Russia intends to continue the war until 2026, occupying Kharkiv and the Dnieper, citing sources, the newspaper **.
* Moscow wants to reduce Western support for Ukraine by developing a new medium-term war plan, the newspaper said.
By the end of 2024, it is planned to establish full control over the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as well as reach the Oskol River in the Kharkiv region.
By the end of 2026, it is planned to advance further west to the Dnieper and occupy most of the Zaporozhye, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions, including Kharkiv, Dnieper and Zaporizhzhia.
On the Kherson side, it is planned to defend along the Dnieper without attacking Kherson or the right bank of Odessa.
This plan seems to be very pragmatic, and it makes it almost impossible for the West to get out of Ukraine.
At the moment, the Russian winter offensive continues, and on December 15 Russian troops continued to attack from multiple directions at the same time.
Soledar
The Russian army began its offensive towards Chasov Yar, the situation as of December 15, 2023.
The main goal of the Russian army is to storm the stronghold of the Ukrainian army near Chasov Yar.
Russian troops have successfully advanced to the southeastern outskirts of Orikhovo-Vasylivka (fighting is underway in Kudelina Balka), expanding the zone of control from Dubovo-Vasylivka to Hryhorivka and reaching the eastern outskirts of Bokhdanivka.
The forest belt south of the eastern outskirts of Bohdanivka is under the control of the Ukrainian army.
In the south, battles are being fought in the direction of Kulomov at the turn of the Chasov Yar highway, and after the capture of the **Mut shlyakh circuit, the Russian army began an offensive towards the positions of the Ukrainian army to the west.
To the west of **Mutter, the Kamerton force, made up of former Wagner PMC fighters, is clearing Ivanivske (Krasne) on the western outskirts of the residential area, expanding the control of the residential area for more than two days.
On the northwestern outskirts of Kreseyevka was occupied 215After the commanding heights of 7, the Russian army is expanding the zone of its control and can control the route of the advance of the Ukrainian army and the access to Kreseyevka.
To the east of Andriivka, Russian forces are trying to regain control of the dam in front of the tracks.
Chasov Yar is on the highlands, which is not conducive to a direct attack, as well as mines, quarries and several forests. It is more feasible that the Russian army encircles this fortification from the north and south, so the direction of the Russian army's offensive is now Hrihorivka.
Kupyansk
The weakest part of the Russian offensive is now in this direction, where the previous 10 armies crushed Kharkov did not appear, and the attack on Sinkovka continued.
Situation as of December 15, 2023.
At Kupyansky direction, Russian troops tried to break through the northern outskirts of the village of Sinkovka and break through the defensive formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the front line of Zagoruyikovka-Timkovka-Ivanovka-Ivanovka. Kislovka.
The advance detachments of the Russian army and reconnaissance groups identified Ukrainian targets and coordinated fire strikes on the front lines of the Ukrainian army.
In the village of Sinkovka, Russian troops have tried to enter the village from the north, but so far have not succeeded. As many as nine armored vehicles were involved in the recent attack on Ukrainian positions, and several armored vehicles were hit and damaged at the entrance to the village, according to a **.
And the Russian army's attack on the eastern outskirts of Ivanovka has also begun again, and fighting is taking place in the nearby forest area.
The main goal of the Russian army in the near future is to create a transport hub near Petropavlovka. However, without overcoming the fortified area of the Ukrainian army in the village of Sinkovka, it will not be possible to reach the gate east of Kupyansk.
In order to contain the advance of the Russian army, the Ukrainian command continued to send reinforcements to the site, and Leopard 1A5 tanks arrived the day before.
Avdeyevka
In the Avdeyevka direction, Russian troops expelled Ukrainian troops from forward positions west of the railroad tracks near Stepovoy. On the southern flank, Russian fighters eliminated the last stronghold of the Ukrainian army in the Vinogradniki SNT.
Situation as of December 15, 2023.
In recent days, the main pressure on the positions of the Ukrainian army in the Avdeyevka district has come from the northern flank, and in Stepovoy the Ukrainian army was driven away by the Russian army from its positions west of the railway tracks.
In response, the Ukrainian army used drones and artillery to target newly captured positions of the Russian army** and continues to gather more troops towards the settlements of Novokalnovo and Bertych.
On the southern flank, bad weather complicated drone operations and also limited the parties' ability to maneuver in the area. However, even this did not prevent the Russian army from achieving certain results.
The Russian army yesterday eliminated the last center of resistance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in SNT Vinogradniki. The Ukrainian army suffered heavy losses and retreated in a southwestern direction.
Now the Russian artillery continues to "process" the strongholds of the Ukrainian army, focusing on the Khimik micro-district and the road to Vinogradniki. In addition, the TOS-1A heavy artillery rocket system provides coverage attacks on all targets in the field of view.
Such intensive artillery preparations indicate that the Russian army is ready to take active actions as a means of cutting Avdeyevka into two separate cauldrons.
Yesterday, a BMP of the Russian army and the 47th Brigade of the Ukrainian Army M2A2 Bradley had a crazy duel in Stepove. On the surface, it looks like Bradley is attacking the BMP violently, but its insignificant 25mm cannon cannot penetrate the BMP's armor.
Maryinka
At the same time, the Ukrainian army in Maryinka was almost completely cleared, about 1% of the territory of the settlement was under the control of the Ukrainian army, all that remained was to clean up the farms located on the outskirts and reach the end of Ivan Franco Street.
After the fighting was resolved on the southwestern outskirts of Maryinka, the Russian army is shelling Georgievka and preparing for a further offensive along the southern bank of the Mariinsky reservoir.
At the same time, the battle north of the reservoir was nearing its end. After massive shelling, the Russian army successfully advanced along the streets of Ivan Franco and the Paris Commune.
At the moment, about 1% of the city's territory remains under the control of the Ukrainian army, and the Russian army must also clear a farm located on the outskirts and reach the end of Ivan Franko Street.
100 help plan
On the southern flank, the offensive of the Russian army in the direction of the village of Pobeda has been going on for three days. The immediate goal of the Russian army in the area is to occupy the tactical heights between Novomyhaylovka and Maryinka in order to suppress the chances of a counterattack by the Ukrainian army and to keep the positions of the Ukrainian army in the "zoo" defense zone under artillery suppression.