pmaitra
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On Uglegorsk:
Semenchenko's Battalion Decimated at Uglegorsk
Semenchenko's Battalion Decimated at Uglegorsk
"Apparently Ukrainian forces have major problems with combat effectiveness''--Uglegorsk update1/31/2015
Uglegorsk. Second Attempt.
By Yurasumy
Translated from Russian by J.Hawk
In the morning Semen who is Semenchenko made the following businesslike announcement:
[Semenchenko Facebook]
"Glory to Kievan Rus. Novorossia today [smiley] is a popular joke this morning. Go with God! It will be a good day. Glory to Ukraine
[The post earned 5491 likes and 171 reposts]
Then:
"We are assaulting Uglegorsk."
Then somehow the initial optimism vanished:
"Donbass battalion press service announces the following: on January 31, in accordance with orders from CTO HQ, the liberation of Uglegorsk begun, by units of the Ukrainian army, National Guard, and police battalions [presumably MVD]. The enemy fortified his positions at Uglegorsk over the past several days. There is heavy fighting on the approaches and in the city itself. Enemy defense was broken in several sectors," noted Semenchenko, adding that Ukrainian forces in Uglegorsk itself have been aiding the offensive for several hours.
And then Mochanov announced the "super-unpleasant" news:
"Debaltsevo—Uglegorsk road. Can't go any further. We were met by Donbass Bn and Semenchenko. Our guys could not break through to the garrison in Uglegorsk, they fell into an ambush in a fire sack—there were markers on trees indicating its location, just as the Institutskaya and Shelkovichnaya streets when they were shooting at the Maidan. It was hard. And loud. Artillery war and small arms fire at the "greenery". No communications with Svityaz [Ukrainian commander defending Uglegorsk], the information from our guys in Uglegorsk is most contradictory, very little of it is cause for joy" reports Mochanov.
P.S. Interesting, so Semen was actually"¦there?
P.P.S.: Judging by reports, everything was prosaically simple. For Semen the word "tactics" is just a word. And so is "experience." Therefore the "Donbass" guys simply got into their armored vehicles and drove off. They got pummeled by artillery, which was only to be expected, and whoever still could saved their butts. Semen, can I ask you a question? The same thing happened yesterday. When are your very own troops going to hang you from the nearest tree? Or maybe it had already happened, in which case we won't hear from you again. That would be too bad, because you are a terrific commander, from my point of view. If the Ukrainian army/national guard had more like you, the war would be over and I would be home.
1/30/2015
Uglegorsk Post-Factum
By Yurasumy
Translated from Russian by J.Hawk
Unfortunately I was absent, therefore I'm a little late with information.
The situation in Uglegorsk is becoming more clear. Judging by various sources of information, here's what happened. After a short artillery bombardment of Ukrainian positions (which was very effective), the assault group broke into the city. The first odd thing here is that, aside from the fortifications on the approaches to the city, there were practically no Ukrainian troops inside (up to one infantry platoon and two tanks). Therefore the city was taken almost instantly, and Novorossia forces were able to prepare for Ukrainian counter-attacks. And then they set a TRAP. Novorossia forces let the first wave of "liberators" into the city and surrounded them. The second column was destroyed by rocket artillery salvoes as soon as it left Debaltsevo. The first column was then simply finished off. Mopping-up operations continue, but without help from the outside, the National Guard forces that entered the town are DOOMED.
So I see the today evening situation something like this. Novorossia forces can no longer be ejected from Uglegorsk. One is left with the impression that the Ukrainian army and national guard cannot cover all the sectors and are starting to crumble. Apparently reserves on this sector have already been used up. All that's left is to shorten the front line and attempt to cover all the breaches. Therefore now the Ukrainian command faces the choice of withdrawing (in order to reduce the half-pocket area in half) and conducting a positional battle around Debaltsevo, or of trying to accept the risk and hold everything. In that case the entire Ukrainian grouping may suffer a very rapid catastrophe.
P.S. To be honest, the whole Debaltsevo situation is puzzling to me. The forces that were sent there could not have been used up so quickly. Judging by Novorossia actions, they also did not anticipate such a turn of events in Uglegorsk, but once they achieved a breakthrough they decided to exploit it to the fullest. Apparently Ukrainian forces have major problems with their combat effectiveness.