AFU Offensive on Svatove and Kreminna Chronicle of Battles, October 2-3, 2022

AFU Offensive on Svatove and Kreminna
Chronicle of Battles, October 2-3, 2022

🔻After the fall of Lyman and the loss of the left bank of the Zherebets River, Russian forces retreated to Kreminna: new defensive orders and lines are now being built there as the Russian Armed Forces must contain the offensive in the area.

▪️Ukrainian units continue to redeploy reinforcements to Lyman, Torske and Terny, regrouping the advancing forces.

▪️The village of Terny has become a staging ground for Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups to attack the Svatove-Kreminna road.

▪️The front line north of Kreminna is unstable: due to cut-off communications and lack of communication, there are reports of Makiivka being occupied and the advance of the AFU towards Raihorodok.

▪️Ukrainian units advancing from Kupyansk are not standing still. The AFU are pressing on Russian positions on the Orlyanske — Kyslivka high ground.

▪️In the Tavilzhanka section, the AFU are building up their grouping in the vicinity of Hryanykivka and Masyutivka for a repeat offensive against the Russian Armed Forces.

▪️On-the-spot footage shows the Russian Armed Forces withdrawing from Borove, Pidlyman and Shyikivka: this may be a consequence of the decision to prioritize the defence in Svatove.

🔻The Russian Armed Forces are likely to continue their systematic retreat from their positions on the Oskil River to prepared positions around Svatove, attempting to inflict unacceptable losses on outnumbered enemy troops with artillery fire.

In such a case, the entire left bank of the Oskil River will come under the confident control of the AFU in the next few days. Since there is no natural water barrier, it would be more difficult, but still possible, for the Russian Armed Forces to hold the Svatove — Kreminna section of the front.