Only 102nd Territorial Defence Forces Brigade was holding Huliaipole sector – Manko
Commander of the Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valentyn Manko has commented on the situation in the Huliaipole sector.
Censor.NET reports this with reference to ZN.ua.
"There are sectors where Ukrainian forces are advancing – between Zaporizhzhia and Orikhiv; in the Sumy and Lyman sectors, we have gained ground. We also have gains on the Dobropillia axis. In the Pokrovsk sector, fighting is taking place inside the city itself. The situation along the entire front is difficult," Manko explained.
The colonel noted that the Russians had spent almost a year preparing for their autumn offensive. As for the Huliaipole sector, activity there was low after 2022, so only one brigade was deployed in the area, including at the time when the Assault Forces were sent in to stabilise this section of the front.
"Only the 102nd Territorial Defence Forces Brigade was holding the line there. The enemy is constantly probing the front in small groups and choosing several axes where there are gaps in the defences," Manko said, adding that "some things were done and some were not" to prepare for increased Russian activity. As a result, criminal proceedings have already been opened into how units defended this sector.
However, he stressed that the difficult situation in this sector did not emerge overnight and that no one had broken into the rear of Ukraine’s Armed Forces; it was the result of a chain of events.
"The Russians kept attacking head-on. We re-established the line and are now holding the enemy back where we held them before," the colonel said. "But the situation is complicated by fog and rain, which allow the enemy to move forward. This does not happen in columns or large groups, because we eliminate them."
