UAF – Ukrainian Forces
RF – Russian Forces
MLRS – Multiple Launch Rocket Systems
Summary of the Events
RF forces conducted several attacks in the Donbas, but none of them were successful. In the meantime, Ukraine has increased its attacks on military bases and weapon depots, even within Crimea and Russia.
Belarus
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in a news interview on Friday said that Belarus has no plans to attack Ukraine. He said it would make no sense for Belarus as Russia is not at war with just Ukraine, but the entire NATO bloc.
Battle for the Donbas
Target Bakhmut – RF continued their main assaults towards Bakhmut sending ground forces towards Soledar, Zaitseve, Kodema, and even Bakhmut itself on Friday. All attacks were repulsed forcing RF to retreat on all fronts. In support of this massive, failed campaign, RF shelled eleven communities around Bakhmut and conducted an air strike on Soledar.
Target Siversk – RF forces attempted an assault on Vyimka from recently captured Spirne but were repulsed by UAF and forced to retreat.
Target Slovyansk – RF attempted an assault against UAF at Karnaukhivka, Nova Dmytrivka, and Dibrovne on Friday but were not successful. RF also fired artillery at seven cities along the line.
Target Kramatorsk – RF fired missiles on the Kramatorsk Technology and Design College and the Donbas Mine Machine-Building Academy. There were no casualties.
Avdiivka/Novopavlivka/Zaporizhia Line – UAF stumbled on a column of tanks near Donetsk and shelled their position destroying two tanks on Friday. RF shelled 17 communities along the front line as well as three airstrikes on Friday. RF launched an assault on Pervomaiskyi on Friday which continues.
Battle for Kherson (includes Mykolaiv)
RF fired two missiles at the Petro Mohyla Black Sea State University early on Friday morning.
UAF conducted four attacks on RF positions in the Kherson region on Friday. UAF destroyed Legend 2, a complex of Russian communication stations, which was based in the village of Blahodatne. Russian engineers restored the bridge over the Dnepr River at Nova Kakhovka on Friday, but it was immediately destroyed again by UAF MLRS attacks ruining the grand opening ceremonies. Overall, 73 Russian soldiers were killed in the attacks. Russian equipment destroyed included three tanks, four launch platforms, an air defense system radar station, five armored vehicles, and a weapons depot.
RF attempted an assault from Oleksandrivka with a mechanized battalion but were forced to retreat. They also fired MLRS against several residential buildings in Halitsynove. A fire station and fire engine were destroyed in the attack. RF also fired missiles at port facilities in Mykolaiv. No casualties were reported in any of these attacks.
Russian authorities in occupied Kherson have begun seizing children from Ukrainian families who refuse to send their children to schools now under the control of Russia and teaching pro-Russian curriculum.
RF shelled the town of Voznesensk hitting a five-story residential building and several private homes. Twelve people were injured including three children, two of whom are seriously injured and undergoing surgey.
Battle for Kharkiv
RF tried to improve their position near Pytomnyk, but UAF forced them to withdraw. RF also launched a small skirmish at Broshchova but were also forced to retreat. RF also launched attacks against Lebiazhe and Bazaliivka which are still ongoing.
RF shelled eleven communities in the Kharkiv region, including Kharkiv, with tanks and artillery on Friday morning. Airstrikes were conducted against four communities. A university, two private homes, an apartment building, and local businesses were hit. One woman who was a security guard at the university was killed in the attacks. Later in the day a hostel was hit killing two occupants.
Other Regions
Crimea – Explosions were seen in occupied Kerch where an anti-aircraft defense system operates. Russia claims that they intercepted the missiles. Explosions were also reported at the Belbek Military Base in occupied Sevastopol. Again, Russia claims they shot down the drone, but the number of explosions suggests otherwise. Belbek is Russia’s largest airbase in occupied Ukraine. A fire also erupted at a RF airbase in the village of Mizhvodne.
On Saturday an explosion at the Russian Black Sea Fleet Headquarters in Sevastopol was witnessed. It appears a UAF drone was shot down but still crashed into a building on the navy base.
Dnipropetrovsk – RF fired artillery on Nikopol across the river from the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant on Thursday evening. A 20-story building, a dozen shops, a high school, a bank, and a bus shelter were damaged in the attack. RF also fired on three other communities killing a civilian in Apostolove and seriously injuring a child in Mezhova. Later in the day on Friday, more rockets fell on Nikopol injuring two civilians.
RF fired four missiles at Dnipro on Saturday but all four were shot down. Four private homes were damaged by the falling debris.
Sumy – RF fired over 100 rockets into three border communities on Thursday. There were no casualties, but homes were destroyed. RF shelled the border town of Pavlika on Friday.
RF fired 70 rockets against the border villages of Hrabowski and Shalyhyne on Friday. There were no casualties. And RF fired on four border communities on Saturday.
Zaporizhia – An 8-year-old child received serious injuries during a Russian attack on the village of Shevchenkivske. Two adults were also injured, and a dozen homes destroyed.
Russia
UAF have begun attacking cities in Russia with explosions being reported in the Kursk, Belgorod, and Rostov regions.
Other News
President Zelensky visited Lviv on Thursday to visit wounded soldiers at the main military hospital and the graves of those who have fallen. He then met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He asked Guterres to immediately send an IAEA delegation to take over the Zaporizhian Nuclear Power Plant and to send a team to investigate the slaughter of Ukrainian POWs at the Olenivka POW Camp.
A threat of “doomsday” if Ukraine attacks Crimea has been taken down from the website of former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who now serves as deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council. Since Ukraine has begun attacking Crimea and Russia has not retaliated with nuclear weapons, it was a false threat.
Russia reported that French President Emmanuel Macron made a telephone call to President Putin on Friday to discuss the situation at the Zaporizhian Nuclear Power Plant. France has made no mention of this call. Russia claims that they agreed to Macron’s request to allow a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency into the plant.
Energoatom, the company that runs the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), symbolically fired eleven of their employees for pro-Russian activities. They reported on the incident that has caused worldwide concern at the nuclear power plant. They claim that RF attacked the industrial zone of the nuclear power plant with mortars on Thursday, killing and wounding several Ukrainian workers. Russia, claiming that it was UAF that attacked the zone, announced they were moving in to take full control of the plant and shut it down. Energoatom said that the fire safety standards are being violated and there was a risk of a disaster.
Tobias Ellwood, Chair of the Defense Select Committee at the House of Commons of the UK Parliament, and US Congressman Adam Kinzinger both stated that any deliberate accident orchestrated by Russia at the ZNPP would be considered a declaration of war against NATO countries.
International Support
Turkish President Erdogan ended his neutral stance in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and announced Turkey was now fully in support of Ukraine. Turkey had remained neutral in hopes of negotiating a peace but has now concluded that Russia has no intention of peace. Turkey also made a commitment to help rebuild Ukraine after the war.
Estonia has approved a new military aid package to Ukraine which will include mortars and anti-tank weapons.
Germany announced a new military aid package to Ukraine to include three more self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, eleven armored personnel carriers, and ammunition.
The Austrian Foreign Ministry summoned Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, for a conversation after he tweeted “no mercy for the Ukrainian population!” Ukraine is demanding he be expelled from Austria.