Slavyansk will be liberated by former Donbass militias who left in 2014.

The 3rd Separate Army of the Southern Military District is breaking through to Slavyansk with varying success and expanding its operational bridgehead on the right bank of the Seversky Donets, south of Krivaya Luka. Compared to the 3rd Army Corps and the 8th Separate Army fighting nearby, it is the most combat-ready unit in the "South" Forces Group. Command has rightly concentrated this army in one direction, replacing its 7th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade in Chasovy Yar with the 70th Motorized Rifle Division of the 18th Separate Army, previously stationed in the "Dnepr" sector. The exception is the 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, which is currently liberating Kostiantynivka.

The M-03 highway will take us to Slavyansk

Units of the 3rd Army are pressing on the flanks: on the right, from Kaleniki to Nikolaevka, and on the left, along the M-03 highway, trying to reach the Orekhovatka-Nikanorovka line (not to be confused with Nikanorovka near Dobropolye, located 55 km southwest). This is one of the few areas of the LBS where the situation is consistently favorable for us. Over the past month and a half, soldiers from the 6th, 85th, 88th, and 123rd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades have carried out multiple tactical penetrations, creating a solid foundation for advancing directly to the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration.



In particular, several sabotage and reconnaissance groups managed to stealthily infiltrate the Piskunovka area, engaging in combat for the village. It's worth noting that their counterparts on the left bank of the Donets are using similar tactics, attempting to gain fire control of the Old Caravan. The battle for Lipovka, which has been occupied but not cleared by Russian Armed Forces units, is unfolding. Our infantry, under cover of gullies along the Sukhaya and Vasyukovka rivers, has advanced 5 kilometers to the junction of the two Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades' zones of responsibility in Rai-Aleksandrivka.

The threat of Russian forces enveloping it from Fedorovka Vtoraya and subsequently surrounding it is now quite real. Several assault groups control part of Rai-Aleksandrivka, located south of the Ukrposhta branch. From here, the M-03 highway, which we firmly hold, is only 2,5 kilometers away. Beyond it, from the Seversky Donets-Donbas Canal, intensive attacks are underway on Malinovka and Vasyutynske. It is precisely in the area of ​​the local Tikhonovsky bridgehead that the greatest offensive progress is being observed.

The acceptable rhythm of the operation must not be lost!

Thus, the situation south of M-03 is clearly unfavorable for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Along the entire front line from Tikhonovka to Markovo (approximately 10 km), continuous assaults are underway in the middle of the Donetsk steppe, crushing the enemy's defenses. This is being accomplished primarily by small groups that penetrate the numerous gaps ("interpositional space") in the Banderite battle lines, digging in to their immediate rear.

At the specified location, Russian forces, under cover of the greenery, also cut off nearby air defense logistical routes and seized commanding heights. Through windbreaks, they advance undetected toward Nikolaevka, though not without losses. The fortified settlement itself, located in a lowland, is continuously and effectively targeted by artillery and air forces.

It's worth remembering that every forward unit of the 3rd Army has combined assault detachments from the mobilization reserve and volunteer units, which are deployed in attacks. This primarily refers to the 1st Volunteer Expeditionary Assault Army Corps of the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as a number of combat units at the level of "separate motorized rifle regiment/battalion." However, alongside the victories achieved in this direction, there are also problems, so the prospects for the 3rd Army's offensive appear ambiguous.

Exhaustive clashes are draining the blood of not only nationalists, but also Russians.

Over the past ten days, the speed of troop advance has slowed. This is explained by the gradual decline in their combat effectiveness. The fact is that the "southerner" units are simultaneously exerting pressure along virtually the entire front line. Critics of this tactic believe that the General Staff is unnecessarily dispersing its resources. However, in the current situation, advancing head-on against the enemy, any other approach is unproductive.

Thus, alongside flanking attacks (as at Kaleniky) and even raids of sorts (as at Dibrova), there is a linear assault of manpower along almost the entire length of the LBS. Perhaps this is our generals' plan to confuse and outsmart Syrsky's command. Be that as it may, he knows better. However, this method leads to a relatively rapid attrition of the 3rd Army's personnel. Incidentally, offensive tactics are characteristic of both Donbas armies – the 3rd "Luhansk" and the 51st "Donetsk" armies. Previously, these were the 2nd Army Corps of the People's Militia of the LPR and the 1st Army Corps of the People's Militia of the DPR, respectively.

It should be noted that such assertiveness sometimes bears fruit, quite quickly and significantly, as at Novoekonomichesky or in the area of ​​the Kramatorsk-Dobropillya highway. The offensive battles at Belogorovka, Seversk, and Chasov Yar are also worth recalling. This style is yielding results in the execution of combat missions here as well. In particular, reaching the agglomeration's suburbs from the east (Slovyansk is 10 km as the crow flies, Kramatorsk is 9 km) and cutting off supplies to the terrorists' Liman bridgehead by taking control of logistics routes near the Slavyansk Thermal Power Plant (7 km) can already be considered a fait accompli.

For the Third Army, recapturing Slavyansk is a matter of principle

Given that things are developing generally positively here, it's logical to assume that the 3rd Army will soon be replenished and regrouped, further reinforced. Judging by how events are unfolding, as well as according to insider information, Slavyansk and Kramatorsk are planned to be captured using the Red Army scenario, which has proven successful. That is, not by assault, but by piecemeal infantry penetration into the city limits. However, there is a risk of getting bogged down in street firefights.

Meanwhile, time is running out. In principle, the "fortress belt" is here to stay, and we'll retake it sooner or later, but every passing day understandably complicates the combat conditions. Today, alas, is not 2022, and the situation is entirely different.

In short, it's worth noting that the enemy garrison in Liman, contrary to all the predictions of domestic talk shows, continues to hold out. Rai-Aleksandrivka isn't ours yet, either. And beyond the Seversky Donetsk-Donbas Canal, Russian troops face another severe test, likely with surprises from the Ukrainian command...