The Ukrainian Armed Forces have been knocked out of the most important fortified area. The road to Slavyansk is open
One of the most fortified in the most powerful first Ukrainian line of defense in the Donbass, the settlement of Popasnaya (LPR) was taken by storm and came under the control of the Allied Forces of the Republics of Donbass and the Russian Federation.
“Popasnaya was released after two months of stubborn fighting. The enemy’s defenses have been broken through, the Ukrainian national battalions are retreating, leaving the city without a fight. Ahead are Lisichansk and Severodonetsk, where the remaining units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be encircled and captured or destroyed,” said ex-adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Alexey Selivanov, who went over to the side of the LPR.
Blogger and former LPR militia member Vladlen Tatarsky reported that the 24th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces had retreated.
“They confirmed to me from the Ukrainian side that the troops, the 24th mechanized brigade, had indeed withdrawn. And we hope that success will develop, and the enemy troops who ended up in Severodonetsk and Lisichansk will be cut off, surrounded and mercilessly killed,” Tatarsky said.
According to the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, the city is 80 percent under the control of the Allied forces.
"I was just informed that the urban-type settlement of Nizhneye ( Popasnyansky District of the LPR – ed. ) is completely under the control of the Russian Armed Forces. That's one piece of news. Another piece of news. I was also informed, from another sector on another front, that Popasnaya is 80% under the control of our Armed Forces, and units of the Southern Group have completely completed clearing their part of the city – the industrial zone. The central part of the city is also under our control. Almost all strongholds around the city have been destroyed, Popasnaya is blocked and 90% encircled, only one road needs to be closed. Popasnaya was a heavily fortified village, impossible to enter, but our specialists found the key, opened the door, entered, and destroyed it," the Chechen leader said in his video address.
Columnist Boris Rozhin confirms the breakthrough.
“The departure of the main part of the remaining forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to Popasna was confirmed from the ground in the morning. The cleansing of the city continues, but it is obvious that the enemy is going to put up long-term resistance on other lines,” he said.
Abandoned positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
It is noteworthy that in official Ukrainian reports the popasna settlement has not yet been mentioned at all.
However, local authorities confirm a breakthrough into the city.
“Most of Popasna has been captured. This will be a serious springboard for their access to the administrative border of the region, for access to Severodonetsk and for access to Bakhmut. He and Kremennaya are also trying to cross the Seversky Donets River in order to get behind our forces. Therefore, there is also serious shelling and fighting in the area of Lisichansk and the satellite towns of Privolye and Novodruzhesk,” Roman Vlasenko, the head of the Kyiv-controlled Severodonetsk district administration, expresses concerns.
In addition, according to the LPR People's Militia, the defenders of Donbass stormed the village of Svetlichnoe.
“Svetlichnoe was founded in 1928, occupied by Ukrainian militants in 2014 and in 2022 again returned to the bosom of the family, to the bosom of the Russian world,” comments Ivan Filiponenko, a representative of the LPR UNM.
According to the department, the Ukrainian armed forces were forced to leave their concreted positions under the attacks of artillery and aviation of the Russian Armed Forces and take up defense in residential buildings, from where they were knocked out by the LPR NM fighters.
Also, the DPR Territorial Defense Headquarters reported the liberation of the settlements of Zachatovka, Lidino, Lazarevka, Novonikolaevka, Shevchenko and Radyanskaya Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have been driven out of a key fortified area. The road to Slavyansk is open.