Summary: Neither side made any significant advances, but Russian forces made some marginal advances towards Chasiv Yar, west of Bakhmut; towards Pobieda, south of Marinka; and towards Pervomaiske, west of Donetsk. Russia and Ukraine had the largest prisoner exchange of the war so far after a four-month lull imposed by Russia.
Sloboda Front – Initiative Russia – Current Target: Recapture Kupyansk
Although positional engagements continue between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the sector, neither side made any confirmed nor claimed advances.
Siversky Donets Front – Initiative Russia – Current Targets: Zherebets River, Siversk, Chasiv Yar
Zherebets River – Although positional engagements continue between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the sector, neither side made any confirmed nor claimed advances.
Siversk – Russian forces claimed to have made some advances northeast and east of Vesele (9 miles SE of Siversk), but there is no confirmation of these claims.
Chasiv Yar – Russian forces have made confirmed advances along O0506 Highway between Bohdanivka (4 miles W of Bakhmut) and Khromove (on the western edge of Bakhmut) as they advance towards Chasiv Yar (7.5 miles W of Bakhmut).
Donetsk Front – Initiative Russia – Current Targets: Avdiivka, Pervomaiske, Novomykhailivka, and to advance from occupied Marinka.
Avdiivka – Russian sources claim that Russian forces have crossed the railway line to the northwest of Stepove (5 miles NW of Avdiivka) and advanced up to 1500 feet from the “Toshmash” dacha area towards Berdychi (6 miles NW of Avdiivka), but this has not been confirmed. Berdychi controls one of the supply routes into Avdiivka and its capture would reduce Avdiivka to only one major highway to support their troops in Avdiivka.
Pervomaiske – Russian forces made a marginal gain on the northwestern bank of the Izmaylovsky Pond on the eastern outskirts of Pervomaiske.
Around Marinka – Russian forces continue to move past recently captured Marinka and now have their sights set on taking Pobieda (3 miles SW of Marinka). The strategy is to come down on Pobieda from Marinka in the north and from the Russian line to the east. They made some marginal advances from the southeast. Russian sources also claim that Russian forces have advanced west from Marinka towards Heorhiivka (3 miles W of Marinka), but this has not been confirmed.
Zaporizhia Front – Initiative Russia – Target: Recapture Robotyne
Although positional engagements continue between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the sector, neither side made any confirmed advances. Ukrainian sources claim that Ukrainian forces made marginal gains east of Robotyne near Verbove, but this has not been confirmed.
Left Bank Front – Initiative Russia – Current Target: Recapture Krynky
Although positional engagements continue between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the sector, neither side made any confirmed nor claimed advances.
Russia claimed that Ukraine conducted a strike against occupied Crimea with Storm Shadow missiles, but that all missiles were intercepted by air defense systems.
Russian forces launched two missiles against Kharkiv destroying civilian infrastructure including a school. There were no casualties in the attack. Russia also conducted three air strikes firing four missiles at Avdiivka which killed three civilians and wounded another.
The death toll of last Friday’s massive missile strike against Kyiv has risen to 30 as another woman died of her injuries in the hospital.
According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the country’s defense industrial base (DIB) will be increased sixfold in 2024. In 2023, the DIB of Ukraine tripled as compared to the previous year. According to Shmyhal, for 2024, Ukraine has allocated $20 billion for military salaries and $7 billion for the acquisition, manufacturing, and maintenance of weaponry. In addition, Shmyhal asked that Western allies utilize Russian assets that are currently frozen to pay for the future rehabilitation of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced that Ukraine has called for a NATO-Ukraine Council emergency meetings to discuss the recent massive air assaults by Russia over the last five days and to discuss Ukraine’s roadmap to full membership within NATO.
NATO announced that member states will purchase 1000 Patriot missiles to strengthen their air defense systems in light of Russia’s recent attack on Ukraine. These are meant to resupply NATO allies’ stockpiles after they were depleted by gifting them to Ukraine.
Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram announced that Norway will provide two F-16 fighter jets to train Ukrainian pilots in Denmark. He pledged that Norway would work “day and night” to build a modern air force for Ukraine.
The European Union expanded their sanction list by adding Alrosa, Russia’s largest diamond manufacturer, to the sanction list. Alrosa exported $3.5 billion of diamonds in 2022, the last year of reported figures.
The Financial Times reported that Chinese delivery of machinery such as microchips is up tenfold since the before the renewed Russian invasion of Ukraine showcasing the blatant circumvention of Western sanctions imposed on Russia by China. The US is hesitant to do an
The United Arab Emirates mediated the first Ukrainian/Russian POW exchange since August 2023 and the largest one to date. 230 Ukrainian soldiers who had been POWs for nearly two years were exchanged for 248 Russian POWs.
Kazakhstan and Russia have had a rocky relationship since Russia invaded Ukraine. Kazakhstan has refused to recognize the Russian annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson Oblasts which are territories of Ukraine. And Kazakhstan has recently sentenced a Kazakh citizen for illegally fighting with Russia against Ukraine as a mercenary. And Russian society has seen an increase of violence against Kazakh migrants in Russia. Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took a step towards healing this division by publishing an interview where he called Russia their “main partner and ally”.
Monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that they have not been allowed to inspect the reactor halls of units 1, 2, & 6, all of which are reported to be in cold shutdown by the Russian occupiers. IAEA monitors have also been restricted from the turbine halls of units 3, 4, & 6 and the reactor rooftops. Units 3 & 5 are also reportedly in cold shutdown. IAEA monitors are concerned about unit 4 which is in hot shutdown supplying power to the surrounding community of Enerhodar. But IAEA monitors report that a hot shutdown is unsafe and violates the way the reactor should be operated.
Source Material
- Institute for the Study of War – understandingwar.org
- The Kyiv Post – kyivpost.com
- The Kyiv Independent – kyivindependent.com