Russia 1 – Kupyansk/Svatove Line
Russian forces made no confirmed advances in the sector.
Russia 2 – Svatove/Kreminna Line
After a week break due to heavy losses, Russia has again launched attacks against Novoyehorivka. Russia claimed to have captured six unspecified positions, but there is no confirmation that Russian forces advanced in this sector.
Russia 3 – Avdiivka/Marinka/Vuhledar Line
It has been confirmed that Russian forces have gained ground in Marinka, but the city is still being contested. Ukrainian forces continue to attack Yehorivka in an attempt to extend there Ukraine 2 sector to Vuhledar.
Ukraine 1 – Liberate Bakhmut
It has been confirmed that Ukrainian forces now control the southern Klishchiivka.
Ukraine 2 – Drive to Berdyansk
Ukrainian forces are concentrating their attacks in this sector along the Priyutne-Urozhaine line. No territorial gains were made though.
Ukraine 3 – Drive to Melitopol
Ukrainian forces made some territorial gains toward Verbove.
Ukraine 4 – Liberate Eastern Kherson
Russian milbloggers are writing that Ukraine had maintained positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River around Pidstepne and the destroyed Antonivsky Bridge. The milbloggers even claim that Ukraine can easily transfer supplies and personnel to the eastern bank. Ukraine has not confirmed this, but if it is true, you can expect a major assault soon hitting the flank of the Russian defense in Ukraine 3 sector.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he has dismissed Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and submitted for approval by the legislature current Chairman of the State Property Fund Rustem Umerov. The main reason is to better fight corruption in the military.
Ukraine is usually silent about their successes, plans, and even prospects. But Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi who commands the Ukrainian troops in Southern Ukraine (Ukraine 2, 3, & 4) sectors gave a rare interview. He stated that Ukrainian forces have decisively breached Russia’s first line of defense which they had devoted 60% of their time and resources into building. He expects that now Ukraine will liberate territory more quickly as they approach the second line of defense which Russia devoted only 20% of their time and resources into building. He stated that the current priority is Ukraine 3 sector.
Southern Ukraine forces spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun add that the minefields near the Russian second line of defense are significantly sparser which will allow Ukrainian forces to maneuver more freely. It was the clearing of mines that greatly slowed down Ukrainian forces as they could only do it under the darkness of night since Russia has air superiority.
The second and third grain ships have successfully passed through the Ukrainian-created temporary corridor in the Black Sea and circumvented Russian attempts to curtail maritime traffic.
Tarnavskyi also stated that currently Ukrainian forces are focusing on destroying those Russian units that provide cover for retreating Russian forces. He also reported that Russian forces exist in patches and not as a continuous line of defense. He also said that Russia will soon run out of their best trained forces and are rotating them to Ukraine 3 sector while replacing them with untrained new recruits elsewhere on the defense line.
Russia conducted a series of drone strikes targeting port infrastructure in Odesa Oblast. Ukraine shot down 22 of the 25 drones launched. The three drones that made it through struck fuel storage facilities in the Port of Reni and the Port of Izmail.
Local elections continue in the occupied regions of Ukraine with Russian law enforcement patrolling polling stations to prevent any citizens from protesting. Russia has ceased temporarily deporting Ukrainian civilians from the occupied regions so that people can vote. Russia wants as large as a voter turnout they can get to claim legitimacy.
Russia is in desperate need of more military recruits, but Putin fears a general mobilization only a year away from elections. So instead, they are requiring migrants to join the military in exchange for citizenship and are heavily recruiting mercenaries from neighboring countries offering high salaries. Russia has been able to recruit 280,000 recruits this year, but way below their goal of 420,000.
Here are the transcripts of two intercepted phone calls made by Russian soldiers. This first is from a soldier fighting in Russia 1 sector near Kupyansk calling his wife.
Soldier: Don’t you know what happened with the 27th brigade.
Wife: No?
Soldier: Haven’t you heard about it?
Wife: No, what happened.
Soldier: The problem is, they were cut the f**k up.”
Wife: Where did it happen?
Soldier: In Svatove.
Wife: You mean all of them?
Soldier: Yes, all our guys were slaughtered.
The soldier continues to explain that they were slaughtered because they were “way to relaxed” and had been drinking ahead of an expected rotation out from the frontlines.
In a second phone call, only the soldier can be heard. He is speaking to someone named Denis and says he just received a report that “all five boys are dead.” It is not clear whether he is telling Denis that all five of his boys are dead, or that he is describing a situation where all five defenders were killed using the familiar “boys”.