Rebels tighten ring around Debaltsevo
2015-02-05
Posted by: badanov
For a map, click here. You can enlarge the map, if you open it separately.
By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
Two towns near Debaltsevo fell to rebel forces over the last two days, further tightening -- but not yet closing -- the ring around Ukrainian army troops at Debaltsevo, according to Russian language news reports.
Rebel forces occupied the towns of Uglegorsk and Nikishino, with Uglegorsk having been part of a rebel assault since last Monday, and Nikishino falling rather quickly.
At last report, rebel forces have moved closer to sealing off the reported 6,000 troops inside Debaltsevo and a smaller town south of Debaltsevo, Kamyshatka. Rebel news sources claim they have control of the eastern part of Debaltsevo.
Losses in the ongoing assault are said to be heavy, according to the rebels with as many as 1,500 total in dead and wounded for both sides since the battle began last week. The losses in equipment and materiel are said to be similarly heavy.
Rebel forces in Troytskoye, near the mouth of the Debaltsevo salient have suffered from Ukrainian counterattacks, which are probably spoiling attacks meant to stop any attempt at marshaling forces to close the salient. Rebel troops have suffered attacks at nearby Krasny Pakhar as well.
Ukrainian military journalist Dmitri Tymchuk said on Tuesday that a large rebel armor column consisting of 14 tanks was destroyed by Ukrainian artillery fire, or was disabled due to mechanical problems. Tymchuk said the armor group was part of a group which came from Krasnii Luch, a marshaling point for rebel forces in Lugansk.
Rebels disputed Tymchuk's announcement, saying that the destroyed tanks depicted by Tymchuk were in fact Ukrainian tanks.
According to Russian military analyst Boris Rozhin, the current operation to cut off the main mass of Ukrainian troops in Debaltsevo was Plan B, presumably after the more ambitious plan to seal the salient at its "mouth" failed. If it had succeeded, the main plan would have netted about 8,000 Ukrainian troops.
Tymchuk said that the total number of rebel troops and equipment involved in the Debaltsevo operations are "3,500 effectives, 35 tanks, about 90 armored fighting vehicles".
As matters stand now, the rebels will take about two weeks to liquidate the Ukrainian troops occupying the salient. A Ukrainian troop relief and supply column was caught moving south out of Artemovsk on the main supply route towards Debaltsevo Tuesday and destroyed by rebel artillery fire positioned at Mironovskiy. The attack took place near Svetlodarsk, which is at the opening of the Debaltsevo salient. Rebels have not released any casualty figures for that attack yet.
The current situation is being likened by military analysts to the battle at Ilovaisk last August. Then, surrounded Ukrainian forces were told to lay down their arms and leave their equipment undamaged in exchange for safe conduct passage to their own lines. At that time several Ukrainian units did destroy military equipment -- contrary to their agreement with rebels -- and were fired on by rebel forces as they left Ilovaisk.
It is still too early to say if the Debaltsevo battles will play out in the same way, but that appears to be the rebels' intention.
Rebels say that fighting at Chernukhino continued into its fourth day.
Donetsk city
According to rebel sources, Donetsk city is under continuous Ukrainian artillery fire, with artillery hitting several sectors and damaging residential quarters Tuesday.
Ukrainian artillery hit Kievsky, Kuibyshevsky, Kirovsky and Petrovsky districts. Rebel artillery is said to be firing counterbattery fire at Ukrainian artillery. Rebel artillery fire hit two Ukrainian artillery units at Kurakhovka and Gornyak, and Krasnogorovka, all targets to the immediate west of Donetsk city.
Tymchuk said that Ukrainian artillery fire was targeting rebel forces in those districts.
Rebel forces conducted recon probes to the west of Donetsk city Tuesday at Karlovka and Maryinka.
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.
If you have something to add, Fire Away!
Number of Comments so far: 0
Click here for a list of stories in the The 2014 War in Ukraina category