Russia’s war effort in Ukraine has persisted at a “routine level” despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order for a ceasefire on January 6 and 7 in recognition of Orthodox Christmas, he assessed on Saturday. the UK Ministry of Defence.
Fighting in the Luhansk region around the city of Kreminna has intensified over the past three weeks as Russia seeks to hold on to the strategically important area amid a tough Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Kreminna lies 50 miles north of Bakhmut, which Russian forces have failed to secure despite heavy weaponry and troop reinforcements in recent months.
LVIV, UKRAINE – JANUARY 6: Relatives visit the graves of their loved ones killed during the Russian-Ukrainian war at the Lychakiv Cemetery during Orthodox Christmas Eve, in Lviv, Ukraine on January 6, 2023.
(Photo by Artur Widak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
PUTIN ORDERES TEMPORARY CEASE FIRE IN UKRAINE IN OBSERVATION OF ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS
UK defense officials assessed last month that Russia may be looking to reinforce the Kreminna to shore up the logistically vital area and safeguard its hold on the city of Sievierodonetsk, which it had invaded in June after a brutal ground attack.
The Defense Ministry said the fighting around Kreminna has largely taken place to the west of the city as Ukrainian troops seek to push the front lines to the east.
The heavily forested terrain filled with coniferous forests has meant that “both sides are probably struggling to fine-tune artillery fire,” according to the ministry’s assessment.
“As is typical of operations in the woods, combat has largely moved to dismounted infantry fighting, often at close range,” the assessment read.
But fighting in Kreminna does not just pose a threat to Russia’s ability to hold positions in Lugansk.
An infographic titled “In the Russia-Ukraine war, the most intense fighting takes place on the Donetsk front” in Ankara, Turkiye, on December 16, 2022.
(Elmurod Usubaliev/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
ZELENSKYY WARNS RUSSIA ‘WILL THROW AWAY EVERYTHING IT HAS’ IN AN ATTEMPT TO TURN AROUND THE WAR
“Russian commanders most likely see the pressure around Kreminna as a threat to the right flank of their Bakhmut sector, which they see as key to enabling any future advance to occupy the rest of Donetsk Oblast,” the ministry said.
Defense officials have pointed out that Russia will strategically gain little by securing Bakhmut and have suggested that Moscow’s fight for the city has become “symbolic”.
Some reports have suggested that the Russian mercenary Wagner Group has broken into an area northeast of Bakhmut known as Soledar, which is home to salt and gypsum mines.
Soldiers of the 59th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fire graduated missiles at Russian positions in the Russian-occupied Donbas region on December 30, 2022 in Donetsk, Ukraine.
(Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Western officials have not confirmed the Russian advance, though if accurate, the progression could spell trouble for Ukrainian soldiers as the mercenary group could try to encircle defensive forces around Bakhmut.
A White House spokesman suggested on Thursday that there may be a monetary element driving Russia’s “obsession” with Bakhmut, Reuters reported.
