Ukrainian troops averted encirclement as Russian forces are poised to seize Velyka Novosilka, Donetsk Oblast, stated the a hundred and tenth Separate Mechanised Brigade.
Ukrainian troops efficiently withdrew from some areas to keep away from being encircled however preventing is ongoing across the village, which lies round 15 kilometers east of the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Gear on each side wears skinny however Russian infantry vastly outnumbers the Ukrainian aspect, the brigade wrote on its Telegram channel.
Whereas Russian troops will probably seize the village quickly, they are going to battle to advance their offensive onward. The Mokri Yaly River creates an impediment for Russia’s advance and Russian troops are in a susceptible “fireplace pocket,” stated the brigade.
“Any motion is suppressed by shells and drones," stated the brigade.
The river additionally hindered provide routes to the Ukrainians. On Jan 23, Army spokesperson Viktor Trehubov warned that Ukrainian troops have been liable to encirclement.
Russian forces try to take management of entry routes to the village by heavy fireplace, Trehubov famous.
The Russian Protection Ministry claimed on Jan. 24 that its troops had planted a Russian flag within the middle of Velyka Novosilka and that they’d cut up the city in two, chopping off Ukrainian forces. The southern pocket fell most just lately.
Consultants advised the Kyiv Unbiased that Ukrainian troops have been probably holding onto the village's northwestern areas and Russia anticipated to finish the seize in “days.”
In the event that they do, it is going to be Russia’s first notable win this yr.
It’s unclear what number of Ukrainian troops have been trapped contained in the southern pocket in Velyka Novosilka, nevertheless it may very well be round two or three battalions, in response to Pasi Paroinen on the Finland-based open-source intelligence group Black Hen Group. The variety of troopers might be round a number of hundred, he added.
Combating is at a really heavy degree in Donetsk Oblast and Russian troops proceed to advance, albeit slowly, this yr. All through the autumn of 2024, Russian forces made operational good points in southern Donetsk Oblast, together with areas close to Toretsk and Chasiv Yar, whereas advancing close to Kupiansk and on Russian soil in Kursk Oblast.
The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima