Russian forces' objective on the Bakhmut axis is to advance towards the village of Chasiv Yar and other populated areas to reach the borders of the Donetsk region, reported Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
According to him, the Bahmut direction remains extremely important for the Russian aggressors. They concentrate their main efforts on this front and use the most combat-ready units of airborne troops, marine infantry, and units formed from former criminals, such as "storm z" and "storm v," for assault operations.
"The enemy's goal on this front is clear - it is an advance on the populated place of Chasiv Yar, then on Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, with further advancement to the borders of the Donetsk region," he wrote in his Telegram channel.
Syrskyi also mentioned that offensive actions by the enemy are ongoing on the Kupyansk and Lyman directions.
Specifically, on the Lyman axis, Russian occupying forces have transitioned to constant attacks on the positions of Ukrainian forces in the directions of Makiivka and Terniv. Combat actions are taking place on the Siversk axis. The Russin forces actively use equipment during assaults, which Ukrainians constantly destroy.
Daily assault actions by Russian forces near Synkivka, with the aim of capturing and establishing a foothold for further advance on the city of Kupyansk, are not ceasing, emphasized the commander.
According to Syrskyi, on all three fronts, the Armed Forces of Ukraine maintain defense and eliminate the enemy, despite the complexity of the situation and the adversary's advantage in weapons and personnel.
"However, commanders and staffs monitor changes in the situation 24/7, analyze the actions of the enemy and their own forces, make effective management decisions to strengthen defense and eliminate the enemy. We, together with the commanders, have made a series of decisions on methods of eliminating the enemy directly in the areas of combat," he stressed.
As the commander notes, the enemy suffers significant losses, which are replenished with reserves from assault battalions formed from former prisoners, and they continue their offensive actions.
"In the first half of December, the enemy lost about eight thousand servicemen in the responsibility zone of the OSUV 'Khortytsia.' In addition, more than five hundred units of enemy military equipment were destroyed or damaged. Among them: 67 tanks, over a hundred combat armored vehicles, 77 guns and mortars of various calibers," Syrskyi pointed out.
