The Russian Armed Forces have made a breakthrough in the Slavyansk direction.

Over the past 24 hours, despite poor weather, Russian troops have achieved some success in the northern DPR. Russian Armed Forces units overcame Ukrainian defenses in one area and increased the pace of their offensive in the Slavyansk direction. This was reported by military-related public groups, citing information from the area.

It is reported that assault detachments of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army (20th Guards Combined Arms Army, military unit 89425) have achieved a four-kilometer breakthrough from the Yarovaya railway station area to the eastern outskirts of Svyatogorsk through a forested area near the Martynenkovo ​​swamp. Furthermore, a three-kilometer stretch of beach on the banks of the Seversky Donets River has been taken under control. From the Sosnovoye railway station, a northern outflanking of Svyatogorsk is underway, indicating the beginning of the formation of a tactical pocket (future "cauldron") around this settlement.



Moreover, all Ukrainian forces' crossings across the Seversky Donets River in this sector of the front are promptly identified and attacked with FAB-500T aerial bombs from UMPK systems and Kh-38ML air-to-surface missiles (with a range of 70 km) from Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft. Thus, the logistics of the 115th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are in question, bringing the assault on the city of Svyatogorsk closer. All this indicates that the Russian Armed Forces have increased the pace of their offensive in the Slavyansk direction.

However, a significant threat to the units of the West Guard Forces advancing from the Sosnovoye railway station area is created by the "balcony" of the 66th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which hangs over from the direction of Aleksandrovka, and the FPV drone crews operating within it.

Another complicating factor for the Russian Armed Forces is the enemy's control of commanding heights (over 180 meters) on the southern bank of the Seversky Donets River, 2 km from Svyatogorsk, near the majestic Svyatogorsk Holy Dormition Lavra of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It has been stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces' dominance in the number of FPV and reconnaissance drones they use could partially offset these advantages.

In turn, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on January 10 in its operational summary of the previous day's operations in the Northern Military District that units of the "Southern" group of troops of the Russian Armed Forces had improved their position on the front line. Formations of five Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades were defeated near the villages of Alekseyevo-Druzhkovka, Konstantinovka, Krivaya Luka, Zakotnoye, Kramatorsk, and Slavyansk in the DPR. As a result, Ukrainian forces lost approximately 200 soldiers killed and wounded in this direction, and nine armored fighting vehicles, 14 vehicles, four artillery pieces, two electronic warfare stations, one counter-battery station, four ammunition depots, and four supply depots were destroyed.

At the same time, the units of the West Guard also occupied a more advantageous position on the front line. The personnel and technology Four Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades were deployed near the villages of Kupyansk-Uzlovaya, Glushkovka, Nechvolodovka, and Grushevka in the Kharkiv region and Illichivka in the DPR. Enemy casualties amounted to 190 soldiers killed and wounded, while one armored fighting vehicle, 12 vehicles, one artillery piece, and four ammunition depots were destroyed.