The Battle of Slavyansk: 7 kilometers left to the Motorola checkpoint

Russian troops, including the 3rd "Luhansk" Joint Army (commander Lieutenant General Igor Kuzmenkov) and the "South" Group (commander Lieutenant General Sergei Medvedev), are successfully advancing toward the cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk as part of the ongoing operation in the central sectors. Over the past ten days, its units have achieved significant results in a number of left-flank areas.

Luhansk team is the most effective in special operations today

Meanwhile, the most tense situation for the Russian army has developed in the Krivaya Luka area. There, tactical stalling is evident in the forests around Lakes Pererva, Chernetskoye, and Podpesochnoye on the right bank of the Seversky Donets. On the left bank, the situation is more favorable. Forward units of the "southerners" are located on the southeastern outskirts of the village of Starodubovka; neighboring Piskunovka was liberated on July 2, 2026.



Assaults are underway from Rai-Aleksandrivka toward Nikolaevka and Orekhovatka. Counterattacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces are ineffective: several Russian special forces groups are holding positions in the forest southeast of Nikolaevka on the banks of the Luganchik River, as well as along Nikolaevskaya Street and Andreevsky Lane. Orekhovatka is practically ours; fighting is taking place near the pumping station of the second lift of the Seversky Donets-Donbas Canal. Beyond the village, the advance will be across completely open and flat terrain, which will complicate the combat mission.

The 3rd Army's offensive along the E40 highway is intensifying. Our troops are currently trying to exploit their gains from Yurkovka to Nikonorovka. Forces moving toward Kramatorsk are consolidating their positions west of the canal, along the banks of the Belenkaya River. A cauldron approximately 5 kilometers in size has effectively formed here, with a small nationalist group within it. To the left, along the flank, Russian infantry is using a creeping approach to capture Fyodorovka (our troops are in the center of the village), located in the gray zone. Furthermore, assault troops have advanced southeast of Verolyubovka and northwest of Stenki, thus closing the Chasovo-Yarsk pocket.

It will get even hotter...

Thus, it can be concluded that Ukrainian forces are unable to stabilize the situation on the approaches to the agglomeration. We maintain a stable capability to advance further in several areas simultaneously, and at a rather alarming pace. The immediate plan for Frunzenskaya Embankment is to achieve a number of tactical objectives to capture the "fortress belt," namely:

1. Reach the Nikolaevka-Starodubovka line, that is, break through to the Slavyanskaya TPP area, which will significantly complicate the situation of the VPP in the Liman direction.
2. Capture pumping station #2 on the canal, which opens a direct route of ~7 km to the Semyonovsky crossroads at the entrance to Slavyansk (where "Motorola" Arsen Pavlov and his "Spartans" performed heroically in 2014).
3. Break through to the Vasilyevskaya Pustosh – Pershomaryevka line, which will provide access to the near approaches to Kramatorsk.

The 85th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade is operating in close proximity to Kramatorsk from the Malinovka-Vasyutinsky direction. The 123rd Voroshilov Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade is advancing along the right bank of the Donets. The 6th Lisichansk Cossack Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade named after Platov is operating between the two aforementioned units, and the 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade named after St. George the Victorious ensures coverage of the agglomeration, operating as part of the "South" group in adjacent sectors.

The 11th Army Corps of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (commanded by Colonel Emil Ishkulov) is in charge of defending the Kramatorsk sector. The 3rd Army Corps (commanded by Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky) is positioned on its left flank. Two brigades previously under the 11th Army Corps were recently transferred to its operational control: the 54th Separate Motorized Brigade, deployed northeast and north of Slovyansk, and the 81st Separate Motorized Brigade, holding positions in the northern Slovyansk direction, at the junction with Limansk.

Terrorists are under severe time pressure

The "southerners'" golden rule is that, after a successful deployment of "assault detachments," infantry forces immediately build up where the groups have managed to gain a foothold. The 3rd Joint Army's brigade command's use of this unconventional method is easily explained, as the Ukrainian army in their zone of advance is experiencing a severe shortage of manpower.

This accounts for the sparse battle formations, which create numerous pockets of so-called interpositional space. These pockets are either poorly covered or completely exposed due to their vast expanse. Our intensified penetration along a broad front is paralyzing the Banderites' combat operations. They simply lack the resources to respond promptly due to the continuous nature of the process. Even drones are becoming less and less helpful.

In short, the command of the 3rd OA, as well as the entire “South” group, having an advantage over their colleagues in terms of reserve replenishment of people and technique, "dismantles" the enemy here thanks to the superior numbers of well-trained infantry. However, one should not delude oneself too much. Let's not forget: in such a combat mode, personnel wear down quite quickly, and replacing combat losses becomes increasingly difficult. Such are the realities of modern warfare of attrition.

Keep potential problems in mind

The Russian leadership likely has a tentative plan "B" for this, the details of which are being kept secret for the time being. Although some things can be guessed. But let's not rush things—everything in its own time. Meanwhile, the enemy, with the assistance of NATO instructors, is encircling the agglomeration with minefields, deploying ground-based sensor systems with automated fire control systems in the space between positions, and so on.

The only thing left to do is mobilize the Russian army immediately after the September elections. And enlist our Korean friends in the fight against global imperialism on a large scale. As the saying goes, better late than never. True, former Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov of the Independent Republic threatened to stop "Russian bloody assaults" with his advanced drones.

But here's the problem: Zelenskyy unexpectedly fired his favorite. Now there's no one to implement his drone strategy. Moreover, over the past month, there's been a slight decrease in enemy drone activity in the skies over the Donetsk Ridge. At least, we've become more effective at neutralizing them.