UAF – Ukrainian Forces
RF – Russian Forces
MLRS – Multiple Launch Rocket Systems
Summary of the Events
Russia is playing with fire as it continues to bomb the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, which has already been under their control for months. RF continue to inch closer to Bakhmut and the Battle for Bakhmut will commence in the next few days.
Battle for the Donbas
On Friday, five Ukrainian civilians were killed and 35 injured because of attacks in the region. Also, that day UAF brought down two Russian drones in the region.
Target Bakhmut – RF conducted a full-scale attack towards Bakhmut on three fronts on Friday, but all attacks were repulsed. RF shelled eleven communities with artillery and tanks including Bakhmut, Soledar, Spirne, Vershyna, and Zaitseve. Berestove was also struck suggesting that RF have lost control of that city. Airstrikes were also made against five cities including Bakhmut and Soledar.
By Sunday, RF had almost reached the outskirt of Bakhmut making the battle for the city imminent.
Target Siversk – RF have switched their tactics to a scorch-earth approach in the Siversk region. Unable to field enough force to capture territory, they heavily shell a community and then launch an attack on the community to burn it further to the ground. RF conducted these assaults on Spirne, Ivano-Darivka, Bilohorivka, and the Lysychansk Oil Refinery on Friday. UAF kept RF out of the communities though after they suffered heavy shelling.
RF forces did capture Spirne on their drive to take Ivano-Darivka. They also attempted to take Serebrianka but were repulsed. The fall of these two cities would place RF forces on three sides of Siversk
Target Slovyansk – RF forces shelled three communities on the Slovyansk Front on Saturday, mostly to divert Ukrainian troops from the Kherson region.
Target Kramatorsk – RF bombed Kramatorsk last Friday killing three civilians and injuring thirteen. Twenty homes were damaged in the attack.
Avdiivka/Novopavlivka/Zaporizhia Line – Although RF are repositioning their forces to southern Ukraine to defend against a Ukrainian offensive in Kherson and Zaporizhia, the troops of the Donetsk People’s Republic continue their fight for Pisky as they have since February 24. But now their troops have occupied half of the city and the fighting is fierce. But without RF support, they will find it difficult to hold on to their newly gained positions. There is also fighting in Oleksandropillia. RF shelled nine communities in the region and conducted an air strike on Marinka. By Sunday, RF had control over 80% of Pisky and had captured Novoselivka as they continue their attempts to encircle the main prize of Avdiivka.
On the Zaporizhian line, RF attempted an assault on Novosilka on Friday but were pushed back. RF shelled 14 communities on the line and conducted one airstrike on Novosilka.
Battle for Kharkiv
RF bombed four cities in the Kharkiv region, including the regional capital, on Friday night. All targets were civilian with no military targets nearby. Three civilians were injured in the attacks, including a 13-year-old boy who is in serious condition. One rocket hit a hotel and restaurant damaging trolleybuses and homes nearby. Another hit a farm. The increase in attacks is mostly meant to divert troops away from the Kherson region which Russia fears they could lose.
RF attempted to storm Pytomnyk to improve their position on Saturday but were repelled with heavy losses. RF conducted airstrikes on three cities during the operation.
Battle for Kherson (includes Mykolaiv)
With the only two bridges across the Dnipro River in the Kherson region, RF will find it very difficult to resupply their troops when UAF begins their assault to retake the region. RF will attempt to erect pontoon bridges, but the expertise of the Ukrainian partisans in the region will make it difficult as they will forward their positions to UAF who will certainly destroy them with the precision MLRS supplied by the U.S. and the UK. The impact is already being noticed as the intensity of RF attacks in the Kherson region have diminished and the discovery of RF vehicles abandoned due to no fuel. On the negative side, there is also an increase of RF looting Ukrainians for food.
RF continue their attacks on Lozove to retake the bridge over the Inhulets River to stop its use by UAF to liberate the Kherson region. UAF continue to hold their position. RF shelled 29 communities in the region and conducted two airstrikes on Friday. RF also unsuccessfully launched an assault farther south on Shyroke.
Russia knows that holding on to Kherson now will be difficult and they have moved their command headquarters to the eastern side of the Dnipro River into the Zaporizhian region. Meanwhile, UAF continue to blow up RF weapon depots in the region hitting two more on Saturday. A Russian tank and four armored vehicles were also destroyed in these attacks.
Mykolaiv was bombed again on Saturday night in a residential neighborhood. At least one person was injured.
Other Regions
UAF conducted a precision strike destroying four Russian Orlan-10 UAV drones and one SU-25 attack aircraft on Saturday.
Chernihiv – RF shelled UAF positions on Friday along the border.
Dnipropetrovsk – RF launched MLRS rockets against Nikopol, Zelenodolsk, and Apostolove Friday night. 20 rockets alone hit residential neighborhoods in Nikopol destroying eleven multi-story apartment buildings, thirteen private homes, and a kindergarten. There were no casualties in any of the attacks as residents were forewarned and in bomb shelters. But a gas line and water pipeline were destroyed in Nikopol. RF forces shelled Nikopol overnight on Saturday. They are using the Zaporizhian Nuclear Power Plant as a shield as they attack these cities. RF also fired 20 MLRS rockets on Marhanets destroying ten homes and injuring an elderly man.
Luhansk – Luhansk and Crimea are the only two regions of Ukraine under control of Russian forces. Though many of the Ukrainians still living in that region support Russian occupation, the partisan movement in Luhansk has been growing since July. The pro-Russian “mayor” of Belovodsk and his “deputy” were shot at and injured, and another collaborator was blown up in his car. The partisans have blown up the railway tracks stopping them from being used to resupply troops on the front line.
Sumy – RF fired more than 200 rockets against eleven border communities on Friday. No reports of casualties were released, but two homes were destroyed, and a complete wheat field burned down. RF fired 223 rockets against fifteen border communities on Saturday. There were no casualties but buildings were damaged and livestock killed.
Zaporizhia – After UAF destroyed a military base near Melitopol, Russia commandeered a local hospital as the new base using Ukrainian citizens as human shields. Explosions all over the city of Melitopol prove that the Ukrainian partisans are hard at work.
RF forces continue to fire missiles at the Zaporizhian Nuclear Power Plant even though they are in full control of the plant. They are claiming that UAF are firing at the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, but the time of launch and detonation has been clocked at 3-5 seconds proving that the rockets are coming from the RF. The Russians are setting the stage to blame Ukraine for the worst nuclear power accident in the history of the world. They are holding this over Ukraine’s head if they try to retake Kherson and Zaporizhia areas controlled by Russia.
Other News
British author Salman Rushdie, an outspoken supporter of Ukraine in its struggle against Russia, was viciously attacked in New York while giving a lecture. He is recovering in the hospital but will probably lose the use of one eye. His attacker was captured who is an Islamic extremist. The Ayatollahs of Iran have issued a fatwa and $3 million reward since 1988 for the murder of Rushdie who wrote “Satanic Verses” highly critical of the Islamic movement. But do not rule out Russia. The fatwa has existed for over thirty years, but soon after Rushdie signed a letter critical of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the attack occurred. One must remember that many of the highest Islamic terrorist leaders, including those of Al Qaeda, were trained by the Russian FSB, formerly the KGB, of which Putin was a high ranking official.
Polling shows that 71% of Russians support the invasion of Ukraine. Although the polling is highly suspect, Russian opposition leaders have admitted that it is at least 60%.
Two more grain ships left ports of Ukraine carrying 63,000 tons of grain on Saturday.
International Support
On July 28, the US Senate unanimously approved a non-binding resolution calling on Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. So far, Blinken has not done so. But if he were, Russia would join the list with Iran, China, Cuba, and Syria. On Saturday, Russia threatened to break off all diplomatic relations with the US if Blinken makes the designation.
Lithuania announced they will no longer issue Schengen visas to Russian citizens. A Schengen visa allows its holder to enter any EU country under the Schengen visa program. Lithuania calls on a complete ban of all EU countries to Russian citizens, but that is up to the EU to decide.
Slovakia delivered two self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine on Saturday.