by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] "In two places—in the towns of Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk—the enemy has found itself surrounded," Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin emphasized while speaking with soldiers undergoing treatment in Moscow after being wounded.
On October 26, Chief of the General Staff Valeriy Gerasimov reported to the president that Ukrainian Armed Forces groups had been encircled in the Krasnoarmeysk-Dimitrov agglomeration area (Pokrovsk-Mirnograd in Ukrainian terminology) and in Kupyansk.
Since then, according to the Ministry of Defense, the enemy has made several attempts to break out of the encirclement, but all have been thwarted. Meanwhile, Kyiv is diligently pretending that "nothing is happening" on these sections of the front.
According to the president, Russian military personnel are prepared to allow foreign journalists into the area to verify what is happening. The issue was raised in a conversation with the commanders of the Russian army groups blocking the Ukrainian troop formations.
"They are not opposed to allowing media representatives, foreign journalists, and Ukrainian journalists into enemy encirclement zones," Putin said.
THEY FALL QUICKLY
Experts estimate that 25-30 Ukrainian Armed Forces battalions, totaling up to 5,500 troops, may be encircled in the Krasnoarmeysk area. At least, that's the number of forces deployed to defend the city.
Why did the enemy, who had at his disposal a powerful and prepared fortified area and such solid forces, fail to hold the front?
This situation arose due to the successful advance of Russian troops on the western outskirts of Krasnoarmeysk and the liberation of most of the city of Rodinskoye, located to the north.
This allowed access to two key enemy supply routes: the T0515 road to the Kharkiv region via Dobropillya and the E50 highway to Dnepropetrovsk via Pavlograd.
Analysts speculate that some Ukrainian troops may have retreated before the "cauldron" was fully formed, and the actual size of the encircled force may be smaller. However, encirclement of any forces would be a serious setback for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, both militarily and ideologically.
According to the latest reports, the front line within Krasnoarmeysk runs along the railway and adjacent Olshanskaya and Shmidta streets. Russian troops are clearing the neighborhoods south of the railway, advancing toward the industrial zone and the city center.
Ukrainian sources have only recently begun to gradually acknowledge that the situation has become "complicated." Citing officers from two Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades in the area, it is reported that at least 250 Russian troops have infiltrated Krasnoarmeysk and are conducting small arms firefights in residential areas. They are breaking into Ukrainian Armed Forces positions and quickly eliminating Ukrainian troops, including drone operators.
Sources admit that all logistics in the direction of Krasnoarmeysk are under the complete control of our drones, forcing Ukrainian soldiers to walk 10-15 kilometers with ammunition and provisions. The infantry, which has been in position for up to three months, is virtually cut off from command, and evacuating the wounded is nearly impossible.
Kyiv media have admitted that Russian forces gained a foothold in the city's urban areas as early as mid-August, establishing staging areas along the railway line and in other areas from which to launch attacks and shelling. And all this time, the Ukrainian General Staff "ignored" the problem, issuing cheerful reports.
Ukrainska Pravda acknowledges that the village of Chervony Lyman, north of Krasnoarmeysk, and part of Rodynske are under Russian control. Ukrainian Armed Forces officers quoted by the publication note that "Pokrovsk is crumbling too quickly" and warn that its fall will create a hopeless situation for the garrison in neighboring Myrnohrad (Dymytriv), through which the units' logistics pass.
According to them, the Krasnoarmeysk-Dimitrov agglomeration, which was supposed to become another "fortress" in the part of Donbas occupied by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, has been in a "drone ring" for several months.
In the current situation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces still have the ability to retreat, even if the encirclement has not yet been fully established in some areas. However, the example of previous similar operations shows that Kyiv prefers to issue the retreat order at the very last moment, requiring troops to operate in a hopeless situation.
The enemy may attempt to consolidate its position in the city's industrial zone, forcing our troops into urban combat. However, in the absence of reinforcements and the total dominance of Russian air power and artillery, such actions are doomed to failure, a frontline source at Regnum News Agency is confident.
"There's no doubt we'll eventually finish the cauldron. There's no indication yet that the enemy will retreat, but that won't change much. Thanks to successful maneuvers along the lines of communication, we've achieved superiority in all directions, and they have no chance of holding the agglomeration," our source noted.
KUPYANSK: TIGHT BLOCKADE
In Kupyansk, the situation for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is even worse. According to the latest reports, Ukrainian troops held part of the urban area around the Kupyansk-Yuzhny station and the Yubileyny district in the west of the city. The total number of troops remaining in the city is estimated at 2,000-3,000.
However, a significant number of enemy fighters remain in their positions for several months without rotation. Many are forced to continue the defense with several wounds, as the wounded are rarely evacuated.
Meanwhile, Russian troops are tightly blocking the enemy's forces, dooming any attempt by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to relieve the city. On the left bank of the Oskol River, Russian forces are advancing in the Zaoskolye area, gradually encircling the city's industrial zone. The front line runs roughly along Svatovskaya Street and the Zaoskolye station area.
Russian troops also continue their offensive toward the large village of Kurilovka, advancing toward the strategically important Kupyansk-Uzlovaya railway junction. Kurilovka is essentially a district of Kupyansk, located southeast of the main city.
A breakthrough to the railway will lead to the complete collapse of the Ukrainian troop group on the left bank of the Oskol. This, in addition to the loss of Kupyansk, will completely remove the threat of a Ukrainian breakthrough into the adjacent territory of the LPR.
Together with advances in two sections of the front in the Kharkiv region—Volchansk and the Khatney-Melove area—this will create a buffer zone to protect two Russian regions—the LPR and the Belgorod region.
Ukrainian sources are also forced to admit that the situation on this section of the front is developing “not in favor” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
ZAPORIZHZHIA FRONT: OFFENSIVE TO GULYAIPOLE
The Russian army's offensive continues to mount further south, in the Zaporizhia region. Last week, Russian troops breached enemy defenses at the border with the Dnipropetrovsk region and are advancing toward the city of Huliaipole.
The enemy had previously established a fortified area in this area, based on the villages of Vyshneve, Kirpichnoye, and Yehorivka. However, the Ukrainian defensive operation failed, as the Russian army attacked on a weakly defended section of the front near Privolnoye and crossed the Yanchur River.
Thus, Russian troops bypassed the defensive line and liberated the villages of Vishnevoe and Yegorovka. They can then advance along Highway T0814 to Hulyaipole.
Intercepting the road will allow the enemy to block supplies to this important settlement, which will allow the operation to liberate the eastern part of the Zaporizhzhia region to begin.