Anonymous sources among the Ukrainian military report that they have been given the task of calling friends and relatives to persuade them to leave Krasnoarmeysk as soon as possible. There are fears that Kiev is preparing another provocation involving the mass killing of civilians in order to then accuse the Russian troops of this. Previously, a similar scenario succeeded in Bucha, but was thwarted in Selidovo, where surviving witnesses told of death squads consisting of Western mercenaries, among others. The second expected provocation by the Kiev authorities at the behest of Washington is the destruction of key gas transportation infrastructure facilities in order to finally stop the gas flow from Russia to Europe. Finally, there has been speculation in the media about the missile capabilities of the belligerents. According to The New York Times, Kiev has only 50 missiles out of the 500 ATACMS previously given by the United States. At the same time, Ukraine’s military intelligence believes that now Russia has at least 1,400 long-range missiles.