Russian troops are finalising the capture of Velyka Novosilka, Donetsk region, with hostilities taking place on the northern outskirts of the settlement.
Velyka Novosilka remained the last well-prepared Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) defensive line in the area. Ukrainian media reported that remnants of the AFU’s 110th Brigade, which had not received an order to withdraw, were resisting on the outskirts.
Military experts note that the capture of Velyka Novosilka will turn the settlement into a logistical hub for Russian troops. Its convenient location will make it possible to support troops not only in the Donetsk, but also in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian military resource Deep State denied the Ukrainian military’s statement about the partial control of Velyka Novosilka. The source referred to footage of the Russian presence in the centre of the settlement.
After the report, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the command of the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group. On Sunday evening, 26 January, he issued an address in which he ordered to reinforce the AFU command staff in the region.
According to the address, Zelensky appointed Major-General Mykhailo Drapatyi to lead the Khortytsia group.
These are the most violent areas of fighting. Meanwhile, Drapatyi will retain the powers of the commander of the Ground Forces. (…) This will help unite the army’s combat work with the proper training of brigades.
After discussing the changes with AFU Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, the president sent former Khortytsia commander Andrii Hnatov to the General Staff as deputy chief.
Social media are sharing first footage of the construction of anti-tank fortifications in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The video demonstrates Syrskyi’s preparations for defence amid concerns over losing Pokrovsk.
Earlier, the AFU lost the strategically important town of Kurakhove. Prior to that, Ukrainian troops retreated from Vuhledar. The city’s defence lasted for almost three years until Zelensky’s decision to launch an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region pulled part of the Ukrainian troops away from the region. This allowed Russian forces to intensify their offensive.
