Mariupol is just about to fall. The Russian onslaught near Izium is not accidental – the character of the country near this city is most suitable for tank operations. According to Strelkov, Ukrainians cleverly avoid the threat of siege. Plus a map and video of the day. Even today, we bring you a summary of the situation on the battlefield, compiled from information from various ministries of defense and independent analysts. The series also features the observations of Russian nationalist and criminal Igor Strelkov (Girkin), who was a key figure in the outbreak of the war in 2014, but in addition to the success of the Russian army on his profile on the Russian social network VKontakte, he writes openly about its defeats and problems. The information in this text is a summary of the results of the fighting on Monday, April 18. The current situation in some places may be different. An overview of confirmed losses is at the end of the article. Why he fights where he fights The Defenders of Mariupol have very little time left. The commander of the 36th Marine Brigade today released a video claiming that these are days, maybe only hours. Meanwhile, fierce fighting is taking place in Donbas. The effect of weather (rain = rasputica) or vegetation on their course has already been explained. However, they are at least as affected by the nature of the country where they take place. Especially in the case of the area around Siver Donets and the cities of Izium, Rubizhno, Sjevjerodonetsk and Lysychansk, where the toughest fights are taking place, there is plenty of historical experience as to the morphology of the country. Yesterday’s part of the development of the fighting was also devoted to the Second Battle of Kharkiv in 1942. However, a series of great battles took place in this area during the Second World War, and some of the lessons are still valid today. The character of the country where the colossal battles took place in 1942/1943 and where it still fights today was described by the American military historian David M. Glantz. When you look at the area in Google Maps, it looks like a single pancake, interrupted by a river and here and there greenery. At the same time, it is more complicated and to some extent in favor of the defenders: This article is the exclusive content for the subscribers of Denník N. Are you a subscriber?