File image.
On December 11, the Russian military broke through Ukraine’s last lines of defense in Siversk, bringing the key city in Donetsk under its control.
The Yug [South] Group of Forces took over the entire northwestern part of Siversk, reducing the presence of Kiev forces to some pockets beyond the Bakhmutka River to the west. The central, southern and eastern parts of Siversk were cleared earlier this month, with reports from December 10 suggesting that Russian troops were in control of 90 percent of the city.
Video footage showing Russian troops battling Kiev forces and raising their flags in different areas within Sivers, including the western part of the city, has already surfaced online.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet confirmed the capture of Siversk, but military expert Andrey Marochko confirmed to TASS before the footage emerged that Kiev forces were fighting in the last quarter of the city.
“Some 25% of Seversk remains under enemy fire control. Russian forces have been clearing the western part of the town [of Ukrainian troops],” he told the state-run news agency.
The ministry usually announces the capture of key cities like Siversk only after they are fully secured, which typically takes a few days.
It’s worth noting that just a day earlier, Ukraine denied any Russian advance in Siversk. The Eastern Operational Command claimed in a statement that only “small assault groups” entered the city, but acknowledged that the situation in the entire direction is “tense.”
The Yug Group of Forces has already advanced to south of Siversk and cut the T-05-13 road after storming Sviato-Pokrovske. Fierce battles are currently taking place there.
Russian troops are also now advancing along the same road to the north of the city, mainly along Platovka and Dronovka. Zakitne, which is located on the road to the west of Platovka, is currently under attack.
Ukrainian troops who abandoned their positions in Siversk could soon get besieged to the west of the city. Ukrainian defenses all the way north to the city of Krasny Liman, where the Zapad [West] Group of Forces is operating, have clearly begun to collapse.
Kiev has already lost the battle in Siversk, and is for sure on its way to lose the battle in Krasny Liman. In the end, it clearly does not have enough manpower to hold onto the current front in Donetsk. Prolonging the fight there will only lead to collapses in other regions.
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