AFU Encircling Russian Troops From Flanks Near Svatove
- 3.11.2022, 10:00
Ukrainian army has defeated the mobilized from the "DPR" in the Ugledar direction.
In eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' offensive, or more specifically the encirclement from the flanks near Svatove, a key defence stronghold of Russian forces in northern Luhansk Region, continues, reports The Insider. Def Mon's military analyst has analysed and geolocated several videos and concluded that the Ukrainian troops' line of action now stretches eastwards. In addition, fighting has intensified in the south, the analyst wrote, citing reports about fires (fire information can be tracked through NASA's FIRMS system).
According to the analyst, the Ukrainian armed forces managed to retake Pavlivka, as well as Pervomaiske, Novomikhailivka, Vodyane and Prechistivka of Donetsk Region in the Ugledar direction.
Russian "war correspondent" Kotenok reported that "DPR" internal troops suffered losses near Ugledar during the night of October 31 to November 1. Meanwhile, pro-Russian blogger Semyon Pegov (wargonzo) openly wrote that "the Russian Armed Forces were shelling the town itself in the Ugledar section".
Ukrainian forces continue operations to block the Svatove-Kreminna highway in order to break up supply lines and communications of the Russian Armed Forces. Ukrainian troops also continue their offensive on Russian positions north of the Kupyansk-Svatove highway.
According to military expert Leonid Dmitriyev, from the military point of view, events in the Ugledar-Volnovakha area are now more important than even the seizure of Svatove. "The actual firing control of Volnovakha and Melitopol by the AFU promises significant problems for the southern grouping of the Russian Armed Forces. Svatove, as well as Bakhmut, is beautiful, of course: the battlefield victories in heavy fighting, but, in fact, Starobelsk or Troitske in the north - logistic hubs with railways - are important for the AFU."
Active fighting continues near Bakhmut. On November 2, a video was released of the town being shelled with incendiary ammunition. According to the Conflict Intelligence Team, these are most likely 9M22S shells for the Grad launcher.
CIT analysts point out that there are civilians living in Bakhmut, not everyone has been evacuated, and the shelling of the town is a war crime. The territory is under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, so there is no doubt that it is the Russian Armed Forces that are shelling it.
According to the analytical project WarMonitor, fighting continues in Bakhmut to the east and southeast of the town, as well as in the south, south of Ivangrad and Opytne. Trench fighting is also taking place.
By Wednesday evening, November 2, shelling of Nova Kakhovka resumed in southern Ukraine, as reported by pro-Russian Telegram channels. There is a fire in the vicinity of the Kakhovka hydropower plant. In addition, another strike was carried out on the Antonivsky bridge. A video was published by Ukrainian journalist Andriy Tsaplienko, and pro-Russian bloggers also published reports on the strike on the bridge. One of them, Yuriy Podolyaka, said that the strike was "done by 18 HIMARS, and six hits broke the air defence system, which means that it looks like the AFU is starting to prepare for an attack". At the same time, military expert Leonid Dmitriyev notes that the strikes were delivered not on the Antonivsky bridge, but on the pontoon crossing which is located nearby.