Russia-Ukraine Flash Report 13 FEB 2023 13:20 PST - Fortress Krasnohorivka (Patreon)

This satellite image is also from DeepState and is from February 11. Russian forces of the 1st Army Corps have been fighting for Krasnohorivka for nine years. This is a critical location; this image with the snow shows why it is so important and why it is an impossible task for the 1st Army Corps to capture with the resources and training they have.

Just to the south of here is Avdiivka. Krasnohorivka is a dominant height on a plateau that overlooks the H-20 Highway to the east, Adviivka to the south, and the approaches to the Ukrainian defensive positions. Russia will never capture Avdiivka without dedicating 8 to 12 brigades and accepting catastrophic losses in the process.

The plateau is bristling with artillery and mortars, and you can see the repeated failed advances to north northeast, from Novoselivka Druhua, and the southeast, through the village of Vesele (this is the other other Vesele in Donetsk on the line of conflict). The artillery positions sit behind the Russian advances and are only visible by drone. Both combatants have extensive ECM/EW in this area, making this a very drone-unfriendly place.

The plateau is also surrounded by water obstacles and has numerous dirt roads that connect to this area from the west. It will take a massive amount of resources supported by close air support, extensive supply interdiction, and combined arms maneuver warfare over days to take this area. Things that Russia doesn't have very much of.

No Krasnohorivka? No Avdiivka.