UAF – Ukrainian Forces
RF – Russian Forces
MLRS – Multiple Launch Rocket Systems
Summary of the Events
It has been a difficult week for UAF who lost ground in the Donbas mainly because RF have ten times the ammunition that UAF have. Ukraine is quickly running out of ammunition and will not be able to hold much longer in the Donbas. RF have even begun to take back territory lost in the Kharkiv Region. The only region where UAF made some advances was around Kherson.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk)
Target Severodonetsk-Lysychansk – RF continues their attacks on Severodonetsk from three directions. UAF forces last week had gained much of the city back in counterattacks, but then were pushed back to the industrial region which is 20% of the city’s territory. Russia has also destroyed all bridges connecting Lysychansk to Severodonetsk cutting off the resupply of the defenders of Severodonetsk. Although UAF in Severodonetsk will not be able to retreat over the Siversky Donetsk River, they are not totally encircled by RF. Ukraine claims to have built a pontoon bridge to temporarily connect the two cities and keep resupply open.
To the south of Lysychansk, RF made some progress as well taking the town of Toshkivka and moving troops to the outskirts of Ustynivka.
Target Kramatorsk – A school in Bakhmut, a city to the south of Kramatorsk, has been under constant bombing. An unoccupied school was destroyed on Wednesday. Russian forces captured Krynychne and Roty, towns south of Bakhmut. Fighting is now intense over Myronivka.
Russia has begun building fortifications around Izyum, the city where Russia first punched through UAF defense line and began their push south towards Kramatorsk. They are worried about a Ukrainian counterattack. Through that hole, Russian forces have now reached the outskirts of Dolyna just 15 miles north of Slovyansk which is the next main target to the north of Kramatorsk. UAF forces also retreated from Studenok and Svyatohirsk giving the Svyatohirsk pocket to RF. RF have now advanced to the outskirts of Bohorodychne.
Expansion from Donetsk – RF entered the western outskirts of Komyshuvakha putting more pressure on the UAF defenders in the Zolote pocket. RF took Dolomitne and attempted to take Kodema as well but were forced back. But with the loss of Dolomitne, UAF may have to retreat from Novoluhanske.
Battle for Kherson
Russia intends to keep the Kherson Region as a land bridge to Crimea. Towards that end they are introducing the ruble as legal tender in the region, employing Russian teachers to begin indoctrinating Ukrainian children, and issuing Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens.
UAF are strengthening their position in their new footholds on the eastern side of the Ingulets River and are moving south with limited opposition. After having taken Davidiv Brod, UAF moved 15 km south reaching the villages of Kostroma and Bruskynske.
UAF have struck several Russian weapon depots and bases in the Kherson region lowering their ability to resupply themselves as UAF continue to regain territory.
Battle for Kharkiv
Russia has conducted a limited counterattack north of Kharkiv and has retaken the strategic rail hub town of Rubizhne as well as Stary Saltiv.
Amnesty International released proof that Russia is using illegal cluster bombs in their attacks on Kharkiv.
Other Ukraine Regions
Sumy – Russia continues to shell the border towns.
Ternopil – Russian missiles hit a military target in Chortkiv also damaging four nearby homes. Russia claimed they had intel that some of the Western supplied weapons to Ukraine were being stored there. 22 people, including children, were injured in the attack.
Other News
President Zelensky told the British Financial Times that Ukraine will never accept any loss of territory and that a stalemate with Russia “is not an option”. Ukraine will never stop until all its territory has been returned. He admitted that Ukraine is greatly outgunned and outmanned and needs military weapon support of its friends and allies.
President Zelensky fired Roman Dudin as the head of the State Security Service of Ukraine over the Kharkiv region after a surprise visit to the mostly destroyed second-city of Ukraine. Dudin had fled 250 km from Kharkiv for yet unknown reasons on the first day of the invasion with all his people. President Zelensky fired him for not performing his duties and announced an investigation was ongoing whether he was an actual traitor to Ukraine.
At the request of the United Nations, Russia and Turkey are in talks about opening the sea for Ukrainian exports of grain. Ukraine was not invited to these talks and has stated they will not demine the Black Sea around Odesa for fear that Russia might attack their port city. Russia insists on the end of all sanctions which is a non-starter as well. Currently the UN is offering to have sanctions lifted on Russian food and fertilizer and offering naval escorts for Ukrainian ships. But neither Ukraine nor Russia accepts that deal. France has offered to assist in opening the Odesa port without removing the mines to allow the grain ships in and out of the port. Meanwhile, Ukraine began exporting grain by rail and then ship through Poland.
Among the UAF defenders who surrendered in Mariupol were two British and one Moroccan citizens. Under the Geneva Convention, such soldiers are to be treated as prisoners of war. But the three were turned over by Russia to the rebel leaders of the Donbas who are not signatories to the Geneva Convention allowing Russia to legally get away with proclaiming the death penalty on the three.
Three weeks after Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO, Russia is holding military sea exercises in the Baltic Sea to show their displeasure.
Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, who is living outside of Russia now, warned that if Ukraine falls, Putin will next invade the Baltic States. He criticized French President Emmanuel Macron who warned that Putin should not be humiliated, and that Ukraine should consider ceding some territory to Russia.
Russia has earned $98 billion in the sale of oil and gas, mostly to European countries, since the invasion of Ukraine began.
Seven more bodies with their hands and legs tied and a bullet hole in the back of their head were discovered in a mass grave in the village of Myrotske about six miles northwest of Bucha. All of them had signs of torture.
International Support
The World Bank announced an additional $1.5 billion in aid for Ukraine bringing their total planned support to more than $4 billion.
The European Parliament recommended to the EU Heads of State or Government that Ukraine be granted EU candidate status and be provided with weapons according to the expressed needs of Ukrainian authorities.
Poland signed their largest weapons contract since overthrowing communism with Ukraine reported Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Ukraine and Poland are also discussing forming a new military alliance with the UK to protect Ukraine until it can join NATO.
Norway gave Ukraine 22 American-made M109 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzers including gears, spare parts, and ammunition.
When Ukraine’s envoy addressed the World Trade Organization in Geneva, he received a standing ovation. But when the Russian delegate rose to speak, dozens of delegates walked out of the meeting in opposition.