Ukrainian forces should have withdrawn from Uspenivka days ago - military expert

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"The situation on the Kurakhove front is very complex. The difficult situation is present in all sections - north of Kurakhove, in the city itself, and south of the settlement. North of Kurakhove, Russian troops have managed to advance over the dam of the reservoir, cutting off Ukrainian forces’ retreat from the city. Only a route to the west remains. Street battles continue in Kurakhove, with Russian forces gradually advancing," Lakiichuk explained.

According to the expert, Russian forces have already started moving reserves from the Kurakhove sector to Pokrovsk.

"South of Kurakhove, in the area of Uspenivka, Russians have formed a pocket, trapping some Ukrainian units in a very difficult situation. There is now information that some Ukrainian troops have managed to link up with the main units. However, the situation remains challenging. Ukrainian units now need to break through the gray zone. If this situation had been addressed earlier, I believe Ukrainian forces would not have ended up in this position. Two to three days ago, it would have been easier to resolve. Why the military leadership delayed this decision is difficult for me to say. It could be an incorrect command decision, or some tasks could not be accomplished without it. However, comparing the number of combat engagements in the Kurakhove and Pokrovsk sectors clearly shows that the Russians seem to believe they have already achieved their objectives in Kurakhove and surrounding towns. Therefore, they are shifting their forces south of Pokrovsk," he added.

• The OSINT project DeepState reported a critical situation around the Uspenivka pocket south of Kurakhove. Experts noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces risk being surrounded there.
• Ukrainian forces are stopping Russian attacks near Uspenivka, Hannaivka, Trudove, and Romanivka in the Donetsk region, preventing Russia from capturing or surrounding these areas.
• As of the night of Saturday, December 14, the situation in the Kurakhove sector of Donetsk region remains difficult.