Ukrainian Army deploys for counterattack as rebels continue attacks
2015-01-31
Posted by: badanov
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By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
Russian media are claiming now that rebel forces have "closed the lid" on the large Ukrainian Army deployment at Debaltsevo.
For several days, rebel combat formations have been attacking the walls of the Debaltsevo salient, trying to pin down Ukrainian forces while simultaneously attempting to close the encirclement of Ukrainian forces at Debaltsevo in an operation at Krasny Pakhar and Troitskoye, both of which are on the eastern side of the salient.
While the eastern side of the operation is seemingly complete, the western side has not yet taken place which would fully close the salient.
Despite that, Ukrainian forces are currently switching forces from nearby hotspots on the front in order to gather strength for a counter attack on Krasny Pakhar. Reports from the pro rebel Voice of Sevastopol suggest that the warfighting the Ukrainian Army has been conducting at Gorvlovka has changed into artillery attacks, as Ukrainian forces are being withdrawn from Gorlovka and being switched to a planned counterattack against rebel forces at Krasny Pakhar.
At the moment, much of the rebels' attention is focused on the town of Uglegorsk, which is on the western side of the salient, just a few kilometers west of Debaltsevo. The fighting in the town has been described as "fierce" as rebels attempt to take the location along with other nearby settlements including Shevchenko, Maloorlovka and Nizhnelozovoye.
A video this writer saw was of rebel tanks and early model infantry fighting vehicles, such as the BMP-1 being used as mobile artillery platforms, firing three shots before displacing in anticipation of Ukrainian counterbattery fire. All of the fighting is being recorded on video on snow covered ground, in an icy mist with low visibility.
Claims by major Russian media that Ukrainian forces in the salient -- numbering between 8,000 and 10,000 -- have been surrounded, are premature, to say the least. However, rebels say that Ukrainian positions at Debaltsevo and Uglegorsk have been encircled, albeit with supply routes under rebel artillery observers. How long this "operational encirclement" -- as the rebels have characterized it -- will continue will depend on the success of Ukrainian counterattacks at Krasny Pakhar to the north.
Ukrainian military journalist Dmitri Tymchuk said that the famed rebel "Ghost Brigade" has suffered heavy losses in the operation against Debaltsevo, losing a total of 15 armored fighting vehicles and tanks, and more than 100 personnel. Tymchuk said the brigade has been rendered incapable and has apparently been pulled from the front for rest and refitting near Alchevsk, to the east of Debaltsevo.
According to Tymchuk, 40 resupply vehicles have been observed by Ukrainian forces heading towards Alchevsk. Tymchuk also noted that rebel forces have brought up to the Debaltsevo front an additional eight rocket artillery launchers and 12 towed artillery tubes.
He said that a self propelled artillery battery consisting of four 2S1 Gvozdika pieces were being moved to Gorlovka by rebel forces.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraina by clicking here.
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