Ukrainian Forces hold firm in Lyman as Russian assaults persist, says platoon commander
The situation around Lyman remains tense as Russian forces continue to attempt assaults, although the Ukrainian Forces have managed to counterattack in some areas, said a platoon commander from the 1st Air Assault Battalion of Ukraine's 95th Airborne Brigade, Stanislav Krasnov, during a telethon.
Krasnov stated that the Russians launch attacks using both infantry and heavy concentrations of armored vehicles. Yet the Ukrainian defense line is "holding firm," with forces in some areas transitioning to counteroffensives, securing positions, and leveling the frontline.
Additionally, Krasnov revealed that Russian troops are focusing on the village of Terny in the Donetsk region, aiming to seize it to gain the high ground for advancing toward Lyman, and subsequently towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
The commander added that, in most instances, the enemy resorts to tactics of "meat grinder" assaults with small infantry groups. "They try to advance at least a meter, jump into any hole, and often bury themselves amid the corpses of their own comrades. Sometimes, they can mass a significant core of armored vehicles. Just a few days ago, for example, 10 armored units at 3 in the morning tried to break through our line of defense. Only four managed to escape; the remaining six were destroyed, and the infantry on them were killed on the spot," Krasnov explained.
Furthermore, he noted that the Russians routinely strike the Ukrainian positions and front-line civilian areas with guided air bombs. "Every day there are strikes with KABs directly targeting our frontline positions, attempting to disrupt our logistics. A few days ago, Terny was hit with six KABs simultaneously, and Lyman is consistently targeted. They also constantly try to hit the bunkers they aim to destroy," he remarked.
The Institute for the Study of War reported in a briefing on March 27 that positional warfare continued along the Kupiansk–Svatove–Kreminna line without confirmed changes to the front line. Clashes northeast of Kupiansk near Synkivka and Lyman Lake, southeast of Kupiansk near Ivanivka; west of Kreminna around Terny and Yampolivka, and south of Kreminna near Bilohorivka were reported.