Elite Russian Army Formations Got Into Lyman Cauldron

The Armed Forces of Ukraine brought down the Russian front near Stavki.

On September 29, Ukrainian troops broke through the Russian defences near the villages of Stavki and Zarichne and actually completed the encirclement of the Russian army grouping in Lyman. This event caused panic among the Kremlin "analysts" and militaristic Telegram channels of the Russian Federation.

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine broke through in the Stavkov area and are cutting off Drobysheve,” writes WarGonzo. "Emergency information comes from places that ... were able to break through to the Torske-Drobysheve highway in the Stavki area, thus effectively cutting off Bars-13 ("Russian Legion") from the main route. There is a fierce fight going on. …The situation is extremely difficult.”

At about 5 p.m., Ukrainian troops finally captured Yampil, cutting off the Lyman-Kreminna road," some Russian chats write. However, Russian military correspondents, who usually brighten up reality, claim that there are still fights for Yampil.

“The enemy delivers the main blow near Yampil and Torske ... attacks with large forces supported by artillery, HIMARSs and armoured vehicles. Today will be a very difficult night and tomorrow a very difficult day,” writes the "Starshe Eddy" propagandist.

“Without the transfer of significant reinforcements and the concentration of attention of the command of the Russian Armed Forces in the Lyman axis, there is a serious risk of the fall of Lyman and a further collapse of the defensive orders of the Russian Armed Forces on the western borders of the Luhansk People’s Republic,” writes another Russian blogger, Rybar.

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine pulled up additional forces and broke through the front in the Drobysheve-Stavki area. Perhaps it is worth posing the question in such a way as to change something in the command of the 20th Army? Well, or to pull up some other reserves," the Russian blogger Dolgareva is sounding the alarm. “It’s a pity for Lyman, it’s a pity for the Russian Legion, the command of the 20th army is not very good,” the chauvinist blogger is seeking someone to blame.

The Ukrainian command reports the liberation of the settlements only after they have been under long-term control, so far they have not reported on the situation near Lyman.

To the north, the Ukrainians have created numerous bridgeheads on the left bank of the Oskil River and are advancing from Lozova, Kupiansk and Dvorichna in the direction of Borova and Svatove.

Svatovo is a regional center in the north of the Luhansk region; before the war, 16,000 people lived there. Russian troops occupied the city on March 6, on the 11th day of the war.

The liberation of Svatove would have both strategic and moral implications.

This would be the first liberated regional center of the Luhansk region, which today is almost completely controlled by Russian troops.

As a result of a rapid offensive on September 5-10, the Ukrainian army liberated Balakleia, Kupiansk, Izyum and Volchansk, while Russian formations retreated chaotically to the left banks of the Siversky Donets and Oskil rivers. Russians did not, as a result, succeed in creating reliable defence lines along these rivers, as they hoped, but also the Ukrainian army did not engage in the attack estuary and Svatove.

Fighting of varying intensity on the outskirts of these cities has been going on for almost two weeks.

At the same time, Russian bloggers and commander Alexander Khodakovsky reported that Russian troops had abandoned their previously captured positions in Marinka and Pisky near Donetsk.