UAF – Ukrainian Forces
RF – Russian Forces
MLRS – Multiple Launch Rocket Systems
Summary of the Events
Over the last five days RF and UAF have gone back and forth in the Battle for Severodonetsk. RF greatly outnumber UAF, but RF are taking heavy losses. Russia has increased its bombing of Ukrainian cities with missiles in retaliation for the US and the UK announcing they will provide MLRS to Ukraine. Overall, the situation has not changed much over the last five days as UAF are holding their ground.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk)
Target Severodonetsk – Friday started with Russia in control of 80 percent of Severodonetsk, but Ukraine was putting up a fierce resistance. Most of the UAF were holed up in the industrial region. RF fired upon a methanol factory in the region where UAF were defending. The situation is like the Battle of Mariupol when the UAF were pushed back into the steelworks plant. Lysychansk, on the other side of the Siversky Donetsk River from Severodonetsk was also being heavily shelled. RF were not able to move on other fronts towards Severodonetsk except at Komyshuvakha where they captured the western outskirts by Friday. UAF was able to push Russian forces back southeast of Severodonetsk liberating Bobrove and Oskolonivka.
Over the weekend UAF held a counterattack retaking 20% of Severodonetsk. Ukraine held 40% of the city and Russia held 60%. RF suffered such heavy losses it will be nearly impossible for them to take Severodonetsk now. Russian Major General Roman Kutuzov was killed in the fighting. He is the fourth general to be killed in Ukraine.
President Zelensky made a surprise visit to UAF on the front lines on Monday. He did not go to Severodonetsk, but he did visit Lysychansk just over the river. By Monday, UAF had retaken half of Severodonetsk, but the city is destroyed. 60% of Lysychansk has been destroyed from shelling as well.
With RF greatly outnumbering UAF in Severodonetsk, the situation changes every hour. But by Tuesday, UAF had been pushed back to the industrial region with RF again in control of 80% of the city. But UAF forces refuse to retreat as it will cost them five times the number of casualties to retake Severodonetsk later.
Target Kramatorsk – On Friday, Sloviansk was constantly being bombed. The city has no water or electricity. Now that RF have captured Lyman, they are launching a campaign towards Sloviansk but lost half of their 150th Mechanized Infantry Brigade by Friday. UAF was holding its ground going into the weekend.
Over the weekend RF struck hard moving towards UAF forces defending at Svyatohirsk. RF captured Yarova. Then by Tuesday RF reached the outskirts of Svyatohirsk. If Svyatohirsk falls, then RF can move directly down on Sloviansk from the north and the east. Ukrainian forces will probably have to retreat from Shchurove if Svyatohirsk falls to defend Sloviansk.
Battle for Kherson
UAF continue their counterattack on Russia having punched through their lines near Davydiv. UAF planes destroyed a Russian military depot near Ivanivka killing 19 soldiers. Then on Tuesday they hit another arms depot far behind the lines causing vast damage to RF.
Battle for Kharkiv
RF has begun firing on Kharkiv every day again with missiles. A civilian airfield was hit on Friday destroying planes and hangars. Five schools and several homes have been destroyed. Three people were killed and another five injured.
Other Ukraine Regions
Chernihiv – RF fired mortars on border towns in Chernihiv region on Monday.
Dnipropetrovsk – RF once again began shelling Zelenodolsk on the defense line just south of Kryvyi Rih. On Tuesday Russia launched MLRS against Kryvyi Rih. Houses were damaged and one man was injured.
Kyiv – In the first time since April 28, missiles again were fired on Kyiv on Saturday hitting railway infrastructure. This was shortly after Russian President Putin had threatened to attack new target if the US and EU went through with their supplying UAF with MLRS. Several more missiles were fired on Kyiv on Sunday at railway infrastructures.
Mykolaiv – Mykolaiv was shelled on Friday resulting in one death. Shelling continued Saturday killing three civilians injuring another nine people. RF attacks on Monday were again against civilian homes injuring 29 people. Tuesday morning Bashtanka was shelled killing two people and injuring another.
Odesa – A Russian cruise missile hit a farm warehouse on Saturday injuring two people.
Poltava – UAF shot down a Russian missile over Poltava region.
Sumy – RF conducted three attacks at border towns in the Sumy region. Two times Russian planes fired six missiles and the second attack was made by a Russian drone. Only one home was damaged and there were no injuries. Forty attacks were made on Monday from drones and mortars. There were no casualties.
Zaporizhia – RF attempted to attack the Zaporizhian Defense Line on the right flank of Poltavka before the weekend but were repulsed. On Saturday they hit civilian targets in Hulyaipole with MLRS and several nearby villages with artillery destroying eleven homes and two stores. On Tuesday Russia hit a kindergarten in Stepnohirsk with rockets destroying a hundred windows. One person was injured.
Other News
Russia has threatened to strike “new targets” in Ukraine if the US and Europe go through with their pledge to provide Ukraine with MLRS to even the fighting. With tens of thousands of Russian troops already killed in this war, the addition of MLRS on Ukraine’s side would inflict even more damage.
International Support
The EU expanded their sanctions on Russia and Belarus for the sixth time. The EU will ban in stages over 6-8 months the importation of Russian oil with an exception made for Hungary through a pipeline. More of the Russian banks were cut off from the SWIFT payment system. Three Russian media companies will also be shut down in the EU to prevent Russian propaganda from spreading. And several items that can be used for military purposes, including 80 chemicals, were banned from export to Russia. In addition, all accounting, public relations, and consultancy services to Russia are banned. And several more Russian individuals were added to the sanction list.
The UK joined the US in pledging MLRS weapons to Ukraine.