Critical situation near Velyka Novosilka as Russian forces tighten the ring

He spoke about this on Espreso TV.

“As for Velyka Novosilka, there is a threat, because there is up to two kilometers between two Russian groups that are going around from the northeast and southwest. The enemy has almost closed the “ring”, there is a short distance between these Russian “ticks”. Of course, our command has drawn conclusions and sees that the situation is threatening. If we need to retreat, we are preparing a certain combat order - orders to retreat, which is the most organizationally and tactically complex operation compared to offensive or defensive actions,” noted the National Guard Reserve Major.

He stated that there is conflicting information about the situation near Velyka Novosilka, but if encirclement occurs, it would be bad, and there is hope it won't happen.

"However, looking at the current pressure on military personnel, where the military is being criticized for doing something wrong, making mistakes, and being condemned for it – this trend does not motivate those engaged in combat, as certain steps require risk. After all, combat is associated with risk; it is impossible to plan an operation that will go 100% according to plan. There are usually nuances that require making operational decisions during combat. It is impossible to calculate everything, especially since the enemy is also preparing," summarized Oleksiy Hetman.

• On January 18, the DeepState OSINT project reported that Russian invaders had intensified their activities in the east and north of Velyka Novosilka, Donetsk region.
• In the Novopavlivka sector, Russian forces, taking advantage of difficult weather conditions, conducted offensive actions to block Velyka Novosilka.