As of 6 p.m. on 12 September on the Ukrainian-Russian front, which let us remember is 1,000 km long, whereas the Russian-Ukrainian border is only 600 km long, there were a number of movements of Ukrainian troops towards Zaporozhya. Rogov, a member of the administration of the Zaporozhya region on the social sphere wrote: ‘The Ukrainian Armed Forces are preparing a major offensive in the area of the Zaporozhya nuclear power plant and the crossings, artillery installations are being moved’. On the morning of 13 September at 09:58, the same man, who is president of the movement ‘We are together with Russia’ said: ‘In Zaporozhya the situation is under control, the army is ready.
For five days now the Ukrainian armed forces have been trying to break through the defensive line of the Russian forces in the direction of Liman. Kiev has launched mechanised units, operating with tank support, into battle. A passage has been built across the Seversky Donets near Yapol, Kiev formations are trying to cross the river, but are under constant artillery fire from the Russian forces. Yampol and Krasny Lyman are under full control of the Russian forces. Ukrainian units are also increasing the pressure in the Belogorovka area not far from Seversk to withdraw part of the LPR 2nd Corps forces from Soledar, where Russian forces of the Donbass Army are operating successfully. The status of Svyatogorsk is still unclear. But the Ukrainians have apparently managed to take control of part of the city. It should be noted here that even before the counter-offensive, Svyatogorsk was difficult to hold, as the Ukrainians controlled the heights on the left bank of the river.
The front line also stabilised in the north-east of the NVO area. Parts and formations of the Russian army, those that escaped the encirclement of Izyum and the reserves transferred by the Russian Ministry of Defence formed a line of defence along the right bank of the Oskol River and along the border with the Belgorod region. Kupyansk is divided into two parts, the western part is controlled by Kiev forces, the eastern part is controlled by the Russian army. Here, for now, the Ukranians use artillery, rockets and cannons. But he does not attempt to attack.
But let us see in detail the situation along the front line:
Regarding the border territories of the Russian Federation: Ukrainian formations are reported to be firing large-calibre shells at the village of Logachevka in the Belgorod region, as a result of which a woman was killed and several people were injured. The Ukrainians also attacked the village of Tetkino in the Kursk region, slightly damaging several residential buildings. The evacuation of two villages began on 13 September.
Kharkiv region. The RF Forces, having withdrawn to the Kharkiv region, managed to level the front along the left bank of the Oskol River. Russian rocket troops and artillery launched massive attacks on Ukrainian targets in Kharkiv: one of the attacks hit the National Police building.
In the direction of Liman: Ukrainian forces are advancing for the third day in the vicinity of the town of Liman, the defence of which is held by a small garrison of the Russian Armed Forces and the LPR People’s Militia. The town is strategically important for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as it lies on the northern bank of the Seversky Donets and can become a potential springboard for a further offensive towards the agglomerations of Kremennaya and Severodonetsk. According to some reports, the Ukrainians were able to occupy part of Svyatogorsk in the north of Slavyansk, which will allow them to attack Liman from the north-west in the future.
In the direction of Bachmut (Artemovsky): The Armed Forces of Ukraine are storming Belogorovka west of Lysychansk, increasing the pressure on the allied forces regrouping in this direction. The capture of the settlement will give the Ukrainians an additional springboard to develop an offensive towards the Severodonetsk agglomeration. The detachments of PMC Wagner continue to control individual roads east of Bachumut (Artemovsk), striking firing positions and strongholds of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in and around the city itself. At the same time, units of the allied forces are fighting for the electrical substation in Donbasskaya and are also developing an offensive against Nikolaevka Vtoroy and Otradovka.
In Soledar, positional battles continue in the south of the city near the Knauf GIPS plant.
Towards Donetsk: In the direction of Donetsk, Ukrainian formations are shelling the outskirts of Donetsk and surrounding settlements. Positional battles continue near Peski and Pervomaisky. Killed 40 Ukrainian soldiers who tried to take the Donetsk airport on 12 September.
In the direction of Ugledar: The Armed Forces of Ukraine are concentrating forces in the vicinity of Ugledar. This may be either a preparation for an offensive or a copycat move to force the Russians to transfer reinforcements and expose other sectors. Russian forces during the night shelled Ukrainian positions.
In the direction of Zaporozhya: The Ukrainian armed forces transferred frontline units to the Orekhov region and may attempt to strike in the direction of the south of the Zaporozhya region. Artillery duels continue, which have become regular across the Dnepr: Ukrainian forces are shelling the ZNPP from positions on the northern bank of the river in Nikopol and Marganets, to which the Russian armed forces respond with fire.
In the direction of Krivoy Rog: position battles continue south of Vysokopole, Olgino and in the vicinity of Novovoznesensky. At 13:00 on 13 September the front line remained unchanged. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are stationed on previously occupied lines and are regrouping forces prior to another attempt to attack the Russian positions. On the Andriivsky sector, the Ukrainian command is strengthening the defence at Lozovoe in preparation for another attack on the positions of the Russian Armed Forces. The main direction of the attack is Bruskinskoe and Kostromka to block the road communication of Davydov Brod and Novaya Kakhovka.
Ukrainian howitzers and MLRS are firing at Belogorka, simultaneously transferring reinforcements to this sector of the front. More than 50 units of military equipment have been deployed in the vicinity of Lozovoye through the Veliky Artakovo, Belaya Krinitsa and Ternovka passes. Units of the 46th oambr of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are rotating military personnel and removing their minefields in the area of one kilometre south of Andriivka to advance in the vicinity of Sukhoi Stavka.
On the Posad-Pokrovsky section, a company of the 10th Battalion of the 59th Ompbr, reinforced by two units of armoured vehicles, attempted to attack Ternovye Pody. However, the artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive bombardment of the Ukrainian troops, after which the Armed Forces of Ukraine retreated to their original positions. In order to restore combat readiness of the Russian brigade units in Ternovye Pody, personnel were rotated and a mechanised platoon was transferred to Zarya. In addition, five columns of military equipment advanced from the Kulbakino area in the direction of the line of contact.
In the next 24 hours, the offensive on Ternovye Pody and Petrovsky should be continued by the 59th BTGr Brigade and the 28th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Despite the information on social networks, the claims about the transfer of Kiselevka under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are not true. There, units of the Russian Armed Forces still hold the same positions.
The Snigirevsky sector is relatively calm: the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not attempt to attack.
There are no major changes in the Olginsky section. Units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are reinforcing the occupied defence lines and preparing for a further advance towards Lyubimovka. The Ukrainian command is using advanced artillery in Novovoznesenskoye to target Russian positions. The artillery and MLRS of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are firing from the Topolinoye area at Chereshneve, Novovoskresensky, Mirolyubovka and Kreshchenivka.
A company of the 97th Battalion of the 60th Brigade dug into the forest belt north-west of Novovoznesensky with the further aim of securing the Novopetrovka area.
It is learnt – from unverifiable pro-Russian social sources – that representatives of the British media have arrived at Ukrainian strongholds in this sector of the front to film scenes on the ‘successful offensive’ of the Ukrainian armed forces.
In the meantime, the Russian social sphere, and Kadyrov in particular, have commented on what is happening at the front and have come to the same conclusion: It was a serious mistake to follow the principle of de-escalation in military operations, and therefore Ukrainian soldiers with western NATO equipment approached the outskirts of Kharkov, without forgetting the role of US intelligence, the main participant in this process.
Russia used the tactics of air, missile and artillery attacks to counter the Ukrainian army and had to make a tactical retreat to protect the Russian soldiers. Here we can assume that the Russian step was a mistake. The new Russian tactics may have led to the victory of the Ukrainian forces in the northern areas near Kharkov, weakening the southern front and leaving it open to the advance of Russian troops to cut off supplies, bomb the crossings and railways to put Ukrainian troops between a rock and a hard place.
Now a high Ukrainian offensive is expected, but it is not taking into account the human casualties in the ranks of its army. While the Russians are having none. Not only that, the Russians will now increase the number of air strikes on critical infrastructure, leaving the Ukrainians freezing cold. Winter is very close and the flow of weapons to Ukraine will inevitably be less. European warehouses are now empty and the new weapons ordered will arrive in Europe in a few years and will not be destined for Ukraine.
Russia meanwhile has set up two factories to repair vehicles damaged in the war, for the production of spare parts, and recent news since February has started 24-hour shifts for the production of weapons. Among today’s war news is the use of Iranian kamikaze drones.
Graziella Giangiulio
