RU POV: Russian and Ukrainian advances from Day 1244 to 1246 of the War - Suriyakmaps

Once again we’re starting a post off on the Sumy front. As mentioned in the previous post, Ukraine was able to move into central and eastern Kindrativka, but because of the heavy bombardment they had been unable to properly secure the settlement. As such, on the west side Russian troops were confirmed to have moved back into Kindrativka, occupying houses on the northern street.

To the east, after several days of clashes, Russian assault groups from either side of Varachyne were able to clear and recapture the village, confirming full control of the settlement. They were also able to retake most of the surrounding fields and treelines as part of the operation. Varachyne is far from being safe though, as Ukraine may try counterattack and push back in.

On the Toretsk front, following on from their progress the day before, Russian assault groups in Bila Hora moved into and captured the centre of the village, leaving just the few houses on the western side left to clear. The surviving Ukrainian garrison has reportedly fled back to Oleksandro-Shultyne, where they are preparing to defend against a Russian assault. The remainder of Bila Hora will be cleared quite soon, as its only a few houses that are likely unoccupied.

At the same time as this, Russian forces from the Dyliivka have continued pushing through the fields and treelines along the stream, capturing a large portion of them since Ukraine lost control of Bila Hora. This opens up another angle of attack on Oleksandro-Shultyne, which can be combined with a push from Bila Hora (once Russia is ready).

On the west side of the Kostyantynivka front (top of this map), Russian assault groups have pressed into Poltavka from Popiv Yar, where clashes are taking place. Another group has moved up the treeline southeast of the settlement and will likely join in on the attack. I had mentioned a couple of posts ago that Russia was targeting Rusyn Yar to push on Poltavka from behind (as they had started the assault of that village), but they shifted focus and went after Poltavka head on.

To the west, on the east side of the Pokrovsk front, Russian assault groups on the west side of the Kazenyi Torets River have fanned out from their positions in Fedorivka and Boikivka. Soldiers from the former have moved west and secured the treelines pointing towards Rodynske, as well as a few trenches. Another group cleared the treelines between Boikivka and Fedorivka, and are now trying to push west along one of those treelines to reach the village of Zatyshok. Finally, a couple of assault groups have pushed north of Boikivka along the Kazenyi Torets, quickly seizing a number of treelines and reaching the village of Mayak.

On the west side of the Pokrovsk front, some Russian infantry were seen walking through southern Zvirove, confirming their control of that portion of the village. They were headed towards the eastern side of the settlement, but there is no evidence so far to prove they have secured positions there.

This is discussed in more detail further down the post.

Onto the Velyka Novosilka front, the Russian push towards Oleksandrohrad mentioned previously continues, with Russian infantry seizing a couple more fields and treelines east of the village. At their current pace they will make it to the settlement within 4 or 5 days, provided Ukraine do not counterattack or they change direction.

Heading out to the Zaporizhia front, with Russia securing Kamyanske a little over a week ago and Ukraine losing their positions nearby, Russian forces have been able to take advantage to clear a chunk of the fields and defences to the east of the town. This will help stop Ukrainian counterattacks towards Lobkove (which were sporadic) and if they push a bit further in this direction will also allow them to secure a buffer around Stepove.

Onto the Oskil River front, where Russia has reportedly/allegedly launched yet another assault attempt on the town. I say allegedly as there has been some confusion from both Russian and Ukrainian sources, as some say Torske has been in the greyzone for months, some that Russia only pushed into the north side, and others that deny this altogether.

East of this, Russian assault groups in the Serebryansky forest have made a bit more progress after days of clashes, capturing more dugouts and fortifications on the north side of the forest. I’ve mentioned it before, but to reiterate, the entire Serebryansky forest is filled with trenches, bunkers and dugouts (from both sides), so is effectively one giant defence network for both Russia and Ukraine.

Following on from picture 2, Russian assault groups were confirmed to have cleared the last houses in Bila Hora, confirming full control of the village. They are currently working on securing the outskirts and bringing up supplies, before they will try to move onto Oleksandro-Shultyne.

To the southwest, after days of clearing operations Russian forces have captured the southern side of Scherbynivka, as well as the fields east and south of that area. Same as with Novospaske, Ukraine had been forced to withdraw most of its troops from this area due to supply and manpower issues, allowing Russia to move in and drive out the few remaining Ukrainians (rearguard). They will likely waste no time in continuing to push up into central Scherbynivka, although the further north they go, the slower their progress will be as Ukraine is still manning those areas.

Following on from picture 3, in Poltavka, Russian assault groups have joined up and taken over the houses on the southern side of the settlement. Heavy clashes are ongoing, but early reports suggest that Ukraine is being driven back.

To the west, Russian assault groups were confirmed to have captured the last houses in northern Novotoretske, confirming full control of the settlement. This likely happened a couple of days ago, as Russia has wasted no time in pressing the attack and heading north, capturing many fields and several fortifications as they try to maintain momentum. There have already been reports that Russian soldiers have broken into Volodymyrivka (next settlement north) and are rapidly expanding their control. This is currently unconfirmed, but should be clarified soon.

Now is also a good time to mention that Russian DRGs and small infantry groups have allegedly made a localised breakthrough to the northeast of Pokrovsk. Both Russian and Ukrainian sources are reporting Russian troops quickly spreading out and pushing into Nykanorivka, Pankivka, Mayak, Volodymyrivka (see above), and Zatyshok. It is also being reported that some groups have made it as far as the road between Nove Shakhove and Shakhove, cutting it off. As for why such gains aren’t shown here, Suriyak is doing as he usually does and being cautious/conservative until more evidence is released. There is always the chance that these gains are exaggerated or Russian troops fail to consolidate positions, so until more footage/proof is released he will likely not show the full extent of the reported advance.

Following on from picture 4, Russia recaptured the last little section of the old railway north of Shevchenko, which has sat in the greyzone for months now.

To the east, Russian assault groups have become active or the first time this year south of Myrnohrad, pushing up the railway line only slightly south of the city. Russia did have control of this area last year when they first captured the surrounding settlements, but was not able to push into Myrnohrad. Given the deteriorating situation for the Ukrainian units in the pocket, they may be trying to see if they can break into Myrnohrad from the south side.

Following on from picture 5, the same group previously mentioned has captured another couple of fields and treelines east of Oleksandrohrad.

Following on from picture 1, Russian infantry were once again shown to be present in more of northern Kindrativka, occupying houses on two streets. Personally, I disagree with Suriyak’s mapping and believe that all of Kindrativka should be marked as greyzone. Given the sheer number of bombs being dropped on the village (from both sides), and the fact that both Russia and Ukraine have soldiers hiding all over the place, its clear neither of them has ‘control’ and as such the map should not be updated until one has completely cleared out the other.

North of Kupyansk, Russian assault groups continued to attack and counterattack north of the town over the past four days, building on their previous success and recapturing Kindrashivka. They were also able to establish control over the small village of Radivka, which sits just outside Kupyansk itself. Neither of these settlements is truly secure however, as Ukraine still has many troops nearby and will almost certainly launch more counterattacks to stop Russia from assaulting Kupyansk or trying to flank it.

Over on the Oskil River front, Russian troops managed to expand the spearhead to the west over the past few days, capturing some trenches to the north of it, as well as several fields and treelines on the south side. This also puts them right outside Zelenyi Hai, however Ukraine has a strong presence here and has managed to successfully defend the village against all previous attacks.

Further south on the same front, both Russia and Ukraine made pushes between the Zherebets and Nitrius rivers. Going counterclockwise, Russian infantry made another small advance along the Donetsk-Luhansk border, taking over part of 2 treelines and a field.

To the south, Russia was confirmed to be in control of the fields east of Ridkodub (was greyzone) where Ukraine had tried sneaking some infantry groups to Nove or Katerynivka a few weeks ago. As of now, Ukraine still controls the northern side of the village, whilst Russia controls the south.

A little further southwest, Ukraine once again recaptured the eastern side of Karpivka and some adjacent treelines, with Russia trying to push back in once again. The back and forth in this village will continue for a while to come.

Finally, over to the southeast, Russian assault groups have restarted their attacks in Kolodyazi, taking over more houses in the centre of the village. Russia first entered Kolodyazi towards the end of May, but was unable to make much progress in the settlement and stopped attacking as they were making greater progress on the other parts of this front (resources were diverted). Now Russia is trying once again to see if they can take the village, which would help them push on Zarichne from the north.

Following on from picture 7, Russian troops in the Serebryansky forest have made further progress in clearing out the north side, managing to capture a number of positions on their push west. They are currently only a little ways away from a small stream in the area, but it looks like their intention is to cross it and push into Torske from the south side.

Speaking of Torske, Russia troops had reportedly made it back into the town from the northwest, with a few small groups managing to reach the houses. This is another area where I disagree with Suriyak’s mapping and believe it would be better to show it as greyzone, as its clear neither Russia nor Ukraine has a firm hold on the central part of the town.

Following on from picture 8, Russian troops continue to push through Scherbynivka as they clear the town, moving into and establishing themselves in the centre of the settlement. Adjacent to this, Russia was able to establish control of the fields west of Novospaske, following the Ukrainian withdrawal.

There was also a minor advance on the outskirts of Toretsk, as Russia continues working on clearing it from the few remaining Ukrainian troops in the area that cling onto the edge of the town.

Following on from picture 9, Russian assault groups in Poltavka managed to clear and capture the remainder of the west side of the settlement, as well as the adjacent small forest area. Clashes are still ongoing in the main part of the village, however reports and videos suggest Ukraine is being forced out and is retreating back to the forest directly north.

Whilst the assault on Poltavka continued, a few Russian groups have taken advantage of the focus shifting to that area to capture the quarry, a number of treelines and several trenches west of Popiv Yar. If they continue pushing north and northwest, they will join up with the Russian forces assaulting Volodymyrivka.

Following on from picture 10, Russian troops took control of the last small segment of the old/former railway, although this likely happened at the same time as the advance in picture 10.

To the north of that, Russian forces have intensified assault operations in Zvirove, with Ukrainian resistance seemingly collapsing as they fall back into the city. This is also a good time to mention that Russian DRGs have been infiltrating Pokrovsk in greater numbers, as the defenders supplies have been strained and manpower worn down after months of fighting. These DRGs are sowing chaos in Pokrovsk, working with Russian drone teams outside the city to ambush cars, set mines up and slip through defences. This also has the effect of causing a lot of friendly fire incidents and panic among Ukrainian forces, as they do not know where these Russian DRGs are or how many of them there are, meaning they could get attacked from any house or street without warning. Ukraine claims to have wiped out most of these DRGs, but a lack of any evidence and the situation rapidly deteriorating suggest otherwise.

To the west, Russian troops expanded their control of the fields west of Udachne, taking over a couple more treelines. Heavy clashes are continuing within the town, but there has been a lack of footage to confirm any changes. Ukrainian sources have mentioned severe issues with logistics and defending the settlement due to drones and being attacked from multiple sides, but say they are still holding.

Following on from picture 6, Russian assault groups have continued working their way through southern Plavni, capturing a few streets of houses.

East of there, a few Russian infantry have started to move into the fields north of Kamyanske to clear several treelines, expanding the buffer around the town. It is highly unlikely they will be able to sneak their way up those treelines all the way into the southern apartment district of Stepnohirsk (as its obviously being watched), but they could definitely surprise me as these units have performed quite well and have pulled off rapid pushes before.

From Picture 15