MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. Russian reconnaissance drones are penetrating deep behind Ukrainian army lines near Kramatorsk and Slavyansk in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and successfully detecting military equipment hidden by the enemy, military expert Vitaly Kiselev reported.
"Seversk is a foothold that will enable us to destroy the enemy’s command points and defense systems in the Kramatorsk and Slavyansk directions. Especially since our reconnaissance drone operators are already penetrating far beyond these settlements (Kramatorsk and Slavyansk - TASS), identifying equipment in forested areas and taking under control the roads leading to them, disrupting logistics. Our guys with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operators are currently disrupting logistics day and night," he said on the Soloviev Live TV channel.
Kiselev added that the weather – thick fog – is also helping Russian forces operate in these areas. "Seversk is located at dominating heights, which is a major advantage for us not only from a defense standpoint, as we can also look down at Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, so to speak. We're moving forward, destroying the enemy. We're getting closer to these settlements every day. Therefore, entering these settlements is only a matter of time," the military expert said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the military on December 11, during which he received detailed reports on the complete transfer of Seversk to the control of the Russian Armed Forces.
The President heard reports from Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Commander of the South group of forces Sergei Medvedev, Commander of the 3rd Army Igor Kuzmenkov, Commander of the 123rd Motor Rifle Brigade Denis Pirogov, and Company Commander of the 6th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade Naran Ochir-Goryayev, the Kremlin website reported.
In the presence of Colonel Denis Pirogov, Vladimir Putin spoke over the phone with Colonel Yaramir Temirkhanov, commander of the 6th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, which participated in the liberation of Seversk, and also with Colonel Sergei Cherdantsev, commander of the 177th Regiment of the Caspian Flotilla. The President thanked the latter for the excellent service.
The liberation of Seversk by the Russian Armed Forces marks a significant strategic advance, paving the way toward Slavyansk – an essential locality due to its position within one of the key fortified zones in this region of the urban area, President Vladimir Putin said earlier at his year-end live news conference and Q&A session.