Commander of the 37th Brigade Shatalov: There was no ‘Uspenivka pocket’
Pravda Ukraine
Colonel Serhii Shatalov, commander of the 37th Separate Marine Brigade, has stated that there was no “Uspenivka pocket” as reported by military analysts in December 2024.
Source: Shatalov in an interview with hromadske
Quote: “I believe there was no ‘Uspenivka pocket’; it existed only in the minds of journalists and, I would say, incompetent military observers. When the Russians advanced, there were only a minimal number of troops there, and those who died did not do so in encirclement but rather in direct combat with the enemy. This occurred because the withdrawal of our forces to a safe position was carefully planned.”
Details: He acknowledged that the troops had sustained losses.
Quote: “Yes, of course, we suffered casualties, but if we keep retreating, we’ll end up in Kyiv, standing on Bankova Street [a street in Kyiv where a lot of the government buildings are located – ed.], defending ourselves there.”
Background:
- On 12 December 2024, analysts from the DeepState project reported a deteriorating situation around the settlements of Yelyzavetivka, Romanivka, Veselyi Hai, and Hanniivka, which had found themselves trapped inside the “Uspenivka pocket”. It was noted that the Russians were attempting to break through the defences from all fronts to fully encircle Ukrainian forces.
- Later, DeepState reported that Russian forces had captured Trudove and Uspenivka, completing the occupation of the final part of the “Uspenivka pocket”. It was also said that not all Ukrainian troops managed to escape the encirclement.
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