The Russian army has a tenfold increase in manpower near the Liman town near the Donetsk region and is preparing for a further large-scale offensive in this area.
RBC-Ukraine informs about this in a message to the Institute of Foreign War (ISW).
Posted on 28 February and geolocalized on the 1st quarter of the year, indicating that the Russian troops recently emerged for the day's approach from Novolubivka (for the day's departure from Liman) and, most likely, the whole village was buried. Also, the Russians recently confirmed the date of the New Year's Eve gathering (at the entrance to Novolyubivka).
On March 31, Ukrainian military analyst Kostyantyn Mashovets stated that Russian troops reached the flooded outskirts of Katerynivka (on the evening approach from Novolyubivka).
The ISW guessed that at the beginning of the current year, the Russian Army pushed through the Zherebets River to the western (right) bank and for the remaining three months, it completely expanded its bridgehead on the right birch.
“Russian armies began to try to overcome the Ukrainian forces from their positions on the similar (left) birch of the Zherebets River at the end of 2023 and have recently done “a clearly stable bridgehead from which further offensive operations can be launched,” stated the Institute of Warfare.
This also means that Russian military bloggers and Mashovets consistently attribute the emergence of cobs to the western bank, and subsequently the expansion of the bridgehead, elements of the 144th and 3rd motorized rifle divisions (20th Zagalnovian Army of the Moscow Military District).
Tenfold superiority
ISW analysts have confirmed that the Russian troops are likely to have a manpower advantage in the area. The riverman of the Ukrainian brigade, which operates directly on Limansky, 31 Bereznya stated that from now on 2025 the Russians will carry out most likely infantry attacks in this area and rarely attack armored vehicles.
The Institute of Warfare also did not have any video recordings of any significant Russian mechanized attacks in this area in 2025.
The operational-strategic grouped military ZSU “Khortytsia” 31 Bereznya reported that the Russian troops have intensified their spontaneous attacks on the Limansky direct and there may be more forces in this area, especially good training of military service contractors.
The Ukrainian brigade, which operates directly on Limansky, reported on the 24th that in certain villages in these areas of the Russian military there is a tenfold superiority in manpower over the Defense Forces.
“The Russian military command, it seems, will endeavor to replace the waste of a special warehouse among the advanced units of the 3rd and 144th motorized rifle divisions, the fragments of which are being formed in this area “At least since 2023, it seems, they have not been put into repair or renovation,” says ISW.
Two bridgeheads – into one
It is also assumed that the Russian troops may expand their bridgehead for a daylight descent from Liman to support the burial of Borovaya or Liman in the coming months.
The ISW noted that the Russian troops were initially concentrating on moving from Ivanivka in the direction of Kolodyaziv (on the day of approaching from Ivanivka) in the direction of the Liman, and in the remaining hours, it seems, reoriented their efforts to move towards the daytime approach from Ivanivka in the direction of Novy and Katerynivka in the direction of Borowa.
One of the Russian military bloggers of the 1st quarter noted that the Russian troops are trying to unite their bridgehead on Novolubivka with a smaller bridgehead on the western birch of the river Makiyivka (about all kilometers away). The Russians are probably trying to consolidate their bridgeheads in order to create a strong position to support attacks on the recent descent from Borovaya.
In this way, the Russians may be creating a springboard for a daylight descent from the Liman to support upcoming offensive operations against the abandoned edge of the Novosergiivka – Druzhelubivka – Novyi Mir line (on gathering and last gathering in Borovoye).
“The Russian military command may try to bypass the Ukrainian defense in these populated areas on the flank, in order to dissuade the Ukrainian army from entering and create the conditions for the Russian offensive on the way to Borovaya and deep into these territories in the coming months,” says ISW.
The Institute added that the Russians can also try to expand the bridgehead at the entrance to the birch river of the Zherebets River of Ivanivka to support the upcoming Russian operations from storage Liman.
“Further, the penetration of the Russian troops directly to Borovaya and the Liman is partly the troubling forces of Russia, directed towards those in order to push the Ukrainian forces from a position on the similar birch of the Oskil River and get through went to the outer part of the Kharkov region, and also created a plan for attacking the belt of Ukrainian fortifications in the Donetsk region from the beginning of the night,” the reconciliation at the Institute for the Prevention of War.
Buried Lugansk region and negotiations
In addition, the ISW has confirmed that the Russian troops can also establish their bridgehead for a direct descent from the Liman to bury one hundred parts of the Lugansk region, which is under control Ukraine.
The Institute of Warfare does not include that the Kremlin is likely to turn to another buried and abandoned Lugansk region to seize the important forces in the hour of ongoing negotiations about the end of the fire and upcoming peaceful negotiations.
“ISW continues to appreciate that Russian officials are urgently pushing for truces and peace talks in the hope of gaining more territory so that more mothers will flow into the hour of the upcoming peace negotiations,” says Zvita.
The situation at the front
The situation on the front of the Russian-Ukrainian war is no longer stable. As of the evening of the 1st quarter, there were 141 military engagements, the Russians attacked ZSU positions on the Limansky direct 13 times.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the Russian army has spent over 916 thousand troops.
For days, Ukrainian paratroopers effectively landed trenches with Russian fire pits near the wind.
Read terminology and important information about the war between Russia and Ukraine on the RBC-Ukraine channel on Telegram.