RUSSIAN GOALS AND UKRAINIAN VICTORIES IN KIEV REGION OF UKRAINE (VIDEOS, PHOTOS)
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The military situation around Kiev continues to develop. The parties to the conflict refrain from making loud statements about the occupation of any territories. However, this does not mean that military activities on the front lines were frozen. High-intensity fighting continues in the north-west and east of the Kiev region.
In the North-West, Russian troops attempt to advance to the south of the capital, but they are facing fierce resistance of the AFU units deployed in the region supported by foreign fighters. Taking into account the intensity of military activities the Russian troops are not in a rush to break through the Ukrainian defense
That means, Russian military forces are not rejected, but slowly continue taking the capital in a ring.
The most fierce clashes continue in Irpen, Buchа and Gostomel, Russian troops cut the E-40 highway and bypass Irpen on the western flank. They are likely aimed at reaching the town of Vasilkov located to the southwest of Kiev. The assault of the town is most likely not planned. It is enough to take key transport interchanges in the Vasilkov area. After assaulting Vasilkov, the key task will be to reach the town of Obukhov in order to encircle Kiev. Nevertheless, Russia does not set the task of occupying Kiev and towns around the capital.
Ukrainian BMP-2 destroyed in Borodyanka
Ukrainian BMP-2 destroyed in Borodyanka
The main military developments in the recent days took place in the eastern and south-eastern parts of the Kiev region.
The railway stage on the Kiev- Kharkiv tracks is already out of work.
Some days ago, in the Semipolki area the Su-24 of the armed forces of Ukraine was shot down by the Russian air defense systems. The aircraft was likely shot down by the Russian Buk medium-range surface-to-air missile system. This means that the Russians have deployed a medium-range air defense system in a close vicinity to the Ukrainian capital. The air defenses are already in the tactical depth of the enemy defence. Thus, they can close the sky over Kiev, preventing the use not only of the Ukrainian aviation in the area but also reconnaissance UAVs.
On the night of March 27-28, SU-25 SM of the Russian Aerospace Forces struck several military facilities in Ukraine. The footage shared by locals confirmed that the strikes also hit the AFU in the Kiev region.
At the same time, Russian troops are sending military reinforcement to the front lines to the east of the capital towards Brovary where clashes continue. The main front lines lay near the villages of Kalinovka, Skibin, Velikaya Dimerka. The E-95 highway remains under the Russian control and the reinforcements are sent from the north-eastern direction.
Russian troops are active in the direction of Krasilovka-Trebukhov, attempting to surround the town of Brovary from the south-eastern direction along the E-95 highway. They are aimed at moving further to the south towards Boryspil.
The main task is not to take control over the towns, but to cut the main roads around them and Kiev in general.
At the same time, the overlap of the M-03 (Kiev-Poltava) highway is unnecessary, because it will not affect military supplies to the Eastern regions. For the same reason, the capture of Boryspil in the near future is unlikely.
In their turn, Ukrainian forces supported by foreign mercenaries claim victories to the east of Brovary, threatening the Russian advance to the south.
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After several days of fierce clashes in the village of Lukyanovka, the AFU reportedly managed to take control over the settlement at least partially.
According to the deputy head of the Kirovograd Regional Council, the losses of Russians amounted to about 40 servicemen. Several units of Russian armored vehicles were reportedly destroyed, at least three tanks were captured by Ukrainian and foreign soldiers.
At the same time, the similar claims were made a few days ago, but the control of the AFU over the village was not confirmed. Clashes are likely to continue in the area.
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Despite the absence of any significant advances of the troops from the both sides, the main goals of the Russian Armed Forces in the Kiev region are clear. There is no signals the Ministry of Defense of Russian Federation is planning to storm the Ukrainian capital and nearby towns in near future. The assault of Kiev is likely to be avoided as the price to pay is too high.
At the same time, the main tasks of the Russian military forces in the Kiev region are:
- to shackle military forces of Ukraine
- to complicate or even block logistic supplies throughout the Kiev transport hub
- to cause maximum damage to military infrastructure
- to surround the capital including the city’s outskirts.
However, such goals take time and significant forces.
At the moment Russian troops in the region face significant obstacles which slow down teh implementation of these goals. The main battlefield in Ukraine is not the Kiev region but Donbass, where the joint Russian, DPR and LPR troops are attempting to surround the largest AFU grouping breaking through heavily-equipped Ukrainian defence.
Russian grouping deployed in the Kiev region also faces several logistics problems, that is timely delivery of fuel, lubricants and ammunition to the front lines under the constant enemy fire. The speed of decision-making at the tactical and operational levels also raises questions.