Expert identifies four cities where Russia may focus its efforts to occupy before negotiations begin (maps included).
The situation in the Novopavlivka direction and in the Kurakhove pocket is grave. It concerns the operational encirclement of Ukrainian units. Military expert Dmytro Snehiriev reported this during the broadcast on "Espreso" on February 20.
"Unpopular decisions had to be made regarding the withdrawal from the Dachne area to prevent the operational encirclement of our units," he explained.
The analyst noted that Russian Armed Forces are leveling the front line there, but he estimates that the main theater of military operations will shift to the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration.
"The Russians will try to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk region before the start of peace negotiations and take control of four key industrial cities that remain under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Druzhkivka, and Konstantynivka," Snehiriev predicted.
0 According to him, the objective of the pressure from the Chasiv Yar, which is effectively already captured by the enemy, is to reach Konstantynivka. Meanwhile, in the case of pressure in the Toretsk direction (the Toretsk-Kostyantynivka road), it is essentially about flanking the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
1 The expert warned that the sharp activation of the invaders in the Kupiansk direction is aimed not so much at the occupation of the city as at advancing along the Oskil River towards the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration. Additionally, just two days ago, the Russian Armed Forces intensified their efforts in the Lyman direction, where they have a strike force to reach the same agglomeration.
2 "I have named four segments of the front that aim to solve the strategic task of reaching these cities," he emphasized.
Snehiriev explained that Sloviansk interests Russia not only militarily but also economically, as it concerns the largest shale gas deposits in Europe. Before the war with Russia, these deposits were supposed to be developed by American companies, but then the invasion occurred.
"Do you think it's a coincidence? No! They blocked the issue of energy independence for Ukraine. Therefore, now m**kali will make every effort to ensure that these shale gas deposits do not fall under the control of the USA," the analyst stated.
He added that Ukraine's top priority is to avoid conflicts with partners while establishing a defensive line that will prevent the Russian Armed Forces from approaching the natural resources.
It should be noted that Russia has launched a railway connecting the enemy-occupied Rostov with the temporarily occupied Mariupol. Subsequently, the line is planned to be extended to the seized Crimea.
On February 20, the head of the Zaporizhzhia OVA, Ivan Fedorov, reported on Russia's plans for an offensive in the region. The official discussed whether there is a threat to Zaporizhzhia.