WAR IN RUSSIA

DENIKIN’S ADVANCE

220 MILES FROM MOSCOW

In authoritative military circles in London yesterday it was stated that a general review of the situation in Russia shows that the Bolshevik position is now very much less favourable than it was at the commencement of the summer. At that time the Bolshevik plan of concentrating the most important fraction of their forces against Kolchak with the object of knocking him out before Denikin could seriously threaten Moscow from the south, had met with considerable success, as the Siberians had been forced to withdraw for a distance of 700 miles from the Volga to within a short distance of Omsk. It now appears, however, that Kolchak has succeeded in keeping an army in being which is engaged in a successful offensive, while the forces which had been withdrawn from the eastern front with the object of overwhelming Denikin had not only failed in this object, but had not even succeeded in appreciably checking the latter’s progress. It is evident that the Volunteer army is more and more enlisting the support of the Russian people. The Bolsheviks are faced with a double offensive from the south and east, with which their forces appear insufficient to deal successfully. It must be remembered, however, that Kolchak’s armies are so far distant from the heart of Russia that their advance may be left to take its course for some time yet, and that on condition of giving up all the territory gained east of the Urals, and even west of them, the Bolsheviks could probably withdraw an important contingent to be put jute action on the southern front. The questions to be answered in this connection are: Can the Bolsheviks bring troops down to fight Denikin without weakening their other front? If so, for how long can they bring them down without doing so, and can they bring them down in sufficient numbers to stop Denikin’s advance? An answer will probably be found in the course of the next month or so. General Denikin’s forces in South Russia are continuing to advance in the Kursk-voronesh area, but on all other portions of the front there has been little alteration in the line. The town of Voronesh is in Volunteer hands, and Volunteer troops are now advancing on Usman. During the fighting which has taken place in this neighbourhood, the Volunteers claim that they have captured some 13,000 prisoners, fifteen guns, sixty-seven machine-guns, two armoured cars, and a great quantity of other war material. Denikin’s army is only some 220 miles from Moscow, and the advance is continuing. The Bolsheviks are sending down large numbers of men from Petrograd and Moscow to endeavour to stem the advance. The Bolshevik withdrawal along the whole of the East Russian front continues. Denikin has reinforced his flotilla upon the Caspian to its full complement, and his position there appears to be secure. The internal situation in the Baltic States is much the same. The North-west Russian Army has undertaken an attack against the railway from Petrograd to Pskoff, which is meeting with success. In their attack the Russians are employing tanks. The reported capture of Dvinsk by the Poles is at present unconfirmed. In North Russia, on the Archangel front, the Russian army is continuing its advance down the Vologda railway, and in the direction of Kochmas to the east. On the Murman front there has been no important change since the cessation of the operations at Lijma.

FURTHER SUCCESSES

General Denikin, on Wednesday issued the following official communiqué, received yesterday per Wireless Press: “In the Varnirovka and Liska region we captured 700 prisoners, seventeen machine-guns, three light guns, and 200 guns. At Liska station we captured twenty locomotives, hospitals, and other trophies. In the Lisky region we captured the stations of Skoretz and Davydova. At the latter station three light guns and a 6in howitzer fell into our hands. “In the direction of Orel out advance continues. Our troops have occupied Chostensky powder works, where we captured about 643 tons of powder and other military booty. We occupied the station of Zmeievka, twentyfour miles from Orel. No information has been received from the Kieff region. In the Mogileff direction, to the north of the town of Olgopol, we have occupied Chetchelnik and Venneka. “In the Odessa region the position is quiet. “In the North Caucasian and Tsaritsin regions there has been no change in the situation. “In the Briansk direction our advancing troops have reached a point four miles from Dmitrovsk. In the Davydovka region our troops have dispersed the 298th Infantry Regiment, capturing prisoners, four heavy and three light guns.”