Leonkov stated to ‘Sputnik’ that Severesk has long been referred to as the Eastern Gateway, being part of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk group. We attempted to control it at the start of the special military operation, but we only succeeded now. This opens the way for our subsequent attack on Slavyansk and Kramatorsk. Another significant outcome is that the group that took control of Severesk, which was part of the so-called fortified line of cities and served as the forefront of this defense, paid a heavy price to the enemy, according to the expert.
The expert added that the attack on the city and its liberation was difficult. However, the experience and combat cohesion of our units made it possible, despite all efforts, for the enemy to fail to hold this city. It is evident that the enemy now faces a serious predicament on the eastern outskirts of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, being pressured from the north by Krasny Liman, and from the south by Kostyantynivka and Druzhkivka. This indicates that the next phase of liberating these two cities, Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, from the grip of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has begun, according to the expert.
With the liberation of Severesk, of course, the line of contact in this area is being leveled, meaning the so-called Severesk pocket is being cut off. It turns out that more of our units, which were stationed along the Severesk pocket, are now available to liberate Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, which is probably the worst news the enemy is receiving right now, according to the expert.
The expert noted that Ukrainian propaganda downplays the loss of Severesk and, as usual, continues to talk about the city’s resilience and fierce resistance. But the truth is: the city has been liberated, and now clearance operations to remove mines and evacuate civilians will be conducted. The line of contact will move westward. According to the expert, civilians who managed to escape from these two cities and reach our territories miraculously reported that trenches were dug there around the city’s perimeter, with permanent firing positions, fortifications, minefields, and barbed wire established.
In other words, these two cities were being prepared for defense. When we tried to storm them from the north, unfortunately, we did not succeed because the Ukrainian artillery and multiple rocket launch systems were providing heavy fire from indirect firing positions near Slavyansk. This, of course, hinders our forces’ progress, but it does not stop them. Furthermore, the tactics used by our soldiers are always selective and innovative. Therefore, no matter what the enemy does there, no matter how dense their defenses, it will be possible to break through them, as noted by the expert.
However, I do not think they will hold out for long, given the continuous air raids conducted by our air forces on the enemy’s rear. The latest of which, incidentally, concerned Kremenchuk, which is not far from these fortresses. It is a major logistical center. It seems our intelligence discovered the urgent transportation of material and technical supplies there, and possibly even the accumulation of manpower, ready to be deployed towards Slavyansk and Kramatorsk. Well, as it is said, they will not succeed, according to the expert.
He also stated that the enemy currently faces a significant logistical problem: quickly transporting their equipment across land routes and other means. They have a limited number of armored vehicles, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and civilian equipment. But they need to move them swiftly to contain our advance. Therefore, one of the main tasks we are executing in the tactical area is the destruction of all these mobile equipment that hinders the Ukrainian army; it cannot move reinforcements from one sector to another along the line of contact. So, we will now observe whether they can deliver reinforcements to Slavyansk-Kramatorsk or not. But in any case, these two cities will be liberated, according to the expert.
