In the Kramatorsk sector, Russian forces are continuously amassing personnel in preparation for future assault operations.
Lieutenant Colonel Dmytro Zaporozhets, spokesperson for the Luhansk Operational and Tactical Group of Forces, said this on Ukrainian television, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
“In the Kramatorsk sector, the enemy is likely to intensify activity in response to any successes or gains, particularly in the Toretsk sector, since the enemy is currently amassing personnel there [in the Kramatorsk sector],” Zaporozhets said.
According to him, there are constant enemy movements recorded in the area of Novyi Chasiv Yar toward the refractory plant. Although there are no large-scale assaults currently taking place, there are isolated assault attempts involving groups of two to three individuals targeting Ukrainian positions.
“Nevertheless, we maintain constant surveillance of such personnel movements. Using FPV drones and reconnaissance UAVs, we try to detect any concentration of enemy forces and destroy them,” Zaporozhets said.
At the same time, he added that the Ukrainian Defense Forces are not always able to eliminate the enemy’s concentrations because Russian troops often remain in cover, but they are nonetheless building up their numbers.
“We expect assault operations in the near future,” Zaporozhets said.
He also stressed that in the Kramatorsk sector, Russian troops have increased the activity of their reconnaissance drones.
“Previously, the enemy used drones only near the frontline. Now they operate over the rear. Every day, we shoot down between five and ten drones, but their numbers are constantly being replenished,” he said.
According to him, the primary purpose of the enemy UAVs is to identify the logistics routes of Ukrainian forces and prepare for strikes. The enemy also actively employs electronic warfare, complicating the use of traditional FPV drones for counterattacks.
“We focus on ‘fat targets.’ If we see that the enemy has brought in important equipment, we use fiber-optic-guided drones. This allows us to strike precisely and without losses,” Zaporozhets added.
He noted that Ukrainian forces use drones with fiber-optic control systems to engage the enemy’s high-priority targets.
Source: Russian army amassing forces for new assaults on Kramatorsk axis – military
