Ukrainian troops avoided encirclement as Russian forces are poised to capture Velyka Novosilka, Donetsk Oblast, said the 110th Separate Mechanised Brigade.
Ukrainian troops successfully withdrew from some areas to avoid being encircled but fighting is ongoing around the village, which lies around 15 kilometers east of the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Equipment on both sides wears thin but Russian infantry vastly outnumbers the Ukrainian side, the brigade wrote on its Telegram channel.
While Russian troops will likely capture the village soon, they will struggle to advance their offensive onward. The Mokri Yaly River creates an obstacle for Russia’s advance and Russian troops are in a vulnerable “fire pocket,” said the brigade.
“Any movement is suppressed by shells and drones," said the brigade.
The river also hindered supply routes to the Ukrainians. On Jan 23, Military spokesperson Viktor Trehubov warned that Ukrainian troops were at risk of encirclement.
Russian forces are attempting to take control of access routes to the village through heavy fire, Trehubov noted.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Jan. 24 that its troops had planted a Russian flag in the center of Velyka Novosilka and that they had split the town in two, cutting off Ukrainian forces. The southern pocket fell most recently.
Experts told the Kyiv Independent that Ukrainian troops were likely holding onto the village's northwestern areas and Russia expected to complete the capture in “days.”
If they do, it will be Russia’s first notable win this year.
It is unclear how many Ukrainian troops were trapped inside the southern pocket in Velyka Novosilka, but it could be around two or three battalions, according to Pasi Paroinen at the Finland-based open-source intelligence organization Black Bird Group. The number of soldiers is probably around several hundred, he added.
Fighting is at a very heavy level in Donetsk Oblast and Russian troops continue to advance, albeit slowly, this year. Throughout the fall of 2024, Russian forces made operational gains in southern Donetsk Oblast, including areas near Toretsk and Chasiv Yar, while advancing near Kupiansk and on Russian soil in Kursk Oblast.
Asami Terajima
(Updated: )
