Russia is trying to surround Mirnograd and is putting pressure on the Kharkiv region: Svitan explained the logic behind the enemy’s actions
3 March 19:34
Russian occupation forces have intensified their attempts to encircle Myrnohrad in the Pokrovsk direction and are simultaneously increasing pressure on the Kharkiv section of the front. The enemy is using quad bikes en masse for assault maneuvers, and in the South-Slobozhansky direction, it is increasing the range of FPV drones on fiber optics. Is the enemy really preparing for a large-scale offensive on Kharkiv? Why is Mirnograd under threat of flanking? And is the increased pressure on the Kharkiv region part of a broader strategy to disperse Ukrainian reserves?
investigated.
Myrnohrad: attempts to flank
According to the 79th Brigade, the situation in the Pokrovsk direction remains difficult. In the Mirnohrad area, the Russians are unable to break through Ukrainian positions directly, so they are trying to bypass the defense forces from the northeast and southwest, creating a threat of operational encirclement.
A significant increase in the number of ATVs has been recorded. The occupiers use them because of their better cross-country ability and load capacity — there are cases of four soldiers traveling on one vehicle. At the same time, such equipment has a significant drawback — limited maneuverability, which makes it vulnerable to strike drones.
Drones with longer range in the Kharkiv region
In the South Slobozhanskyi direction, the Russians have increased the length of the coils for FPV drones on fiber optics. This allows drones to fly further, in particular to the outskirts of Kharkiv. This was reported on Army TV by the deputy commander of the operational battalion of the 13th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Charter” with the call sign “Porokh.” At the same time, the enemy has withdrawn heavy armored vehicles deep into the rear.
Distracting maneuvers
When planning combat operations in a certain area of the front, diversionary maneuvers are planned in parallel. Military expert Roman Svitan explains in an exclusive comment
“One of the diversionary maneuvers is pressure on the Kharkiv direction. Why? To divert part of our reserves to this direction so that we cannot deploy them in battle, for example, in the Lipetsk direction or in the Stepnogorsk direction on the Zaporizhzhia front,” says Svitan.
The expert emphasizes that at the same time, the Russians are becoming more active in other areas.
“Moreover, the Russians are now trying to advance in the Pokrovsk area, and we are countering them in the Slovyansk and Kostyantynivka areas. In other words, there is also increased pressure there,” Svitan notes.
The main goal of such actions is to disperse Ukrainian reserves.
“In order to disperse our reserves, the Russians will create areas of intense combat operations for these tasks so that our General Staff will decide to transfer reserves there immediately or to transfer combat units directly,” Roman Svitan said.
At the same time, there is currently no strategic goal to capture Kharkiv, according to Svitan. He emphasizes that a completely different group of troops is needed for a real offensive on Kharkiv.
“To take control of Kharkiv, they need to deploy, well, at least a 300,000-strong group in the Belarusian direction,” Roman Svitan adds: at the moment, due to a lack of forces and resources, the Russians are unable to do this.
Therefore, the intensification of hostilities around Myrnohrad and increased pressure on the Kharkiv region appear to be elements of a complex tactic — the creation of several centers of tension to disperse the defense forces. Currently, according to experts, the enemy does not have the resources for a full-scale offensive on Kharkiv, and actions in this direction are more like an operational game than preparation for a strategic breakthrough.
