After starving out Russians in Rivnopil, Donetsk Oblast, and forcing them to retreat practically without a fight, the next target of the Ukrainian assault units became Pryyutne.
Ukrainians tried to capitalize on the possible disarray associated with the retreat, but the Russians had long prepared for it, resulting in a well-organized withdrawal. Consequently, the Ukrainian forces were halted at the first tree line to the south of Rivnopil.
Russian positions are separated from the rest by the gully, which complicated the supply and support of this group. Ukrainians understood the weakness and vulnerability of the Russian positions along the tree line and immediately adapted their plans. Soon, Ukrainians launched a powerful attack along the hills west of Mararivka to penetrate Russian defense orders and cut the main supply roads to Russian positions south of Rivnopil.
The operation was extremely successful. Ukrainians developed a wide bridgehead and advanced in some places by up to 2 km.
In the meantime, the Russian forces in the tree line in front of Rivnopil started to struggle. As Ukrainians cut off their supplies, ammunition shortage started to kick in, and they had to ration their expenditure. However, after the Ukrainians conducted the imminent flank attack, the Russian defense along the tree line started falling apart like dominos, and they stepped back behind the gully.
Soon, Russian sources reported that Russian forces decided to make a tactical retreat with the goal of evening out the front line. Ukrainian sources reported that Ukrainian forces entered the newly captured positions and created additional fortifications, and equipped the positions to face potential Russian counterattacks. Interestingly, Russian forces did not counterattack and devoted all of their resources to preventing further front-line collapses.
Russian sources reported that Ukrainians started deploying sabotage groups. After that, the Ukrainians launched a series of bigger attacks toward Pryyutne and managed to advance by around 300 meters. Russian analysts started panicking about the unfavorable development of the situation and reported that Ukrainians were seen preparing two large assault groups: one around Makarivka and one around Levadne. Both of these assault groups have only one goal – to push Russians out of Pryyutne. Russian forces responded to these developments by conducting a series of airstrikes. Nonetheless, Ukrainians continued advancing.
Russian sources reported that Ukrainians brought a lot of equipment to facilitate rapid assaults. Russian reconnaissance teams noted that Ukrainians supplied the forefront positions with a lot of grenade throwers (grenades and grenade throwers are some of the most indispensable tools of the assault units).
In the meantime, Ukrainian drone operators started undermining Russian defensive capabilities by hunting down Russian armored fighting vehicles and trucks with supplies of ammunition. Ukrainian 110th Territorial Defense Brigade managed to destroy up to 4 vehicles in one day. Their drone operators found 3 armored fighting vehicles, one of which they managed to take down on the run; and also one Russian car with a machine gun planted in the rear.
Ukrainian Drone detachments from the 501st and 36th Brigades also targeted Russian positions in and around Priyutne. The released footage indicates that they revealed and, in coordination with artillery crews, destroyed Russian mortar crews together with ammunition and equipment.
Overall, Ukrainians are preparing to penetrate Russian defenses around Pryyutne and collapse the front line. Russian settlement is located almost in the center of the next elevated platform. The settlement itself is also relatively big if we compare it to other settlements in the region, which mean that it serves as the main logistical hub that is responsible for the stability of the entire region. This means that if Russians lose it, Ukrainians can double the liberated square area virtually overnight, and judging by how events on this front line unfold, it is just a matter of time until Ukrainians liberate this settlement.
In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
