Ukrainian forces made tactically significant advances on Friday. Even though the territorial gains were minimal, Russia has been forced to redeploy troops from other sectors of the front to defend against these advances, making the Russian defense weaker and weaker along the front lines. Russia is unable to rotate troops out for rest, and thus their troops are tired and scared. There is a growing number of surrenders and desertions of Russian forces. Russia keeps sending untrained troops to the frontline to be slaughtered. Ukraine, on the other hand, maintains reserves and can rotate troops in and out to provide rest. Thus, if Ukraine can break through at any point along the line, there is no Russian reserves to stop them from moving forward quickly.
- Russia 1 – Russian forces are intensifying their offensive operations toward Kupyansk in hopes of forcing Ukraine to divert some of their forces to defend the city. Ukraine is evacuating dozens of settlements around Kupyansk and may soon lose Petropavlivka. Russian forces claimed to have entered Synkivka and if true, are less than 6 miles from Kupyansk. The Russian strategy is working as Ukraine is flooding the region with reserves to stop the Russian forces from breaking through the line.
- Russia 2 – Russia made no confirmed advances in this sector.
- Russia 3 – Russia made marginal advances towards Avdiivka advancing closer to Staromykhailivka. Russia claimed to also take some of the Trudovske Mine near Krasnohorivka.
- Ukraine 1 – Ukraine made no confirmed advances in this sector.
- Ukraine 2 – Ukrainian forces have moved into Urozhaine and control the northern half of the city. Some Russian sources even go as far as to say that Russia has abandoned Urozhaine, but that is not yet confirmed. The Russian 7th VDV (airborne) Division is now split over three axes of the front, and possibly even retreating from Staromaiorske turning that settlement fully over to Ukraine.
- Ukraine 3 – Ukrainian forces have reached the northern outskirts of Robotyne threatening to break through the Russian line heading towards Melitopol.
- Ukraine 4 – Ukrainian forces have moved into the western half of Kozachi Laheri on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River to establish a beachhead. Russia has no troops to fill in the hole as they have all been sent to Ukraine Sectors 2 & 3 above.
Russian launched four Kinzhal missiles against Ukraine on Friday. One was launched against Kyiv to force Ukraine to concentrate on intercepting that one, while the other three hit the military airfield in Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast.
Ukraine launched a missile and drone attack on Russian targets on Saturday. Three missiles were launched on the Kerch Strait Bridge and twenty drones were launched on targets in Crimea. Russia claimed to have intercepted all missiles and drones. But video showing plumes of smoke around the Kerch Strait Bridge tells a different story. Russia claimed that they created the smoke clouds to fool Ukraine into thinking they hit the bridge. Oops. If that were true, they probably should not have reported that.
A huge beer factory warehouse in Moscow was set ablaze on Wednesday evening. The building spans a 0.5 square acre. It is not sure what caused the explosion, but rumors are pointing to a Ukrainian drone attack. Ukraine seems to be targeting businesses of Russian oligarchs in an attempt to turn them against President Putin.
With Wagner Group forces still growing in Belarus, Ukraine is beefing up its defense along the Belarus border adding observation points and minefields.
President Zelensky fired all the commander over the military commissaries because of corruption and has replaced them with those who have served on the front lines but are no longer able to serve in active combat. These commanders will be loyal to our frontline troops and get the supplies necessary to them on the frontlines.
The EU delivered 224,000 rounds of artillery ammunition to Ukraine.
President Zelensky provided Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan to the 42 countries who gathered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss a joint peace plan. Here is the summary of the plan.
- Russia must first turn over all Ukrainian nuclear power stations.
- Russia must resign the Ukraine Grain Deal to allow Ukraine to export freely through the Black and Azov Seas.
- Russia must cease all attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
- All prisoners of war on both sides must be released. And all Ukrainian citizens deported outside of Ukraine must be allowed to return home.
- Russia must restore all Ukrainian territory including Crimea.
- Russia must withdraw all troops from Ukrainian territory and cease hostilities.
- A special international tribunal should be created to prosecute Russian war crimes.
- An assessment must be made on the environmental damage caused by Russia on Ukrainian territory. Prosecution for those responsible for the damage should be taken and Russia should pay for all recovery and reconstruction.
- International partners of Ukraine need to sign security guarantees to prevent any future aggression.
- Russia must sign an official document ending the war and guaranteeing Ukraine’s future security and reconstruction.