goswe
JF-Expert Member
- Apr 28, 2018
- 4,880
- 5,763
From "The Analyst":
RUSSIANS MAKE MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH
Ukraine withdrew to its river defence line after the fall of Avdivka. A strong line the Russians tried to break and failed to, largely because its on higher ground. However north of that defence line is even higher ground that the defence line didn’t cover and a railway line runs through the area northwestward.
The Russians realised this wasn’t as heavily defended, prepared to exploit it and yesterday, having bombed the area back to the Stone Age, forced a breakthrough along the rail line on ground that’s higher than the defence line. This opens up the Ukrainians to being totally outflanked from the north and their defence lines taken from behind.
So far Russian forces have moved up the railway line using entirely infantry but have taken the rail line and the forest areas either side of it for almost 2km in a 500m wide corridor. It isn’t suitable for tanks or other vehicles yet but if they widen the attack northwards they could make ground available for mobile forces.
The Russians got as far as taking parts of a small village of Orachyne on the rail line managing to establishing a control centre in one of the railway siding buildings there. Ukrainian reinforcements by now were on the way to Orachyne and drones were actively trying to hunt down the mass of Russian infantry that had penetrated the area.
Groups of up to 50 were being spotted and tracked advancing.
The building didn’t last long as Ukraine quickly obliterated it forcing the Russians to flee. The Russians regrouped and spread out in the forested tree line - which with spring coming is now green with foliage and tree cover.
The Russians had also been using Ukrainian trenches to make their way under cover into the settlement.
Ukraine made things worse by fouling up a rotation of units defending the village, leaving it open to Russian troops who quickly took advantage and occupied over half the settlement. In addition the Russians have managed to widen the neck of their salient to make a counter attack more difficult and prevent themselves from being cut off, now having about a fields width north of the rail lines.
Ukraine has moved Bradley’s into the village to get the Russians out but so far hasn’t managed to do so. What seems clear is they over deployed to defend the defence line leaving a weak spot the Russians exploited. Lack of artillery has also been noticeable as they would otherwise have pounded the area to get rid of the Russians in the trees.
The situation is grave at present and threatens to unravel Ukrainian defences unless it’s expunged. It has to be said that in recent months this type of Russian strategy has never failed and Ukraine hasn’t been able to reverse it.
RUSSIANS MAKE MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH
Ukraine withdrew to its river defence line after the fall of Avdivka. A strong line the Russians tried to break and failed to, largely because its on higher ground. However north of that defence line is even higher ground that the defence line didn’t cover and a railway line runs through the area northwestward.
The Russians realised this wasn’t as heavily defended, prepared to exploit it and yesterday, having bombed the area back to the Stone Age, forced a breakthrough along the rail line on ground that’s higher than the defence line. This opens up the Ukrainians to being totally outflanked from the north and their defence lines taken from behind.
So far Russian forces have moved up the railway line using entirely infantry but have taken the rail line and the forest areas either side of it for almost 2km in a 500m wide corridor. It isn’t suitable for tanks or other vehicles yet but if they widen the attack northwards they could make ground available for mobile forces.
The Russians got as far as taking parts of a small village of Orachyne on the rail line managing to establishing a control centre in one of the railway siding buildings there. Ukrainian reinforcements by now were on the way to Orachyne and drones were actively trying to hunt down the mass of Russian infantry that had penetrated the area.
Groups of up to 50 were being spotted and tracked advancing.
The building didn’t last long as Ukraine quickly obliterated it forcing the Russians to flee. The Russians regrouped and spread out in the forested tree line - which with spring coming is now green with foliage and tree cover.
The Russians had also been using Ukrainian trenches to make their way under cover into the settlement.
Ukraine made things worse by fouling up a rotation of units defending the village, leaving it open to Russian troops who quickly took advantage and occupied over half the settlement. In addition the Russians have managed to widen the neck of their salient to make a counter attack more difficult and prevent themselves from being cut off, now having about a fields width north of the rail lines.
Ukraine has moved Bradley’s into the village to get the Russians out but so far hasn’t managed to do so. What seems clear is they over deployed to defend the defence line leaving a weak spot the Russians exploited. Lack of artillery has also been noticeable as they would otherwise have pounded the area to get rid of the Russians in the trees.
The situation is grave at present and threatens to unravel Ukrainian defences unless it’s expunged. It has to be said that in recent months this type of Russian strategy has never failed and Ukraine hasn’t been able to reverse it.