Russia’s attempt to encircle Kramatorsk and Sloviansk has failed, - Zhorin, deputy commander of the 3rd Army Corps
The Russian occupiers’ attempt to encircle Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in a ‘pincer movement’ was completely thwarted thanks to the actions of the Defence Forces. During Operation ‘Vivaldi’, the Ukrainian military destroyed the enemy’s offensive force, repelled the Russians, and forced them to switch to a defensive stance.
Maksym Zhorin, deputy commander of the Third Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported this on a Telegram channel, according to Censor.NET.
What does Zhorin say?
"It can be stated that, at present, the Russians’ plans to encircle Kramatorsk and Sloviansk have been completely thwarted. They had hoped to encircle the cities in a ‘pincer movement’ and subsequently drive Ukrainian forces out of these settlements. During Operation ‘Vivaldi’, we simply destroyed one such ‘pincer’. As a result, we not only halted the enemy’s advance but also pushed them back. Now, within the area of responsibility of our units, the Russians are no longer thinking about offensive operations, but only about defence," the military official emphasises.
According to him, through their actions, the Defence Forces have forced the enemy to switch to attempting to stabilise and hold their existing positions.
"And they have clearly dealt them a serious psychological blow, which we can see in the hysterical outbursts of various ‘Z-bloggers’," concludes Zhorin.
What led up to this?
It was previously reported that the Third Army Corps had completed Operation ‘Vivaldi’: 277 km² had been liberated in the Lyman sector.
