Russians advance west of Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast – ISW
Pravda Ukraine
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has reported that Russian forces have captured the village of Ulakly to the west of Kurakhove and continue their advance in this direction. The primary objective of the Russian forces is to level the line of contact and establish better-fortified positions.
Source: ISW
Details: In their report, ISW noted that geolocated images published on 21 February confirm that Russian forces have likely closed the Ukrainian “pocket” to the west of Kurakhove.
ISW’s early assessment says the main goal of Russian forces on the Kurakhove front is to level the line of contact and create more fortified positions to the west of Kurakhove.
Quote: “Russian forces appear close to leveling the frontline in western Donetsk Oblast and are reportedly working to redeploy elements of two formations from this area.”
Details: ISW recently received reports that the Russian military command has redeployed elements of the 20th and 150th Guards Motor Rifle Divisions (both part of the 8th Army Corps, Southern Military District) to the Toretsk and eastern part of Pokrovsk fronts.
Quote: “Russian forces have likely freed up some forces of the 150th Motorised Rifle Division from the Kurakhove direction to redeploy to the Toretsk direction by evening out the frontline west of Kurakhove and are likely prioritising pressuring Kostyantynivka (northwest of Toretsk) – the southernmost point of Ukraine’s “fortress belt” in Donetsk Oblast.”
Details: ISW indicated that Russian forces are likely to continue advancing on the Kurakhove front from the east and southeast, allowing elements of the 8th Army Corps (Southern Military District) to redeploy to other sections of the front.
To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 21 February:
- Russian state media and Kremlin officials appear to be leveraging select statements from US officials alongside long-standing Russian narratives to create tension between the United States and Ukraine and undermine faith in America’s commitment to Ukraine.
- US officials continue to reiterate their support for Ukraine and a lasting and just resolution of the war.
- Russian forces recently eliminated the Ukrainian pocket west of Kurakhove amid continued reports that the Russian military is redeploying elements of the Russian Southern Military District’s (SMD) 8th Combined Arms Army (CAA) from the Kurakhove direction to the Toretsk direction.
- Russian forces are attempting to leverage the seizure of Velyka Novosilka to advance further north of the settlement toward the Donetsk-Dnipropetrovsk Oblast administrative border.
- Ukrainian officials continue to highlight the growth of Ukraine’s defence industrial base (DIB) through significant expansion in the domestic production of key military equipment.
- Russian leader Vladimir Putin promoted Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) Commander Sergei Pinchuk to the rank of Admiral and Eastern Group of Forces Commander Andrey Ivanayev to the rank of Colonel General on 21 February.
- Russian forces recently advanced near Kurakhove and Velyka Novosilka and in Kursk Oblast.
- The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) is reportedly falsely designating former penal recruits as having abandoned their units without authorisation (SOCH) to avoid paying them amid continued indicators that Russian authorities are concerned about the war’s strain on the Russian economy.
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