Russia’s ’northern claw’ in Donetsk region has been crushed, - Biletskyi
Russian troops have lost the opportunity to encircle the fortress towns of the Donetsk region from the north. The situation near Dobropillia remains difficult.
According to Censor.NET, citing Ukrinform, this was stated on television by Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the Third Army Corps.
"The Russians had a plan for the Donetsk sector – to encircle the so-called fortress towns from the north and south. From the south, this involved an encirclement via Dobropillia, and from the north – via this salient, which is now being cut off; it was heading towards the town of Sviatohirsk and beyond... to the settlement of Barvinkove, where these two prongs of the Russian army – the Dobropillia prong from the south and the Svyatogorsk prong from the north – were supposed to meet," said Biletsky.
The situation near Dobropillia remains difficult
According to him, the advance of Russian troops near Dobropillia was halted last year. At present, the situation in this area remains complex, but Ukrainian forces are in control of it.
"The northern prong, however, has effectively been routed and destroyed," noted the commander of the Third Corps.
Russia may move to launch frontal assaults on towns
Biletsky emphasised that it is now critically important "to paralyse logistics, to paralyse the rear, and not to allow the Russians to resume this offensive".
"Then they will have to launch a frontal assault on the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka-Kostiantynivka conurbations. And launching a frontal assault on these towns is a far more painful and costly undertaking for them than attempting to encircle them and, in effect… take them without a fight," explained the commander of the Third Corps.
