Equipment on both sides wears thin but Russian infantry vastly outnumbers the Ukrainian side, the brigade wrote on its Telegram channel. While Russian troops will likely capture the village soon, they will struggle to advance their offensive onward. The Mokri Yaly River creates an obstacle for Russia’s advance and Russian troops are in a vulnerable “fire pocket,” said the brigade. “Any movement is suppressed by shells and drones," said the brigade. The river also hindered supply routes to the Ukrainians. On Jan 23, Military spokesperson Viktor Trehubov warned that Ukrainian troops were at risk of encirclement.Russian forces are attempting to take control of access routes to the village through heavy fire, Trehubov noted. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Jan. 24 that its troops had planted a Russian flag in the center of Velyka Novosilka and that they had split the town in two, cutting off Ukrainian forces.