Russian attack Russia may be preparing a large siege ring for eastern Ukraine – This is the state of the fighting now

Abroad|The Russian attack

Ukrainians provided conflicting information on Russia’s war plans in northern Ukraine on Wednesday. Representatives of Russia said on Tuesday after the Istanbul talks that they were withdrawing troops from the north of Kiev and the siege of the city of Chernihiv to “improve the negotiating climate”.

President of Ukraine Volodomyr Zelenskyi condemned Russia’s announcement the night before Wednesday as a mere hoax.

“Ukrainians are not quite childish,” Zelenskyi told Reuters. “During the 34 days of the attack and the eight years of the war in Donbas, the Ukrainians have learned that you can believe when you see it.”

Wednesday morning news and social media reports said the shooting continued north of Kiev and in the Chernihiv region.

Zelensky’s adviser Oleksi Arestovych however, estimates on Ukrainian television’s number one channel on Wednesday that Russia appears to be shifting some troops from the north to fighting in eastern Ukraine. This could mean that Russian troops in the north would dig into their positions for the time being and postpone the attack until later.

Russia’s armed forces have previously said they are changing their strategy in Ukraine so that success in the separatist regions of eastern Ukraine in the Donbass is Russia’s “priority.” In the past, Russian forces have tried to move forward equally in the North, East and South.

If Russia succeeds in establishing a united front line in the eastern region, it could get a significant amount of Ukrainian troops into the motto. In any case, the company is uncertain and will not succeed quickly.

From the Crimea Russian troops have come to Ukraine much faster than troops from other directions. However, Russia has not had a direct road connection from the Ukrainian mainland to Crimea, as the fight for control of Mariupol, which was besieged by Russian troops, continued on Wednesday.

The blockade has lasted for more than a month and Russian troops occupied the city center as early as ten days ago, when the battle was believed to be quickly over.

Ukrainian troops, who have been fighting on the border of the separatist zone for eight years, have largely succeeded in preventing a Russian invasion from Donetsk and Luhansk.

The hardest battles in the direction of Donbas have taken place in the city of Izjum on the border of the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, which were attacked for the first time by Russian forces from the direction of Kharkov in early March.

According to Wednesday’s data, the city center is under Russian control and fighting continues in the southern part of Izjum. At the same time, there is a war over the control of the highway leading to the Slovanian and Ukrainian capital cities of Kramatorsk. Prior to 2014, the road was known as the highway between Kharkov and Don Rostov.

According to Ukrainian media, the 20,000 civilians left in Izjum have not been provided with food, drink or medicine for two weeks. The mayor, who fled the city on the last evacuation buses two weeks ago, said the 500-year-old city of Porvoo was in ruins after the bombing. The bridges over the Donets River are crushed.

Kharkiv news site 2day.kh.ua said on Wednesday, according to Izjum city councilor, Russia reached the center under the guidance of its local allies. The former mayor, two city councilors and one police are accused of conspiracy and treason. They are suspected of giving the attacker information about the defensive grouping.

Southern frontal battles were fought on Wednesday, at least in the small town of Huljaipole, halfway between the towns of Zaporizhia and Donetsk. Russia’s northern and southern fronts could come into contact with each other, advancing from Huljaipole and Izjum. At that time, Ukrainian troops fighting on the border of the separatist region would be left with a moth.

Russian news site in Latvia Meduzan according to the data, a giant moth could emerge in the south, leaving as many as 70,000 Ukrainian fighters at worst. Admittedly, an analysis written anonymously by Meduza estimates that Ukraine cannot allow such a moth to emerge. However, an organized withdrawal from the Dnieper would be difficult due to Russian artillery fire and air bombardment.

On the other hand, the forces that attacked Izjum in Russia have advanced only ten kilometers in the past week. The main road connection between Huljaipole and Izjum is the shortest route of 270 kilometers, so the operation will not be successful in an instant. In addition, Russian forces approaching each other from the north and south could be caught between the two fires themselves.

Thus, regardless of the changes in Russia’s strategy, it seems that the war in Ukraine will continue for a long time.