Russia launches offensive. Heavy fighting for Bakhmut. Russian army concentration on Lyman direction - military expert Serhiy Zgurets

Russians launch offensive in several directions 

Reserve Colonel Viktor Kevliuk believes that the predicted Russian offensive has already begun. The enemy abandons missile and artillery strike tactic, instead they concentrate considerable forces in the Luhansk and Donetsk directions. Last week Russians tried to attack our positions in Vuhledar with four brigades. However, the 72nd and 79th AFU brigades repelled the offensive, inflicting heavy losses on the 40th and 155th Russian marine infantry brigades. Therefore, Russians will achieve no positive results in the Vuhledar direction. Although this was one of the directions where the enemy was trying to maintain control over the Donbas-Crimea railway junction. According to Kevliuk, Lyman is the second direction for an active Russian offensive: the enemy managed to engage a lot of personnel there: the 2nd motorized rifle division, which had been restoring its combat capability in Belarus, the 76th Airborne Assault Division and the 98th Airborne Division. It means they sent half of the amphibious assault divisions to the Lyman direction.

Exhausting battles for Bakhmut

If we disregard the Belarusian border in Northern Ukraine, then the AFU are conducting combat operations on a more than 800 km long frontline. Some areas are the most difficult: the Lyman direction, Marinka and Avdiivka, Vuhledar and, of course, the city of Bakhmut. Yesterday, Ukrainian media quoted the Ground Forces commander General Syrskyi responsible for our defense in the Eastern direction. According to him, Bakhmut and the area were prepared for defense in advance. He also noted that this area has peculiar landscape. So the combination of natural landscape and well-engineered barrier system turned this area into an impregnable fortress. According Syrskyi, the AFU use every opportunity to destroy the best enemy units. On February 3, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not leave Bakhmut. Today, a Supreme Commander’s Headquarters Meeting was held, and the situation around Bakhmut was discussed again. They focused on providing necessary weapons and ammunition to our units.

Bakhmut operational encirclement risks 

With reference to officials and intelligence, media spreads information that it is necessary to rationally consider the withdrawal of the AFU from Bakhmut if the operational encirclement risks increase. Now the enemy has greatly intensified the pressure on our units in Bakhmut. They launch attacks and attempt to seize the routes leading to the city. Hostilities are ongoing in the north, south and east of Bakhmut. In the north, the enemy is trying to capture Krasna Hora and break through towards Siversk. The enemy is engaging more personnel in Mykolaivka for the further offensive on Rozdolivka and Vasiukivka. And in the southwestern direction, the enemy is trying to break through to the Kostiantynivka-Bakhmut highway in the area of Ivanivske. However, the enemy cannot seize the route now. The battles for Ivanivske will be critical for the further defense of Bakhmut. The situation in the city is very difficult.  They’re striking the city from three directions. Some Ukrainian units had to withdraw from private sector areas to minimize the risks of their own losses. However, this does not mean the situation is not under the AFU control.  

Russians are intensely storming Bakhmut

According to Yevhen Oropai, Svoboda (“Freedom”) National Guard battalion commander, the situation around Bakhmut is changing very quickly. The enemy has mobilized large-scale forces to storm the city and is suffering heavy losses. He emphasized that the enemy is storming the city constantly and forcefully. Oropai also noted that Russians keep using their usual fire tactics. Buildings are being destroyed. Therefore, it is very difficult for us to hold back enemy attacks. Also, occupying forces are actively shelling the outskirts and the area with artillery.