Fighting for Krynky: Russians lie to command about successful strikes by ""Sontsepeka"" - ISW

Fighting for Krynky: Russians lie to command about successful strikes by ""Sontsepeka"" - ISW

On March 3, positional clashes continued in Krynky on the left bank of the Dnipro and in the area of the Antonivskyi Bridge. Russian commanders report to higher command about successful precision strikes on Ukrainian positions with the TOS-1A Sontsepek flamethrower system, although in reality this is not the case. The Institute for the Study of War writes about this in a report dated March 3.

A Russian opposition publication published a video message from a Russian military man in which he said that he had to wait for two days to be evacuated from the trenches in Krynky.

Messages from the Russian military about the situation on the left bank

Messages from the Russian military about the situation on the left bank

Krynky on the map

Kupyansk - Kreminna

A prominent Russian military blogger claimed that the Ukrainian Defence Forces had seized several unspecified positions near Tabaivka (southeast of Kupyansk). Another reported that Russian troops had advanced 200 metres to the northern outskirts of Synkivka. ISW did not find any visual evidence of these reports. Positional fighting continued near Synkivka, southeast of Kupyansk in the area of Tabaivka, west of Kreminna in the area of Terny and Yampolivka, and south of Kreminna in the area of Bilohorivka and Verkhnyokamyanske. Captain Illya Yevlash, a spokesman for the Ukrainian "Khortytsya" military group, said that Russian troops had somewhat reduced the intensity of their offensive operations and were consolidating their positions in the Kupyansk direction. He added that the Russian Armed Forces are regrouping and preparing strike groups in the Lyman sector, and are moving forces to the areas of Terny and Yampolivka.

Avdiivka direction

Avdiivka

Dmytro Likhovyi, a representative of the Tavria civil-military group, said that the operational situation in Berdychi, Orlivka and Tonenke was stabilising and that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelling Russian attacks in these settlements. He added that the Russian Armed Forces had not captured Berdychi, Orlivka or Tonenke, but had achieved some localised successes in the Avdiivka sector. The Russian "military officer" said that Ukrainian forces were successfully defending themselves against Russian attacks west of Avdiivka, exploiting the weaknesses of the Russian military. He said that some Russian motorised infantry units lacked the grenade launchers needed to destroy Ukrainian armoured vehicles and that Russian commanders continued to use inaccurate maps that overestimated Russian control of the area.

Chemical weapons are being dropped from drones

On 3 March, the commander of the Tavria operational and strategic grouping, General Oleksandr Tarnavsky, said that the Russian military had dropped nine chemical munitions from drones on Ukrainian positions in the Tavria sector, in clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

According to observer Kostyantyn Mashovets, the Russian grouping of troops in southwestern Ukraine probably numbers around 86,332 personnel.

Robotyno: manoeuvrable defence of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Robotyno on the map

A prominent Russian ’military correspondent’ claimed that Ukrainian forces were conducting manoeuvre defence in Robotyno, and another that Ukrainian forces were remotely mining the area to slow down the Russian advance. "’Voyinkor’ noted that Russian troops are advancing more slowly in the Verbove area than in the Robotyno area, and that Russian forces have increased artillery fire in the area in recent months. According to him, units of the Russian 7th Guards Airborne Division have been advancing in the Verbove area, but the ISW has not confirmed this.

Bakhmut

Bakhmut on the map

On 3 March, positional fighting continued in the area of Bakhmut, but with no confirmed changes to the front line. Positional fighting continued north-west of Bakhmut near Bohdanivka; west of Bakhmut near Ivanove; and south and south-west of Bakhmut near Kleshchyivka, Andriivka, Pivdenne and New York. The Russian ’military spokesperson’ stated that the Russian Aerospace Forces intensified air strikes on Ukrainian positions to the eastern part of Chasiv Yar.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)