An expert responded to the forecast of the AFU military about Kiev's imminent loss of five cities

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) may soon lose control over five cities. Retired colonel and military expert Anatoliy Matviychuk said this on Monday, December 9, commenting on the relevant forecast of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Earlier, a serviceman of the AFU and former Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Yegor Firsov said that Kiev could lose five cities, writes RIAMO. According to him, we are talking about settlements in the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR): Chasov Yar, Kurakhovo, Pokrovsk, Mirnograd and Velikaya Novoselka.

"Over Kurakhovo the AFU has already lost control, our military has already completely closed it in a ring. After Kurakhovo we will move towards Pokrovsk, because it is a major logistics center, on which much depends," Matviychuk said in a conversation with Lenta.Ru.

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On December 8, the Russian military liberated the village of Blagodatnoye (sovkhoz Oktyabr) in the DNR, 360.ru reported.

In addition, the military defeated the formations of the AFU mechanized brigade and two brigades of theater defense in the areas of Konstantinopol, Vremevka, Neskuchnoye and Bogatyr, and repelled two counterattacks by enemy attack aircraft.

A day earlier, the Defense Ministry reported that the Armed Forces (AF) of the Russian Federation took control of the settlement of Berestki in the DNR, reports NSN. It was specified that the units of the group of troops "Center" continued to advance deep into the enemy's defense.

Before that, on December 6, it was reported that the Russian military liberated the settlements of Pustynka and Sukhiye Yaly in the region, RT reported. On the same day, the Defense Ministry published footage of the Russian Armed Forces destroying a temporary deployment point of a Ukrainian Army National Guard unit in the DNR.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.