Ukrainian forces captures village in northeastern Donetsk

Ukrainian forces captured a village just three kilometers from the line of contact in northeastern Donetsk, according to an official statement from the Donetsk military leadership.

Gladosovo was captured by elements of the Ukrainian 54th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade and a smaller element of the Aidar volunteer battalion, according to the statement.

The Ukrainian coup is of some importance because it represents another small cost free incursion into rebel held territory.  It is a familiar Ukrainian pattern to move forces into a gray zone, which neither force occupies.  Gladosovo is just 2 kilometers northeast of the village of Zaistevo, itself under siege and Ukrainian artillery fire since two years ago.  Zaistevo itself is directly adjacent to the larger town of Gorlovka.

A previous Ukrainian operation in the spring of 2015, the first of its kind, allowed Ukrainian forces to bring the only hard road that connects Gorlovka to the capital city of Donetsk under observation of Ukrainian artillery spotters.  That action forced changes in how civilian traffic was allowed to move between the locales.

Several small scale direct and indirect fire engagements between the two combatants have taken place since then, most notably the artillery dual, that for a time knocked out water service to both sides of the line of contact.

According to the Donetsk statement, when Ukrainian forces entered the village on the night of November 21st to November 22nd, all the residents were ordered to stay indoors under the threat of force.

The statement also said the Ukrainian mortars were deployed to the village and the area around the village was being mined.

At the moment, little media from the Ukrainian side has addressed the operation.

Since two weeks before the Gladosovo operation, larger artillery exchanges have taken place around the western Donetsk town of Dokuchaevsk, which is south of Donetsk.  It is unclear in official and private reports exactly why this specific area is subject to increased artillery fire.

The most recent reports from the Ukrainian side say that the usual point are involved in attack from the rebels, such as Avdievka and Zaistevo, and further south near the Sea of Azov in Pavlopol and Vodanoye.

Donetsk military officials say that Dokuchaevsk has been under Ukrainian artillery fire for more than two weeks, and in that time 17 structures were damaged.  The rebels also showed a damaged Ukrainian drone shot down over Dokuchaevsk, which the rebel claim has been used to adjust artillery fire.

Spokesman for the Donetsk ministry of defense said that the drone belonged to the Ukrainian 28th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade.

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Ukrainian military media said that Ukrainian units came under fire from a variety of military weapons and vehicles.

Ukrainian positions were hit by rebel IFVs. 120mm and 82mm mortar fire, and from heavy infantry weapons.  Rebel mortars were reported hit Ukrainian position in Novoaleksandrovka and Luganskoye.

IFV fire was recorded hitting Ukrainian positions at Stanitsa Luganskaya, Svetlodarsk arc, Novotoshkovskoye, Krymskoye, Novolugansk and Boguslavskoye.