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Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Velyka Novosilka direction.
Here, Russian forces launched one of their largest attacks near Velyka Novosilka. What followed was a brutal engagement that would turn their ambitious assault into a devastating spectacle of failure.
The goal of the Russian forces is to expand the area under their control along the elevated positions northwest of Velyka Novosilka to support their broader offensive towards the border of the Dnipro Oblast.
To achieve this, the Russians launched synergistic attacks from four vectors of assault at Rivnopil, Vilno Pole, and a two-pronged attack at Novosilka. These assaults were launched simultaneously and with effective coordination among the Russian units to exert heavy pressure on the defense line and expose its weakest points.
If we look at the topographic map, we can see that the main advantage of the Russian forces in this area is that they are mostly attacking along the hill ridges on a higher elevation than the frontline Ukrainian positions. This protects the Russian forces from direct fire from the attacked positions in front of them, as they are not within the Ukrainian field of view.
The main disadvantage for the Russian forces in this area is the Vorona river and the nearby lake, which diminish the mobility and speed of their motorcycle assault units due to the softer terrain around the water, and reduces the synergies and coordination between different attacking groups. On top of that, all three villages were previously destroyed by intense fighting, rendering local infrastructure inadequate for concealment of Russian troops, prolonging their exposure in the open.
However, the Ukrainian-held high ground in front of Novopil is the highest point of the ridge, which exposes Russian flanks at Novosilka to ATGMs, machine-guns, artillery and drone strikes from the Ukrainian-held high ground. The hill ridge at Novopil, therefore, is tactically used by Ukrainians for the defense of both Novosilka and Novopil.
The topographic map also reveals that at Vilno Pole, the Ukrainian forces also maintain their main positions to the north of the village at an elevated ridge which overlooks the only road leading to the village that is used by the Russian forces. This allows them to observe Russian movements and enforce fire control over the Russian positions to complement drone and artillery strikes.
Geolocated combat footage from the area reveals the devastating precision of 31st Mechanized Brigade, which cautiously tracked and destroyed Russian BTRs, spending just one shell for each vehicle in front of Novopil.
In the fields near Novosilka, the Russian fighters attempted to compensate for their exposure to fire in the open fields by using motorcycles to deploy their soldiers. This is because the Ukrainian kamikaze drone operators strike the targeted soldier or equipment when they are standing or slowly advancing across open fields, which is why the Russians are trying to use maneuverability, speed and small size of motorbikes to avoid being detected or hit.
However, they were swiftly eliminated by FPV drones as soon as they stopped and dismounted from the motorbikes. By carefully observing the movement of their targets and striking them when they are the most vulnerable and exposed ensures that the Ukrainians eliminate the Russians with one blow.
The Russian soldiers attacking towards Vilno Pole were less exposed to crossfire due to elevated ridges, but as soon as they emerged from behind the hill, they were unable to dismount and kept driving on motorbikes within the village, hoping to find cover. Unfortunately for the Russians, they were eliminated before they entrenched. The Ukrainian artillery was also adjusted to fire at the main roads leading to the villages, so as soon as the drone operators reported Russians moving into Novosilka, Novopil and Vilno Pole they were ready to fire.
Overall, Russian forces launched a coordinated multi-vector assault near Velyka Novosilka, aiming to capitalize on elevated terrain and numerical superiority, but were met with devastating Ukrainian fire, which inflicted heavy losses and disrupted their advance.
Given the current stalemate and the challenges posed by Ukrainian defenses, it is likely that Russia will intensify its efforts in this sector to reach the borders of Dnipro region, potentially leading to further intensifications in the coming weeks.
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