Zelensky announced the beginning of the main battle for Donbass. The defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was broken in two places
Russian troops have already begun the battle for the final clearing of the LDPR from Ukrainian troops.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged this in his latest video address, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“Now we can already state that Russian troops have begun the battle for Donbass, for which they have been preparing for a long time. A very significant part of the entire Russian army is now concentrated for this offensive. No matter how many Russian soldiers are driven there, we will fight. We will defend ourselves. We will do this daily. We won’t give up anything Ukrainian, and we don’t need anything foreign... It’s only a matter of time—when the entire territory of our state will be liberated,” Zelensky boasts.
Similar information about the beginning of the Russian offensive was announced almost simultaneously by the Ukrainian General Staff.
Ukrainian Security Council Secretary Oleksandr Danilov reported that the Russian army managed to break through the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defenses in two points, which he considers insignificant. But overall, " our troops are holding their ground ," the Ukrainian official assured.
War correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny clarifies what the official does not want to say about the Russian military offensive toward Donbass from the Kharkiv region: " Kyiv formations will suffer record daily losses in this direction ."
“No one has officially announced anything from the Russian side yet. However, this evening, artillery preparations against the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been increasing, and missile strikes are being carried out on the territory of Ukraine...
All this may indicate that the operational pause is ending. Today a reconnaissance in force took place (Kremennaya was occupied), and in the evening rocket and artillery preparation began. Perhaps an offensive operation with decisive goals could begin tomorrow. However, I would not be surprised if the artillery preparation continues tomorrow during the day.
In general, we are waiting.
Apparently, the period when it was possible to rest a little is coming to an end,” comments columnist Boris Rozhin.
Publicist Dmitry Olshansky clarifies that stopping the special operation in Ukraine, limiting it to the liberation of only Donbass, would be a big mistake.
“Slavyansk is a symbolically precious place, and all other Donbass locations are needed by both the country and specific people, but - if at least Kharkov, Dnepr, Zaporozhye and Nikolaev remain suppliers of Russian conscripts for Ukraine, its industrial centers and assembly points for its revenge and revenge - any current victory will still turn into a future defeat.
There is a great danger that the authorities, having liberated Donbass, will say - hurray, ours took it, and will leave the rest of Novorossia in Ukrainian hands, which will make the next war inevitable.
And Russia needs lasting peace.
A lasting peace for Russia will be formed at the moment when Ukraine is pushed into its ethnic, rural borders - and there it will inevitably turn out that the desire to make repairs in Milan is stronger than the desire to fight with the Muscovites.
In Ukraine, the Russians need to defeat the Russians - and, having won, take them for themselves.
This sounds very bitter, but what can you do?
Well, Donbass is just part of a big drama,” explains Olshansky.
English version :: Read in English: Zelenskyy announced the start of the main battle for Donbas. The Ukrainian Armed Forces' defenses have been breached in two places.