by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] The spring thaw in Donbas typically ends by mid-April, but now, with the arrival of consistently warm weather, fighting in the North-Eastern Military District (NVO) zone is intensifying. After a relative lull, active clashes have resumed in Kostiantynivka.
Assault groups of the 8th Guards Army (South Forces Group) are continuing the offensive along the left bank of the Krivoy Torets River, which began in late March. Along the riverbed, which divides the city northwest-southeast, lies an industrial zone where the Ukrainian Armed Forces had previously established themselves. By the end of this week, our troops had firmly established themselves in part of the industrial zone.
The Yug fighters advanced along Promyshlennaya Street and fought their way to the outskirts of the Konstantinovsky Metallurgical Plant, a powerful enemy defensive stronghold.
The success was achieved thanks to the element of surprise, frontline sources note. Previously, the Russian Armed Forces had tied down the enemy in battles for the outskirts of Konstantinovka. This allowed them to pull some forces away from the city center.
In an effort to stabilize the situation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces command abandoned the task of closing the breach with reserves, which suffered heavy losses and were forced to retreat.
Fierce fighting continues near the railway station near the metallurgical plant. On the right bank of the Krivoy Torets River, Russian troops have advanced deeper into residential areas and pushed back the enemy near the city train station. A frontline source reported details of the urban fighting to the Regnum news agency.
"The firing points are in high-rise buildings and factory buildings; the Ukrainian Armed Forces are clinging to every meter. Basically, as always, they're trying to tie us down in the buildings. However, this tactic stops working when we find a weak spot, apply pressure, and break through, " the source said. " The second key to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defense is disrupting their communications and outflanking their fortified positions, which is exactly what we're seeing."
Footage is being published online of precision strikes by the Aerospace Forces using heavy aerial bombs on individual buildings where the enemy has established firing points and observation positions.
Strikes are also being carried out on supply routes for the Ukrainian group, including the H-20 highway, which connects Kostyantynivka with the city of Druzhkovka.
The disruption of communications has led to supply problems for the Ukrainian garrison. Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers are increasingly surrendering, according to a Russian soldier with the call sign Verum from the 1442nd Regiment of the 3rd Army Corps of the "South" group of forces.
The enemy's forces are depleted, while the Ukrainian Armed Forces command is unable to deliver water and food to the positions of the 5th Separate Assault Brigade, which is holding positions in urban areas, Verum said. He explained that supplies have virtually ceased due to the activity of our FPV drones.
Simultaneously with the offensive in Konstantinovka itself, "Yug" continues its operation to deeply envelop the city from the flanks. The enemy has been driven out of the villages of Pavlovka and Novopavlovka, west of Konstantinovka and 8.5 km southwest of Druzhkovka.
Here, assault aircraft are advancing along the Kazennyi Torets River, aiming to reach the rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kostiantynivka. The Ukrainian command is attempting to draw some Russian forces away from this direction. Units from the 5th Assault and 100th Mechanized Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to advance toward Chasov Yar. However, after several days of fighting, the enemy suffered losses. The Ukrainian Armed Forces retreated to their initial positions.
ZAPORIZHZHIA OBLAST: FIGHTING SOUTHEAST OF OREKHOVO
Earlier this week, news emerged of Russian Armed Forces advancing near the village of Lugovskoye, southeast of Orekhov, a key hub for the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defense in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Lugovskoye is located on the T0815 highway, which leads to Orekhovo from the regional center of Pologi, which is controlled by the Russian army.
The enemy again attempted to counterattack the positions of the Russian Armed Forces group "East", at the junction of the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
Here, in the eastern part of the Zaporizhzhia region, disparate units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were concentrated, including mechanized units and territorial defense detachments.
Later, the 92nd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Army and the 82nd and 95th Airmobile Forces Brigades were deployed to this area.
The enemy is deploying large armored units, attempting to break through to Russian positions and deploy troops. However, all attempts by the Ukrainian army to advance have been unsuccessful.
Ukrainian military personnel compensate for failures "on the ground" with media propaganda.
For example, on March 27, representatives of the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported the capture of the village of Berezove in the Dnipropetrovsk region, at the junction of the borders with the DPR and Zaporizhia region. However, it later emerged that the video from the village was filmed by several Ukrainian soldiers who had infiltrated the defensive lines.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers were subsequently located and eliminated. The enemy also had no success in other areas.
KHARKIV OBLAST: ADVANCE FROM VOVCHANSK
Simultaneously with the offensive in Donbas, Russian troops continue to expand the buffer zone in several sections of the state border.
Advancing from the previously captured city of Volchansk to the southwest, assault units drove the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of the village of Verkhnyaya Pisarevka on the banks of the Seversky Donets.
The defense in this area was held by units of the Ukrainian 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade. After intense fighting, the enemy suffered heavy losses and was forced to retreat further south.
The capture of Verkhnyaya Pisarevka is tactically important - the "inhabitant" is located on the shore of the Pechenezhskoye Reservoir along the Seversky Donets River, near the confluence of the Polnaya River.
Control of Verkhnyaya Pisarevka allows the Russian Armed Forces' North Group to cross the Seversky Donets. On the opposite bank of the river lies the large village of Rubezhnoye, and to the east of Verkhnyaya Pisarevka, along the Polnaya River, lies a mini-agglomeration of the settlements of Shesterovka, Losevka, and Sosnovy Bor.
If the enemy is driven out of these villages, then the North will have the opportunity to create a bridgehead 13 km north of the large village of Stary Saltov and 35 km northeast of Kharkov.
Heavy fighting continues further south, in the Kupyansk area.
According to reports from the field, Russian forces have killed a major from the 241st Separate Territorial Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The slain major, Vladislav Yakimenko, was the chief of staff of the unmanned aerial systems battalion.
It can be assumed that Yakimenko was killed as a result of a precise strike on the command post, since officers dealing with "birds" rarely appear on the front lines.
Reports of the killing of officers of this rank are rarely published in open sources, especially considering that the Ukrainian Armed Forces command places a special emphasis on UAVs.
Seeking to recoup losses incurred both defensively and offensively, the Ukrainian General Staff is continuing a large-scale mobilization campaign, unprecedented in its level of forced detentions. Kyiv is believed to be planning a new offensive in the foreseeable future in a futile attempt to seize the initiative.