Summary of the Events of the Day
Russian troops are abandoning the Battle for Kharkiv as they move forces to the Battle for the Donbas after a crippling blow occurred.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol)
Russia staged nine attacks along the Donbas Contact Line, all of them repelled by Ukrainian forces causing heavy losses on Russian troops and equipment.
Luhansk – Russia’s only successes of the day occurred in the fight for Severodonetsk. Ukrainian forces made a strategic withdrawal from Rubizhne and Voevodivka, but not before blowing up the bridge leading into Severodonetsk. Ukrainian forces repelled an attack on Novoselivka and Toshkivka and prevented a breakout move from Popasna. All water and electricity is out throughout the Luhansk Region.
Siversky Donets – Russia again constructed a pontoon bridge over the Siversky Donetsk River and began a drive for Bilohorivka. Ukraine allowed about 80 lightly armed Russian infantry to cross the bridge before destroying it with military drones. It is estimated that 400 Russian soldiers lost their lives drowning in the river and Russia lost more than 30 armored vehicles in the attack. This crippling attack may have now made it impossible for Russia to take the Donbas.
Russia continued shelling the front-line towns of Oleksandrivka, Shandryholove, Novoselivka, Lyman, and Ozerne but was unable to take any territory from Ukraine in this region of the war.
Donetsk – Russian forces attempted to take Zelene Pole but were repulsed. Fighting continues for Marinka and Avdiivka still fully under Ukrainian control.
Mariupol – Russian troops for the first time entered the Azovstal steelworks but were promptly expelled by the defending Ukrainian troops. The Azov National Guard reached out to Elon Musk to save them asking him to negotiate for them to be evacuated to a mediating country.
Battle for Southern Ukraine (Mykolaiv, Kherson, Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhia, and Odesa)
Russian forces continue shelling Ukrainian forces at Orikhiv and Hulyaipole defending the approach to Zaporizhia. There was no change on the ground in the Battle for Southern Ukraine.
In the morning as people were just heading to work, Russian missiles fell on the communities of Zelenodolsk and Velyka Kostroma killing one civilian and injuring another.
Russia fired a symbolic attack on Khortytsia Island, the historic capital of the Ukrainian Cossacks, in a wooded area causing fires. No historical buildings were damaged.
Battle for Kharkiv
Russian crippling losses in crossing the Siversky River in the Donbas have forced them to withdraw forces from the attack on Kharkiv and moved them to defend Izyum. Ukrainian forces are moving almost unopposed regaining territory north of Kharkiv to the Russian border. Russian forces shelled advancing Ukrainian troops at Rus’ki Tyshky and Pytomnyk.
Other Regions
A Russian missile destroyed a school in Novgorod-Siversky in the Chernihiv Region killing three civilians and wounding nineteen.
A Russian missile destroyed an infrastructure building in Karlovy Vary in the Poltava Region. There were no casualties. Twelve missiles were fired on factories in Kremenchuk in the Poltava Region.
A Russian artillery strike was made against a border village in the Sumy Region killing a retiree.
Other News
Finland took a step towards fast-track membership in NATO triggering a warning from Russia that they will move nuclear warheads along the Finnish border if they go through with it.
***Belarusian troops continue to build up along the Ukrainian border.
The UN Human Rights Council launched an investigation of war crimes committed by Russian troops in occupied communities that have since been liberated.
International Support
German firm Siemens has ended its operations within Russia.