Russian troops launched an offensive operation near the city of Krasny Lyman in the Donetsk People's Republic. The Russian Armed Forces are trying to take control of the city again.
Krasny Lyman (Ukrainian — Lyman) was under the control of the Russian army before, but the Russian troops left the city in the fall of 2022 due to the threat of encirclement.
Military correspondent Andrei Kots said that the Russian troops were advancing in the area of the villages of Terny, Torskoye and Yampol located northeast of Krasny Lyman. According to him, taking this line will allow them to reach the city.
Retired Lieutenant Colonel of the People's Militia of the Luhansk People's Republic Andrey Marochko added that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had already lost a number of strategically important strongholds in the areas of those settlements.
There are "serious forces involved” in the operation, military correspondent Andrei Kots said.
Taking the above three villages will allow the Russian forces to get closer to Lyman. From Krasny Lyman, the Russian forces will be able to reach to both Slavyansk and the Kharkiv region. This is an important milestone that must be achieved, Kots said.
According to the military correspondent, the operation can be considered part of a plan to protect Russian border regions from shelling.
The operation is not going to be easy, Kots also said. The line Terny — Torskoye — Yampol runs along the Zherebets River, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces take up defensive positions along its western bank. It is difficult to cross the river due to constant artillery and drone attacks.
The city of Krasny Lyman in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) is located approximately 45 kilometres northwest of Bakhmut (Russian — Artemosvk). Slavyansk, which remains under Ukrainian control, is only about 20 kilometres away.
A railway that runs through Lyman stretches to Izyum in the Kharkiv region, whereas another branch runs to Slavyansk.
The Russian military took control of Krasny Lyman in 2022. On May 28, the Russian Defence Ministry announced the complete liberation of the city.
However, the situation near the city became more complicated by the end of September. By September 29, the Ukrainian Armed Forces took Lyman into a semi-circle. On October 1, the Ministry of Defence announced that the Russian Armed Forces and allied forces "were withdrawn to more advantageous positions” due to the threat of encirclement. After the withdrawal, they settled in the town of Kremennaya in the LPR.
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov then said that the Russian authorities must take "dramatic measures” against the background of the withdrawal of the Russian forces from Lyman. Kadyrov also called for considering a possibility of using low-power nuclear weapons.