The offensive of Ukrainian troops near Kreminna, Luhansk region, will disrupt the logistics of the Russian occupiers. After that, there will be an opportunity to go behind Bakhmut.
This is reported by The New York Times.
Recently, fighting in the direction of Kupyansk (Kharkiv region) and Lyman (Donetsk region) has intensified. In a comment to the publication, the Ukrainian military said that the Russians had stepped up their assaults in recent weeks. The occupiers themselves claimed to advance in this region. However, analysts note that the successes of the Russian army were insignificant.
Ukrainian defenders note that the occupiers can fire two to three times more shells per day than the Defense Forces. Also, according to the commanders of the Armed Forces, the occupiers are throwing the so-called "Z" squads, which consist mostly of prisoners, into the assaults. In the second line of trenches sit Chechen troops, which are a kind of blocking squads, shooting those who retreat.
The publication notes that if the Ukrainian forces manage to hold their positions in the direction of Kreminnaya and advance, it will give a chance for a larger offensive up to Bakhmut.
"On the contrary, if the Ukrainians can hold their positions and eventually advance in the direction of Kreminnaya, they can sever Russia's important logistics line and try to bypass Bakhmut's rear, Ukrainian commanders say," the article says.
The situation in Luhansk region
It will be recalled that a few weeks ago the Ukrainian command reported that the situation in the Lymansk-Kupyansk direction had worsened. Russian troops intensified their attacks, but the Armed Forces stopped the assaults of the occupiers.
Serhiy Cherevaty, the spokesman of the Eastern Group of Forces, emphasized that the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Kupyansk-Lyman line localized the "big offensive" of the Russians, which they announced back in the spring.
At the same time, British intelligence notes that Russia wants to advance to the Oskil River in order to create a buffer zone around the Luhansk region.
