General Staff: Russian troops successfully advanced in 2-3 towns

Olena Roshchina – Tuesday, 5 April 2022, 08:18

On the 41st day of the war, Russia’s most immediate goal is to capture the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Russian troops advanced on the Sloviansk front, continue blockading Kharkiv, and are restoring a bridge in Izium. They want to establish control over the town of Oleksandrivka in the Mykolayiv region, the city of Mariupol in the Donetsk region, and the cities of Popasna and Rubizhne in the Luhansk region.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, information as of 06:00 on Tuesday, 5 April

According to the General Staff: "The enemy troops are regrouping and concentrating their efforts on preparing an offensive operation in the east of Ukraine. Their goal is to establish full control over the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The enemy units are trying to improve their positions in the Tavriya and Pivdennobuzhsky operational areas.

The [Russian] units withdrawn from Polissya and Sivershchyna are relocating to new operational areas. The redeployment of troops of the Central Military District from the territory of Ukraine has been completed.

Some of the aforementioned units, after having restored their combat capability, will be moved to the area of ​​the town of Valuika and included in the offensive groups of troops."

Details: Convoys of weapons and military equipment have been seen moving on the territory of Belarus in the direction of the railway stations Gomel, Yelsk, and Mozyr for loading onto railway trains. Much of the aircraft and helicopters of the Air Force of the Russian Armed Forces have been relocated from Belarusian airfields to Russia.

The Russian troops (in particular, separate units of the 6th and 20th All-Army, 1st Tank Army, and Baltic and Northern Fleets) focused their efforts on preparations for the resumption of the offensive, as well as on an attempt to encircle a grouping of Allied forces. Russian troops are replenishing their supplies of food, fuel and lubricants, and ammunition.

The Russian occupying forces continue to blockade Kharkiv, carrying out relentless artillery shelling and further destroying the city’s residential neighbourhoods and infrastructure.

On the Sloviansk front (in the Donetsk region), the Russian troops are trying to resume offensive operations. They had some success on the Barvinkove front, advancing 7 km and taking control of the village of Brazhkivka (in the Kharkiv region). A battalion tactical group of the 1st Tank Regiment attempted to carry out an offensive on the village of Sulyhivka, but had no success.

To improve the movement of troops on the front and to enable the crossing over the Siversky Donets river, Russian troops are restoring a bridge in the city of Izium.

On the Donetsk and Luhansk fronts, the occupiers are focusing their main efforts on establishing control over Popasna and Rubizhne (in the Luhansk region), establishing full control over Mariupol, and preparing offensive operations near the village of Zolota Nyva (in the Donetsk region).

Russian troops continue the artillery shelling of the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and of civilian infrastructure, in and around the towns and villages of Borivske, Novoluhanske, Solodke, Maryinka, and Zolota Nyva.

Russian troops carried out assault operations near Novotoshkivske, Nyzhne, Popasna, Kalynove, Stepne, Rubizhne, Troyitske, Novobahmutivka, and Novoselivka, but were unsuccessful.

Mass artillery and air strikes were carried out by the Russian troops on the city of Mariupol.

On the South Bug front, Russian occupying forces are conducting artillery-supported assault operations in order to take control of the village of Oleksandrivka, where they have had partial success. Russian troops fired artillery on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the towns and villages of Lyubine, Myrne, and Kopani in the Mykolayiv region.

Russian troops also deployed cluster munitions, forbidden by the Geneva convention, in an attack on the city of Mykolayiv. Residential neighbourhoods and medical facilities, including a children’s hospital, came under the Russian fire. There are dead and wounded, including children.

According to the General Staff: "The occupying forces continue to suffer losses. They have big problems with manning combat and support units.

The enemy’s personnel have been demoralised, which has led to an increase in the number of desertions and the refusal of soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces to take part in the war on the territory of Ukraine."