More on the Ukrainian occupation of Gladosovo -- Correction

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Correction:  According to data supplied by rebel officials in Donetsk, the OSCE never appeared in Gladosovo.

By Chris Covert

Russian backed rebel forces claimed that the video released purporting to show Ukrainian soldiers passing out canned good to residents of Gladosovo was staged, according to Russian language new accounts.

Two days ago, on the night of November 22nd to November 23rd, elements of the Ukrainian 58th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade occupied the villages of Gladosovo and Travnevoye, both of which are close to the line of contact north of rebel held Gorlovka/Zaitsevo.

Both villages were considered to be in a gray zone, which neither side occupies.  But due to a change in Ukrainian basic tactics since the spring of 2016, Ukrainian forces have been moving forces into those zones, actions which have shown to be so far, relatively cost free to the Ukrainians.

Ukrainian military media claimed that their forces north of Gorlovka/Zaitsevo took over several kilometers.

However, the latest rebel reports show that the Ukrainian hold on the newly acquired territory is tenuous at best.

According to a new article which appeared in Russian sponsored Russkaya Vesna new website, a Donetsk military film crew, covered by Donetsk special forces, managed to get within a kilometer of Gladosovo in daylight, and, from an uncovered height, took video footage purportedly showing Ukrainian forces digging in to the villages.

Rebel media claimed to have reports that the canned food filmed being passed out to residents in Gladosovo, were actually requisitioned from a local market, by elements of the 24th Aidar Battalion, part of the initial force entering Gladosovo.

According to a news account which appeared in lb.ua, the communications staff asked that volunteers refrain from commenting on social media data on Ukrainian troop deployments and activities.  It has been said in rebel media in the last two days that rebel forces were able to quickly assemble backing forces for immediate deployment to the line of contact.

So far, not in any media has there been an indication that the newly redeployed rebel forces have had any involvement in the attack on Frunze in Lugansk and in the former gray areas north of Gorlovka.  It is entirely possible that the newly activated rebel forces had shown to Ukraine military that subsequent plans, which rebel media claimed were in the works, would have to be scrapped.

Ukrainian media claim that Gladosovo and other locales had been denied access to food, gas and power had not been addressed by rebel media.

A recent news announcement from Donetsk Lt. Colonel Eduard Basurin, said that only one dirt road goes in to Gladosovo, and it is being constantly washed out by the weather.

Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com and on Twitter. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraine by clicking here.