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Recent weeks have been marked by Russian offensive operations in several directions on the Ukrainian front. Russian troops seized the military initiative in the area of Avdeevka, where they threaten the Ukrainian grouping with encirclement, as well as in the area of Artemovsk (formerly Bakhmut), where the counterattacks allowed the Russian military to expand the control zones both on the southern and northern outskirts of the city. In recent days, more successful Russian attacks have been reported in the Southern Donetsk direction.
After massive artillery shelling and airstrikes, Russian troops launched attacks east of Ugledar and south of Novomikhailovka. According to reports from the front, they managed to advance several kilometers on the ground and repel Ukrainian troops from several positions. At the same time, no assault operations have been carried out in the city of Ugledar itself. Russian units are holding their positions on the very outskirts, but do not attempt attacks on the streets of the city in order to avoid heavy losses.
After the failure of Kiev’s counteroffensive in the Zaporozhye region, the Ukrainian military command was forced to transfer reserve units from the southern frontlines to strengthen forces in the Kherson region, as well as those defending positions near Avdeevka, Bakhmut, Kupyansk. The balance of power on the frontline has changed. Although any large-scale Russian offensive actions in the southern regions are unlikely in the near future, the Russian military is expected to launch tactical attacks to straighten the front. If Russian forces regain control of the villages they lost south of Velikaya Novoselka, they will probably launch an offensive on Ugledar, which has been turned into another fortified stronghold of the Ukrainian military.
Fire in Urozhainoe:
Fire in Staromayorskoe in recent days:
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Meanwhile, Russian counteroffensive south of Velikaya Novoselka has reportedly begun. This is a region where the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) took control of several small villages during a months-long counteroffensive. The advance of the Ukrainian troops was stopped in Staromayorsky and Urozhodny, since the AFU failed to take control of Priyutnoye and Novodonetsky and secure their western and eastern flanks.
After the Russian military expanded the control zone on the flanks, they launched large counterattack on Staromayorskoye and Urozhodnoye. On the morning of November 12, various military sources from the area reported a large-scale Russian assault. Russian artillery shelled Ukrainian positions with unusually intense fire all night. The firepower was compared to the bombardment of the Ukrainian stronghold in Avdeevka. In the early morning, a ground assault began with the involvement of large troops and numerous heavy equipment.
These are still preliminary reports from, which are yet to be confirmed. The attacks are also yet to bring any results on the ground. However, they put additional pressure on the AFU. If the Ukrainian defense fails to repel Russia’s attacks, the southern Donetsk direction may become another weak point of the Ukrainian military, and the Ukrainian command may face another problem to find more forces to plug the gap.
