Russia - threadbanned users in OP

He might ultimately reach Washington DC by the year 3040.

its an utterly futile campaign going from city to city flattening the shite out of them and taking weeks on end to take each one.

I think you're giving the Ukrainian army too much credit

Russians will soon encircle Lisichansk by cutting off the 2 main highways between the city and rest of free Ukraine, and at that stage will control a significant length of both routes. That combined with their artillery capabilities means there is no major surprise counterattack coming. Russians will take all of Luhansk oblast soon

'Actual news outlets, and the rest of the free world '.

Is been very apparent for a long time that the only reason the strategy changed, is because the Russians got their ass handed to them with their initial plan.

Now they have gone back to barbarian times, flattening the while Country while raping and pillaging the population. To try and make out that this is part of some master plan is just plain stupid, and erodes what little credibility you may have had left.

The Ukrainians have been able to hold off a much stronger force with better battle management and a drip feed of weapons. Can you imagine if they had been given full house of weaponry they had asked for? Abrams, F16's, long range missiles for those HIMARS in quantity. The Russians would be crushed. The only reason the Russians are still in this fight is because of western cowardice.

Your hard on for the Russians is **** embarrassing.

.. says the guy who just posted this...

In soviet russia, missiles strike soviet russia

I am giving the Ukraine army the credit they have shown they deserve.I understand and agree with the possible encirclement of Lysychansk but the russians are open to attack from behind but you failed to address this issue.Russia must commit a force to attack Lysychansk and commit a force to defend their rear so the forces they have now must be split in two,one facing north and one facing south.

That’s actually such a nice sound

Ukraine are moving away from Soviet equipment and onto NATO equipment.

That speaks volumes.

Just need them trained on Patriot air defence systems to protect key cities next, especially if it's going to become a long and protracted war.

I don't see the point in the west saying they won't provide western tanks for fear of them crossing the Russian border etc... Ukraine have been given western self propelled artillery which could be used in direct fire mode, a tank in other words.

For starters its east/west not north/south

The Russians are pushing North to close the gap between Siversk and Lisichansk, once that is done Lisichansk is on the east, Siversk on the west.

There are 2 main roads out of Lisichansk, one to Siversk and one to Bakhmut. The Bakhmut road is controlled by the Russians, it runs along their controlled territory to the south. That leaves one road out to Siversk. This is the only direction a counterattack could come from either, and is well in range of Russian artillery from both south and north of the donets river.

Most likely scenario is a protracted siege of Lisichansk, then troops stuck there eventually surrender, then Russian frontline moves up toward Siversk and Bakhmut.

The counterattack will first come from the sky,it doesn't need a road.

If/when the russian forces get to the outskirts of Lysychansk,they are out in the open and in range of artillery fired from the strong holds of Bakmut and Kramatorsk.Russian forces must keep moving to avoid artillery but when they get close to Lysychansk they will have to stop and sit outside to set up artillery and dig in.This is when they get hit with (possibly) precision artillery from Bakmut/kramatorsk using HIMARS+PZH2000.A ground force counterattack may not be needed until Lysychansk runs low on ammunition and anything can happen between then and now.

I agree a siege may happen but with both sides having forces stuck in the middle.The advantage will be with Ukraine forces with the shelter of a city.There is nowhere to hide outside Lysychansk waiting to get in