According to available information from satellite photos and OSINT investigations, the invaders are building fortifications and defense lines behind Svatov. This is much deeper than the existing positions on the front line.
About thisChannel 24said military expert, editor-in-chief of Defense Express Oleg Katkov. According to him, however, it cannot be argued that the Russian invaders are ready to leave Kremennaya, Svatovo and related territories.
Most likely, they are preparing for maneuvering defense, which has been used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
It consists in the fact that there are certain positions that units defend. But their task is not to stand there to the end, not to conduct positional defense. They must cause significant damage to the enemy, and then withdraw, retaining their personnel, – said Katkov.
He emphasizes that this is a rather cautious assumption. After all, there is not enough information yet to make a deeper analysis of the situation.
However, it is still known that the invaders are building such fortifications not only in the Svatovo region. Similar lines of defense are fixed near Severodonetsk-Lysichansk, in Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. In the gap between these lines of defense and the forward line, the invaders will try to conduct a mobile defense.
Will the invaders be able to conduct a mobile defense
As Katkov emphasized, mobile defense requires a huge level of coordination and interaction between different units. It is also important to have logistical support, material and technical basis and reserves. Hundreds of thousands of “chmobiks” will not solve the situation so easily.
There is a fine line between a mobile defense and a panicked retreat. The Armed Forces of Ukraine showed skill in mobile defense, which helped slow down the pace of the offensive of the invaders. This requires some coordination, skill and coherence,” Katkov noted.
Russia may have problems with this. Katkov gave the example of the 2nd Taman motorized rifle division, which is currently undergoing retraining in Belarus. Since the beginning of the war, the Armed Forces of Ukraine pretty much tore her to pieces.
According to OSINT researchers, now approximately 80% of the division's personnel are mobilized. Many professional military personnel have already managed to be destroyed in battles. In his opinion, most of the regular military units of the Russian army may have a similar situation.
In addition, the enemy has a whole “hodgepodge” of different troops on the fronts, which will certainly complicate coordination. The regular units should be supplemented by the Russian Guard, various PIKs with convicts, volunteer detachments and the so-called BARS.
All this should somehow work in one mechanism. And this is much more difficult in any case,” Katkov stressed.
What is happening near Kremennaya: in short
- Head of the Luhansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai said on December 27 that heavy fighting continues near Kremennaya . The Ukrainian military is slowly but surely moving forward.
- Gaidai also explained why it is extremely important for Ukraine to free Kremennaya from Russian infidels.
- According to Channel 24 sources in the special services, on the night of 27 December, the invaders were hot in Kremennaya. The command of the Russian military fled to Rubizhnoye. The mobilized tried to run after them, but detachments of Kadyrov's men shot at them.
