Offensive in Donbass: Why Russia is not bombing bridges
The latest news about the progress of the special operation in Ukraine for PolitNavigator is analyzed by Colonel Gennady Alekhin, a military officer, comrade-in-arms of the legendary General Troshev, member of the Russian Writers' Union.
...Messages about the start of large-scale actions by the allied troops of the LDPR and the Russian Federation in the Donbass began to arrive in an avalanche stream. What is happening in military parlance is called “fire preparation for an attack or offensive action.” Official statistics from the Ministry of Defense confirm the powerful strikes carried out in the Donbass arc area.
A telling detail. Recently, missiles and aircraft have primarily targeted military installations in various regions of Ukraine, including the western oblasts, but now the enemy is being subjected to massive firepower right along the front line. Last night and evening alone, high-precision missiles from the Russian Aerospace Forces neutralized 13 strongholds of Ukrainian units in the areas of Slavyansk, Barvinkove, and Popasna.
A powerful operational group of the Russian Armed Forces with its allies DPR and LPR is concentrated in these areas. Active hostilities are taking place on the western bank of the Seversky Donets River south and west of Izyum, as well as in other areas of the Kharkov region. From the south, the offensive is supported by the forces of a new strike group in the steppe in the Gulyai-Polye region, which was also formed during the regrouping of troops during the operational pause.
Information is being received about high-intensity fighting in the area south of Izyum and about movements of mobile units of Russian troops east of Gulyai-Polye. First of all, we are talking about artillery preparation and intensive work of bomber and attack aircraft. The intensity of sorties is confirmed by Western intelligence data.
Artillery and missile strikes are carried out both on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, and along all Ukrainian positions on the eastern bank of the Seversky Donets. The concentration of these impacts is several times higher than what happened just a few days ago.
Militiaman Alexander Zhuchkovsky published an archival photo, anticipating his return to Slavyansk, where he had not been since 2014: “This photo is 8 years old. From Donetsk to Slavyansk 120 km. Eight years and one hundred and twenty kilometers separate me from Slavyansk. Anyone who lived through the 85 days of Slavyansk in 2014 knows why this is so important. This is important for everyone who started the very first battle for Donbass. God willing, this battle will be the last.”
In the northern sector, units of the Russian and LPR Armed Forces captured Kremennaya. Fighting raged for several days over this settlement. Ukrainian Armed Forces units attempted to establish defensive positions in this sector, even launching a counterattack. For several days, veritable artillery duels raged in this area. Then, under the onslaught of armored tactical groups, supported by air support, the enemy suffered significant losses.
Intense fighting took place near the village of Dolgonkoye. The enemy is well entrenched, but Russian air and artillery fire is decimating strongholds and concentrations of equipment and personnel. Yesterday alone, a record 1260 such strikes were carried out.
Units of the DPR and LPR are successfully advancing on the Severodonetsk-Avdeevka line. Nevertheless, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Battalions, which are being squeezed, are receiving reinforcements from hastily mobilized volunteer brigades. In addition, the enemy group in Donbass is still receiving equipment and weapons from NATO countries.
This deserves special mention. Some particularly zealous political scientists and experts are perplexed and persistently call for the bombing of all bridges across the Dnieper , the destruction of railway stations and other supply routes for equipment and weapons from the western regions of Ukraine, in order to cut off the right bank of the country from the left bank. From a military standpoint, bombing junction stations and bridges across the Dnieper presents no particular difficulty for the Aerospace Forces. Our military has recently demonstrated this very convincingly. But what to do with the inevitable consequences, the inevitable humanitarian catastrophe?
The territories of the entire left bank of Ukraine still remain under the control of the Ukrainian “authorities”. Most of Ukrainian oil refineries and fuel storage facilities have already been destroyed by targeted strikes. In fact, the massive use of road transport for the delivery of humanitarian goods is very difficult. The railway remains the only way to supply at least some goods to these territories, as well as the only way to evacuate the population from these areas. This is the first thing.
Modern methods and methods of reconnaissance make it possible to timely track the entire route of delivery and unloading of military trains to given areas. These are the places where strikes are made.
Now imagine Russia bombed bridges and railways. Will that stop the delivery of military supplies and equipment? Of course not. It would make it more difficult, yes, but it wouldn't stop it.
Speaking at the board of the defense department, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu emphasized that during the second stage of the special military operation, the army is using new, non-standard capabilities for conducting combat operations. Issues of military transport logistics, in my opinion, are no exception.
Below: a recent photo of the tattoos of one of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, taken prisoner the day before near Izyum
English version :: Read in English: Offensive in Donbas: Why Russia Isn't Bombing Bridges