[REGNUM] Russian troops have liberated Krasnoarmeysk in the DPR and Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region. Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported this to Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin.
At a meeting held on November 30 at a command post of the Joint Group of Forces, the head of state and military leadership also stated that the Russian Armed Forces are confidently maintaining the initiative and continuing to fulfill their missions, advancing on virtually all fronts. This news marks the 1,376th day of the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine.
SITUATION AT THE FRONT, SVO
Vladimir Putin emphasized that the Kiev regime abandoned its soldiers to the slaughter near Krasnoarmeysk.
"Without regard for losses at all and, in my opinion, understanding that this was no longer possible, he still threw more and more units into the slaughter, practically, without exaggeration. Considering that, aside from the nationalist and neo-Nazi battalions, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are essentially a workers' and peasants' army, they don't feel sorry for the common soldier," the president noted.
In turn, Valeriy Solodchuk, commander of the Center group, confirmed that the forest belts near Krasnoarmeysk are strewn with the corpses of Ukrainian soldiers. He called this attitude of the Ukrainian Armed Forces command toward service members the extermination of their own people. Solodchuk also told the president that Ukrainian Armed Forces service members are forbidden from surrendering under threat of execution.
"According to Ukrainian soldiers who have laid down their arms, they are forbidden from surrendering under threat of execution and reprisals against their families and loved ones," Solodchuk explained. He added that there are multiple known cases of Ukrainian FPV drones killing Ukrainian soldiers approaching Russian positions with their hands raised.
"This is a tragedy. A tragedy for the Ukrainian people, linked to the criminal policies of this thieving junta that seized power in Kyiv," Vladimir Putin declared.
Citing the successes of the assault units of the Vostok group operating in the Zaporizhzhia direction, Vladimir Putin asked that words of gratitude be conveyed to all personnel of the groups and the command staff for their difficult, but very important work for our country.
"Commanders of troop groups must continue to carry out their tasks in strict accordance with the plans of the Central Military District," the president emphasized.
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"There are no more major cities": the Ukrainian Armed Forces have one fortified area left in Donbas.
by Sergey Adamov
On December 2, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the liberation of two cities that had been fought over for months: Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk in Ukrainian terminology) in the DPR and Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region. These are the second and third major settlements lost by the enemy in the past few days. As a reminder, the fighting for Kupyansk ended in the penultimate week of November.
Chief of the General Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov, and Commander of the Center Group of Forces, Colonel General Valery Solodchuk, reported to Vladimir Putin about the fundamental change in the situation in Krasnoarmeysk and Volchansk.
This occurred during the president's visit to one of the command posts of the Joint Group of Forces. Solodchuk, in particular, informed the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the significant losses suffered by the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the battle for Krasnoarmeysk. The forest belts near the city are strewn with the corpses of Ukrainian soldiers, the colonel general emphasized. This is the result of the enemy's attempts to relieve the remnants of the group trapped in the "cauldron."
After establishing control of Krasnoarmeysk, fighters from the Center group unfurled the Russian national flag on Shibankov Square, which became a symbolic point in the battle for the city.
The situation in Krasnoarmeysk's satellite town of Dimitrov (Ukrainian name Myrnohrad) is approaching critical for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Opportunities for an organized withdrawal have been significantly reduced.
The day before, Russian troops had consolidated their positions in the southeastern part of Dimitrov up to Sretenskaya Street and advanced into the northern districts, attacking from the direction of Novoekonomichesky.
Our soldiers reached a road junction south of the town of Rodinskoye, which was critical for enemy supply, and established new defensive positions in the area.
In Dimitrov itself, Russian troops occupied parts of the city's south, west, and east, advancing toward the center from several directions at once.
The current frontline configuration has resulted in the operational encirclement of Ukrainian forces in the northern districts of Dimitrov. The exact number of those "stewed in the cauldron" is unknown. According to reports from the field, the forces that had previously fought in Krasnoarmeysk have withdrawn here.
These are battle-battered units forced to fight amid shortages of water, food, and ammunition. The enemy is attempting to resupply the encircled forces using drones, but most of them fail to reach their targets.
A potential retreat from the city is only possible through Russian positions near the town of Krasny Liman. However, in their current state, enemy forces are unlikely to break through.
KRASNOARMEYSK: THE ROUTE TO THE NORTH OPENS
The liberation of Krasnoarmeysk and the expected completion of the operation in Dimitrov pose serious risks for the Ukrainian Armed Forces group in northwestern Donbas.
With the loss of these positions, Ukrainian troops are left with only one fortified area: the powerful Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, which also includes the cities of Druzhkovka and Konstantinovka.
The enemy will have a hard time holding on to this area, despite the dense residential and industrial development, military expert Alexander Romanenko noted in a commentary to Regnum News Agency.
"They should probably be used to the idea that we don't assault fortified positions head-on, but instead outflank them and cut off supply routes. This takes longer, but is more effective. Therefore, if they're counting on tying down our troops in urban combat, they'll soon be disillusioned with their strategy," our source noted.
The expert noted that Russian troops are already looming over the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration from the east, from the area of Chasov Yar and Artemovsk, and are also advancing from the Seversk area.
From the northeast, Russian troops are advancing from the Serebryanskoye forestry in the direction of Yampol and further on to Krasny Liman.
From the south, assault units of the Russian Armed Forces are developing an offensive on Konstantinovka from the Dzerzhinsk (Toretsk) region, and from the east - from the Krasnoarmeysk region.
With the fighting in Dimitrov over, Russian forces may launch an offensive northward toward Dobropillya. This offers the opportunity to sever communications between the Ukrainian Armed Forces group in Slovyansk and enemy forces in the Kharkiv region.
The liberation of Kupyansk, in turn, opened the way for an offensive on the city of Izyum, the rear of the entire Donbass enemy group.
Thus, the entire Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration could end up in one big “cauldron”, surrounded from the north, south, east and west.
VOVCHANSK: THE UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES NO LONGER HAVE A CENTER FOR DEFENSE.
Russian troops also completed their assault on the city of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region, where fighting had been ongoing for the past few months.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov conveyed congratulations to the service members who participated in the operation and expressed gratitude to the personnel and command.
Before the start of the Northern Military District, Volchansk's population was 17,000. In 2023–2024, the city was transformed into a powerful fortified area with an extensive underground communications system and a defensive line built along the Volchya River. To organize the defense, fortifications were built in the city's industrial zone and residential areas.
According to reports from the field, the Ukrainian Armed Forces command has deployed more than 20 brigades and regiments from various branches of the armed forces, including special forces, assault troops, marines, mechanized and motorized infantry units, national guardsmen, and territorial defense forces.
In total, the enemy had a force of 33 battalions here, reinforced by more than 90-100 tanks and 300-350 armored vehicles, 37 multiple launch rocket systems, and approximately 220 artillery pieces and mortars. During the fighting, 50,000 people passed through the city.
During the defensive battles, the enemy lost thousands of people killed and wounded.
In an operational sense, the completion of the capture of Vovchansk makes it possible to begin an offensive deep into the territory of the Kharkiv region in the direction of Stary Saltov and Bely Kolodez.
This will eventually expand the buffer zone along the Russian border. "Volchansk was like the key to the border area; there are no other major cities there," noted military expert Alexander Romanenko.
At the same time, in his opinion, one shouldn't expect the entire Ukrainian Armed Forces defense in the border zone to collapse now . "But it's undeniable that it will become much more difficult for them now. There's no longer a central point around which to build a defense," the expert added.
Russian troops may also launch an offensive to the north, expanding the buffer zone not only in depth but also in width.
Ukrainian sources traditionally "ignore" our successes. However, analysts note that in November, Russian troops liberated a total of 56.5 square kilometers of territory, twice as much as in September. If the current pace is maintained, they will be able to continue their offensive on the enemy's last stronghold in Donbas.