Fighting in the town of Velyka Novosilka, about 85 kilometers (52 miles) west of Donetsk, continues, according to Ukrainian sources.
Earlier in the week, as Russian media channels reported the imminent capture of the town, Ukrainian fears of encirclement added to weeks of criticism about the General Staff’s handling of the fighting in the Donetsk sector, where Russians have been pressing steadily for months.
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However, the press service of Ukraine’s 110th Motorized Rifle Brigade reported on Telegram today that there is currently no threat of Ukrainian forces getting surrounded in Velyka Novosilka, whose population in 2022 was 5,235.
Drone video of the town shows near complete devastation.
“Let us note right away that there is no threat of encirclement of our units [in Velyka Novosilka].”
The report says that the enemy tried to block the strongholds of the Ukrainian troops with huge infantry forces.
“The use of equipment has been nullified, both from our side and from the enemy’s. Everything that came closer than a kilometer to the line of contact was destroyed,” the communique said.
They also reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and the enemy have approximate parity in terms of artillery and FPV drones, but the Russians have a huge advantage in terms of infantry.
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At the same time, the 110th Brigade reported that their units had managed to take advantage of weather conditions, skillfully withdrawing from areas where there was a threat of encirclement.
“This does not mean that we have completely left the town, the fighting in Velyka Novosilka continues. All actions are aimed at minimizing our own losses and inflicting maximum damage on the enemy,” the brigade reported.
They also emphasized that Russian forces would no longer be able to continue the offensive from Velyka Novosilka.
“A typical situation has arisen for Muscovites: ‘the main thing is to raise the flag.’ The price and prospects are unimportant. The Mokri Yaly River, which created problems for the supply of our units, has now become an obstacle to the enemy’s advance,” the brigade report added.
Having entered Velyka Novosilka, the enemy fell into a fire trap, the brigade said, “where they will have no peace, as any movement is cut off by shells and drones.”
Upwards of 167 combat clashes took place between the AFU and Russian troops over the past day, Ukrinform reported, the hottest being the Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, and Lyman sectors.
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