General Staff: Up to 20 Russian battalion tactical groups to resume offensive on Sloviansk front

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO – FRIDAY, 3 JUNE 2022, 18:34

Russia has transferred up to 20 battalion tactical groups in order to resume the offensive on the Sloviansk front. Russian troops have seen some success in Sievierodonetsk.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 18:00 on 3 June

Quote from the General Staff: "On the Sloviansk front, the enemy has gathered a group of troops comprising up to 20 battalion tactical groups and is preparing to resume the offensive. In order to improve their tactical positions, Russian troops attempted to advance on Barvinkove and Sviatohirsk, but were unsuccessful.

On the Donetsk front, the enemy’s efforts were focused on the city of Sievierodonetsk. Under the cover of artillery, the enemy has stormed residential neighbourhoods in the east of the city. The enemy had some success. Active combat operations are continuing."

Details: Russian troops have also conducted assault operations on Bakhmut, Soledar, and Lysychansk. Unsuccessful, they were forced to retreat to their previously held positions. They have also attempted to establish control over the left bank of the Siverskyi Donets river in order to create favourable conditions for the crossing of Russian troops.

On the Lyman front, Russian occupation forces have used barrel and jet artillery to fire on the area around Shchurove and Brusivka.

Russia has not undertaken active combat operations on the Avdiivka, Kurakhove, Novopavlivske, and Zaporizhzhia fronts, but has fired on the areas around Pisky, Mykolaivka, Poltavka, and Pokrovske with mortar, jet, and field artillery.

On the Kharkiv front, Russian occupation forces have continued to defend their positions and inflict damage on civilian infrastructure in the city of Kharkiv. Russian Mi-8 helicopters conducted an air strike on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the town of Slatyne and the village of Dementiivka.

Russian troops have also taken up a defensive position on the Pivdennyi Buh front; in some areas, they are trying to reclaim positions lost to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Russian troops have continued to inflict damage on Ukrainian troops, and have intensified aerial reconnaissance operations.

On the Slobozhanshchyna front, Russia’s main efforts have been focused on holding back the Ukrainian troops advancing toward the state border.

On the Violin and Polissia fronts, there is no evidence that Russia is preparing to form an offensive grouping of troops. As of 1 June, units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus have been involved in combat training activities at the Vyzhlovychi training site in Brest Oblast, Belarus.

On the Sivershchyna front, Russia has not undertaken active combat operations; there is no evidence that Russia is preparing to form an offensive grouping of troops in the area. Russia has carried out an airstrike on the area around the village of Krasnopillia in Sumy Oblast; Russian troops have also fired on the area around Mykhalchyna Sloboda in Chernihiv Oblast with mortars.

The situation has not changed significantly on the Bessarabia front; there is no evidence that Russia is preparing to form an offensive grouping of troops in the area.

The main efforts of Russian ships in the Black and Azov seas have been focused on isolating areas of hostilities and blocking all civilian shipping in the northeastern part of the Black Sea.

The General Staff also reports that the command of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is taking measures to intensify sabotage and reconnaissance activity on the territory of Ukraine. To this end, Russia is recruiting and training mercenaries in order to form sabotage and reconnaissance groups to be deployed on the territory of Ukraine. Preference is given to the residents and former residents of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts who can speak Ukrainian well.