UAF – Ukrainian Forces
UAS – According to Ukrainian Sources
RF – Russian Forces
RS – According to Russian Sources
Summary of the Events
RF have entered Bakhmut and taken the first house.
Eastern Ukraine: (Eastern Kharkiv and Western Luhansk Oblast – UAF Counter-offensive)
Kreminna – Geolocated footage indicates that RF have made marginal advances south of Ploshchanka (11 miles NW). UAS claim that RF are transferring equipment to the east side of the Krasna River which runs through Kreminna in preparation for a stronger defense. If true, this means that Russia expects UAF to enter Kreminna soon. UAS also reported that UAF repelled a RF assault near Bilohorivka (7 miles S). Geolocated footage also indicates the Russia is moving troops and equipment into Severodonetsk in preparation for a defensive operation (7 miles S).
Donetsk Oblast: (Russia’s Main Objective)
Soledar – Geolocated footage confirms that RF have advanced towards Dvorichchia (1 mile W). The UK Ministry of Defense reported that UAF did withdraw from Soledar but continue to defend on the outskirts.
RS claimed that RF made assaults towards Verkhnokamyanske (12 miles NE), Spirne (11 miles NE), and Krasnopolivka (2 miles N). RS claim that RF have captured all Sil, although that still has not been verified.
UAS reported that UAF repelled a RF assault near Sil (2 miles N) and Krasna Hora (3 miles SW).
Bakhmut – RF advanced a few meters closer to Krasnopolivka. RF have entered the Eastern region of the city and captured their first house.
UAS reported repelling RF assaults near Bakhmut itself and Klishchiivka (4 miles SW). RF confirmed that they did launch an attack towards Klishchiivka. RS also claimed to have made an assault towards Pivnichne (14 miles SW)
Avdiivka – UAS reported they repelled RF assault near Vodiane, Nevelske, Marinka, and Pobieda. RS reported that RF made an unsuccessful assault in Marinka, and against Kamianske.
Southern Ukraine: (Eastern Kherson, Southern Zaporizhia, and Western Donetsk)
UAS are reporting that RF continue to arrive in this theater and are preparing for a major defensive or offensive operation. UAS also reported that RF made an assault against Hulyaipole and Orkhiv.
Video footage shows RF using illegal incendiary munitions for the third time over the last two weeks against Kherson city. This suggest that RF are running low on artillery and are resorting to these illegal weapons.
Belarus
RF are continuing to mobilize to Belarus for training, and joint exercises continue to operate between Russian and Belarusian military forces. But still no evidence of a strike group forming.
Russian Mobilization and Troop Morale
Russian authorities are conducted a manhunt for a Russian soldier who had escaped his unit on the front line. He had reached Voronezh when he was surrounded and opened fire on police and died in the shootout.
Eight soldiers from Kaliningrad Oblast deserted their front-line positions and escaped back to Russia in taxis and buses with their weapons.
A Russian soldier received a sentence of six years in prison for attacking his commanding officer.
200 soldiers rioted on a train transporting them to the front line as their cabins had no heat.
Dagestani soldiers have left their brigade and refuse to fight in Ukraine.
Life in Occupied Ukraine
It has been eight years since Russia annexed Crimea and it has taken that long for Russian Sberbank to open operations on the peninsula.
Russian occupation authorities have levied a 20% fee when Ukrainian citizens withdraw the hryvnia and have artificially inflated the costs in stores of all items if purchased in hryvnia in order to get civilians to start using the Russian ruble. Russian authorities are raiding businesses in the occupied regions and forcing them to exchange hryvnia into rubles.
Occupation officials in occupied Ivanivka region in eastern Kherson were given three days to submit documentation to register their homes and land under Russian law. All land not registered will be confiscated by the State.
Russian occupation authorities have yet to open the Vasylivka checkpoint in order for Ukrainian civilians to occupied territory to move to free Ukraine. And RF are shelling occupied Kakhovka to intimidate residents to move out of the city.
Russian occupation authorities are importing workers from Russia as Ukrainian civilians are refusing to work.
Other News
Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed his nation on the 80th anniversary of the Siege of Stalinburg. It was thought that he would make a major announcement such as an official declaration of war against Ukraine, or a second mobilization. But it was just a dud meant only for the gullible ears of the Russian people. He chose the date to rally the nation commemorating a time when the nation came together to defeat the German Nazis. But ironically, this time Ukraine is Stalinburg, and the Russians are the Nazis.
Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the Russian oligarch who leads the private army known as the Wagner Group, is becoming increasingly bold in his verbal attacks against the Russian Ministry of Defense. He criticized the new guidelines released that require troops turn in their mobile phones and become clean shaven. He argued that beards are a cultural and religious heritage that ought to be respected. And he noted that the modern soldier needs a cell phone. He called the rules “ridiculous”. He also directly attacked President Putin’s administration calling them weak and enemies of the State who are cozying up to the West to enrich themselves.
A helicopter crashed near Brovary killing 16 people and injuring 30. The crash damaged a kindergarten and a residential building. Killed in the crash included Ukraine Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky and two other Interior Ministry officials. The cause of the crash is not yet known.