During the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), putin said that the task of the russian army is to surround the fortified positions of Ukrainian troops in the Donbas.
This is a rare case when the president talks about the specific tasks of the russian military in Ukraine, and not just repeats the abstract goals of the operation, stated on February 24, writes @agentstvonews.
“The demarcation line, which was established eight years ago, is, of course, a serious fortification. <...> According to military experts, assaulting these fortified areas is inexpedient, as it will lead to heavy casualties of the attacking forces. Therefore, the tactics are different, it can be seen on the map, it is said in the media. In fact, there is an orderly work from the west to the rear of these fortifications,” putin said.
The russian president also said that the army should not turn the cities it “liberates” into “the image of Stalingrad.”
In recent days, military experts have reported that russian troops are trying to surround Ukrainian forces in Severodonetsk. Most of the city is controlled by russia, but the Ukrainian military remains in the Azot industrial zone.
According to British intelligence, russia may also be trying to build a mousetrap south of Severodonetsk by attacking Ukrainian lines of communication in the Popasna area.