Russian interest in Kurakhove: Military assessment of encirclement threat and strategic importance of reservoir
Photo: Kurakhove Reservoir (wikipedia.org)
Russian forces may be attempting to encircle Kurakhove in the Donetsk region. However, the Kurakhove Reservoir itself is of far greater interest to them, states Ivan Tymochko, head of the Council of Reservists of the Ground Forces, in a comment to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.
"During combat operations, there are always risks, that's for sure. I can't say that this is some kind of surprise or threat. In fact, it's more about the challenges that the Armed Forces of Ukraine face. The plans always account for both the worst and best-case scenarios," said Tymochko.
Therefore, according to him, "what we may assess or consider as the threat of encirclement might actually be part of a general strategic plan."
"And we know that, thank God, up until now, in no case, even when fighting was ongoing, can we say the same about Severodonetsk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Vuhledar, Selydove, and so on. We could continue this list. The enemy has never been able to encircle our brigades," the military official added.
He emphasized that this doesn't mean it will be easy for the Ukrainian forces in the Kurakhove direction at the moment. After all, the enemy has concentrated a massive force there.
"According to different figures, there are 60-70 thousand, give or take. You could add a dozen more, as there is constant rotation. So it's hard to provide a fixed number. But we understand that Kurakhove itself is important and interesting to the enemy. But he is still more interested in the Kurakhove reservoir. That's definite," Tymochko noted.
According to him, based on the sabotage operations being carried out by the Russian troops there, the reservoir is of interest both as a water obstacle and as a possible attempt to use the body of water as a barrier for their own counteroffensive actions.
"Therefore, this direction will be quite active and aggressive, especially as long as the enemy hasn't resolved, so to speak, the Kurakhove direction. Until then, advancing towards Pokrovsk will be extremely difficult for them, or it could even lead to the risk of directly exposing their flanks. This is because, considering that Putin cannot indefinitely concentrate his armed forces there, it is critically important for him," Tymochko believes.
Damaging the dam of the Kurakhivske Reservoir
It was reported yesterday that Russian forces had damaged the dam of the Kurakhove Reservoir, causing the water level in the Vovcha River to rise significantly.
As noted today by the head of the Kurakhove City Military Administration, Roman Padun, there has been no flooding of residential buildings as of now.
According to him, there is also no threat of a complete water breach from the Kurakhove Reservoir.
Military expert Oleksandr Musiienko believes that the Russian forces damaged the dam of the Kurakhove Reservoir for several reasons. One of them is the enemy's attempt to use the landscape to their advantage.
