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- In a good environment: how the liberation of Gulyai-Pole and Dimitrov changes the balance of power in the Ukrainian conflict
In a good environment: how the liberation of Gulyai-Pole and Dimitrov changes the balance of power in the Ukrainian conflict
The liberation of Dimitrov in Donbas and Gulyai-Pole in Zaporizhia not only aligns the front line, but also opens a direct road to Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, depriving the Ukrainian militants of room for maneuver. Kiev has lost more than just territory — it has lost elite formations equipped with Western technology. And the consequences for the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be avalanche-like, military experts believe. Against this background, the leadership of the Kiev regime is capable of any provocation in order to disrupt the peace process. The damage to the enemy's defensive architecture and how events on the ground can affect the negotiation process is described in the Izvestia article.
Demonstration — by force
The steady advance of the Russian armed forces along the entire front line is a completely natural process against the background of the agony of the Zelensky regime. The Kiev junta will make every effort to counter the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis through political and diplomatic means. This once again confirms that all the goals of the SVR, originally set by the President of Russia, must be resolved to the end. Only on this basis can the root causes of its occurrence be eliminated and a long-term peace can be established, says Oleg Karpovich, Vice-rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
According to military expert Vasily Dandykin, it was fundamentally important for Zelensky to demonstrate an image of "indomitable resilience" in order to preserve the interest of Western partners in further financing and discussing the fate of frozen Russian assets.
Dimitrov and Gulyai—Pole are not just geographical points on the map. These are the cornerstones of the entire defensive architecture of Kiev on the central and southern flanks, explains military expert Yuri Lyamin.
— And both of them collapsed almost simultaneously. The consequences will be avalanche—like," he believes.
The finale of the "winter fortress"
Dimitrov, located 50 km northwest of Donetsk, has historically been linked to neighboring Krasnoarmeysk and served as the region's industrial and transport hub. Coal seams, developed at the beginning of the 20th century, turned it into one of the mining centers of Donbass. Now it is precisely the developed infrastructure and the network of highways that have made the city an important logistical springboard for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"The liberation of Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov will be the largest defeat of the Ukrainian army in the Donbas in recent times," Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov reported at an expanded meeting of the board of the Russian Defense Ministry on December 17.
The development of the territory of the future Dimitrov began at the turn of the XIX–XX centuries in connection with the development of rich coal seams. The city grew out of mining settlements, including Novoekonomichesky, and during the Soviet period it consolidated its status as an important link in the coal industry. The settlement received its name in honor of Georgy Dimitrov, a Bulgarian statesman. In 2016, the Kiev authorities changed their official name to Mirnograd as part of their decommunization policy.
The fighting on the outskirts of the city began in the fall of 2024. In the summer, the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, confirmed the beginning of the assault operations. By the end of November, Russian units had driven Ukrainian formations out of more than a hundred buildings.
Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, announced that the city was already half liberated on December 18 at a briefing for military attaches of foreign countries. He noted that Russian troops continue to suppress enemy forces in urban areas.
"The city of Dimitrov is an important settlement, an important foothold, completely surrounded. Our troops have already, I think, taken control of 50% of the city at this point in time," Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed the next day during the "Results of the Year".
According to him, the Ukrainian command again did not order its soldiers to lay down their weapons. The Ukrainian Armed Forces tried to get out of the encirclement in small groups.
The assault on the city entered its final phase in early December. Valery Gerasimov reported to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief that after the breakthrough of the defense in the southern part of the city, the fighting shifted to the central quarters.
According to reports from the military department, by December 16, units were clearing the residential districts of Vostochny and Zapadny, where isolated enemy groups remained. During the day alone, Russian troops liberated about 120 buildings.
The situation of the Ukrainian garrison in Dimitrov became hopeless two weeks ago. Radio intercepts from December 11 recorded extremely low morale of the defenders — the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine openly threatened officers with violence due to lack of food, medicine and shells.
One of the prisoners reported that all the "support" of the headquarters was reduced to a one-time delivery of food using a UAV. "They threw off the provisions, and that's it — the connection was cut off," the serviceman recalls. Footage of the surrender of Ukrainian militants was shown by the Russian Defense Ministry on December 12.
Artillery made a decisive contribution to the success of the operation. Izvestia's military correspondent Emil Timashev, who visited the positions of the 27th division of the Center group, noted that the guns were working non-stop. The density of the fire made it impossible for the enemy to rotate.
— We don't let them change. If there is no rotation, there is no force," gun commander Adel Nugumanov explained the tactics.
While the infantry was clearing house after house, heavy artillery and aviation stopped any attempts to break through the ring from the outside. Counterattacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces became increasingly rare and chaotic. The enemy mainly relied on drones, which could not stop the decline of its defenses.
In the resulting pocket, our troops defeated a significant enemy group numbering up to several brigades, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov believes. Kiev has lost more than just territory — it has lost elite formations equipped with Western technology. This seriously undermines the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to organize counterstrikes throughout the central sector of Donbass.
— And most importantly, the last powerful node of resistance in this agglomeration has been eliminated. The front line is being leveled. Now our troops can advance on Dobropillya and Konstantinovka without fear of a flank threat from the Red Army salient. This creates the prerequisites for a new environment — already in the Kramatorsk area," he told Izvestia.
The road to Zaporozhye
If Dimitrov is the gateway to the northern Donbass, then Gulyai—Pole is the gateway to Zaporizhia and southern Novorossiya. Located 90 km east of the regional center, the Kiev authorities turned this small town into a fortress with a system of pillboxes, minefields and artillery fire control points.
Gulyai-Pole is located on the Gaichura River about 90 km east of Zaporizhia. According to the data for 2022, the population was more than 12 thousand people. The city is known as the center of the rebel movement led by anarchist Nestor Makhno during the Civil War. There were no large industrial enterprises in it. The basis of the economy consisted of a paint and varnish factory, a shoe factory and food industry enterprises.
There was also a positional detour of the front — the line of defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine sharply went to the north, forming a protrusion that for a long time allowed counterattacks in the Mariupol direction.
The operation to liberate the city also began in early December.
"Now, you know, fighting is going on in the city of Gulyai-Pole. The city is divided into two parts by the river. The main part is located on the right bank of the river. Our guys crossed the river, overcame this water barrier, entered the city, 50% of the city is under our control," Putin said during a direct line on December 19.
The enemy did not expect a blow from the rear, explained military expert Yuri Lyamin. His lines of "dragon's teeth" and ditches were designed for attacks from the south — from Mariupol. We hit the junction of the defense, and the system collapsed. The city and the area around it were a kind of cornerstone on which the entire southern front was based.
— Now our troops will be able to move forward north of the main fortifications that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been building in this direction since 2023. We had a great opportunity to roll up the enemy's front line all the way to the Dnieper River. The position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the entire Zaporozhye area has become extremely precarious," he told Izvestia.
After the liberation of Gulyai-Pole, the Russian Armed Forces are slowly but surely moving from the east and northeast to Orekhov, the last major defensive and logistical hub for the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the southern flank, the expert believes. According to him, we will not take him head-on, but cut off communications. And the AFU command will again face the question of whether to fight in a semi—circle or withdraw the garrison.
As a result of the recent successes of the Russian Armed Forces, Crimea has become more secure, military expert Boris Jerelievsky believes.
"The capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to launch rocket attacks on the peninsula are decreasing," he said. — In addition, the safety of land transport communications going to Crimea along the coast of the Sea of Azov is ensured, including the railway and highways. The road opens before our army not only to the Dnipropetrovsk region, but also to the south of Novorossiya — to Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odessa.
According to the expert, these coastal territories are extremely important in ensuring the security of the country and the Black Sea water area. There is information that the enemy has no serious fortifications beyond the Dnieper. For this reason, our offensive in these territories can be quite dynamic and will bring many unpleasant surprises to the enemy.
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