Putin beordrar styrkor att gå in i Ukraina - INVASION NU (2022-02-24)

Meanwhile, Girkin says Ukrainians are already assaulting the next settlement after Piatykhatky:

"In the Melitopol direction, after the capture of Pyatikhatky, the enemy is trying to break into the next village - Zherebianky. Heavy fighting continues."

Russia forces started two counteroffensives in the last 24-hours. The one in the South near P'yatykhatky, by all accounts, appears to have ended in failure for them. The one in the East near Kreminna is still ongoing and reports indicate Ukrainian forces are engaged in a stiff battle there.

I am not sure why Russia poked its nose out in Kreminna unless they saw and opportunity in a lightly defended area or to take pressure off other fronts. It’s not like they can relocate the troops the as reserves, so why not get them engaged? I still question, however, their ability to fight in the open step Ukraine’s well trained and modernized army.

Russia’s strength over the last year has been its defensive strategy of using its artillery advantage to grind down the UAF in a war of attrition. The battle in Kreminna is still waging but I can only think of Russia’s offensives this winter such as in Vuhledar which was a disaster for them.

The outcome of this counteroffensive will, either way, provide a very important glimpse into things to come.