Russia moves into defencive, involves reserve forces - Ukraine's General Staff

IRINA BALACHUK - THURSDAY, 3 MARCH 2022, 16:18

The enemy is continuing to strike residential areas from Grads, Tornadoes and Hurricanes, while in some areas the Russian military begins its move to defending instead of attacking, sometimes involving reserve forces due to their losses.

Source: operative information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 12:00 on 3 March.

Quote:, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: "Acting insidiously, the invaders are continuing to use civilians as human shields, taking hostages. Against the norms of International Humanitarian Law, high-power cluster munitions and fragmentation munitions are being used in bombings. During the artillery strikes on residential areas, the occupiers actively used Hail, Tornado and Hurricane multiple rocket launchers.

Details: Towards Volyn, the enemy with forces up to 2 battalion tactical groups (BTG) has moved to defensive operations and is trying to stay on the border in Bigyn, Ovruch, Pirozki, Riznya, Ukrainka.

In Polissya, the invaders have focused their main efforts towards Kyiv, incurring losses in personnel and equipment, but did not abandon attempts to block Kyiv from the northern and north-western directions.

Towards Korosten, the enemy has suffered heavy losses and has stopped, without carrying an attack.

In the Sivers'kyi region, the enemy is trying to stay in the areas of the settlements of Lyubech and Mena with the forces of the 41st All-Russian Army, 90th Panzer Division of the Central Military District of the Russian Armed Forces towards Chernihiv-Kyiv. At the same time, the forces of 2 BTG are moving itowards Kotsyubynske - Honcharivske (Kyiv).

Enemy troops are forced to introduce reserve forces into operation. This has meant that, in order to resume the attack operation in the Kyiv direction, an additional BTGr was introduced.

More than a dozen battalion tactical groups of Russia continue passing to offensive operations in the Nizhyn and Pryluky areas.

Towards Peremoga - Brovary 2 Russian BTG are assuming the offensive.

In Slobozhanshchyna, enemy troops stopped at the border in the areas of Okhtyrka, Bohodukhiv, Chuguiv, and Shevchenkove.

Towards Sumy, the enemy is continuing to besiege the cities of Sumy, Lebedyn and Okhtyrka.

Towards Kharkiv, the enemy has been forced to move to defensive mode with forces up to six BTGs. Up to three BTGs are likely to make another attempt to encircle Kharkiv from the south.

Towards Svativ, forces with up to two BTGs will probably attempt to advance towards Izyum and consolidate at any frontier. The main reason for such actions is the continuation of the offensive towards the Dnieper and Zaporozhye.

Mariupol is stable in the Donetsk region, and the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are inaccessible to the enemy.

Towards Tavriya, the enemy has brought in part its operational reserves - part of the forces are trying to continue the offensive towards Zaporozhye and part in Mariupol.

Marine groups of the Black Sea, Northern and Baltic Fleets of the Russian Federation are actively conducting demonstration activities.

In the Sumy region, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have advanced at the border along the state border of the Sumy region.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has stressed that the demoralised enemy is continuing to suffer losses - this can be seen in photos and videos on the official resources of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.