UAF – Ukrainian Forces
RF – Russian Forces
MLRS – Multiple Launch Rocket Systems
Summary of the Events
RF continue to encircle Lysychansk and have entered the southern portion of the city taking the oil refinery. RF also retake Vesele north of Kharkiv but were forced to evacuate Zmiinyi (Snake) Island. RF fire missiles near Odesa destroying an apartment building, recreational center, and a Moldovan children center killing 21 people. Ukraine continues their shrouded liberation of cities in the northern Kherson region. With the growing likelihood of Belarus declaring war on Ukraine, I will return to daily updates.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk)
Target Lysychansk – After taking Severodonetsk, RF have beefed up their campaign to take the sister city of Lysychansk which would place all of Luhansk region under Russian occupation. RF are unable to simply cross the Siversky Donetsk River from Severodonetsk as they destroyed all the bridges in a failed attempt to prevent a Ukrainian withdrawal. On Wednesday RF troops inched to within 2 km (1 .25 miles) of the southern border of the city (Russia claims they had already entered the city) and reports were circulating that UAF had started a strategic withdrawal to Siversk, Bakhmut, and Slovyansk.
By Friday, UAF forces retreated from Pryvillya to the north of Lysychansk and it was immediately occupied by RF forces without resistance. RF also entered the southern portion of Lysychansk taking the oil refinery, but UAF forces trapped inside the plant were still fighting over the weekend. RF forces also reached the outskirts of Topolivka and Maloryazantseve south of Lysychansk.
Target Bakhmut – RF regained their lost ground in their fight for Klynove and continue to inch closer to the Vuhlehirsk Powerplant.
Target Kramatorsk/Slovyansk – RF shelled residential homes in Slovyansk on Thursday injuring six people.
Expansion from Donetsk – RF forces focused on retaking territory near Pavlika, but every time are repulsed.
Battle for Kherson
UAF continue to push Russian forces south from Dnipropetrovsk region liberating the village of Potomkyne on Thursday.
Battle for Kharkiv
RF launched a counterattack north of Kharkiv and retook Vesele and Demetrivka. But UAF forces have already retaken Demetrivka. RF fired rockets and missiles throughout the region on Saturday destroying several private homes and a kindergarten. Four civilians were injured in the attacks.
Other Ukraine Regions
Black Sea – UAF destroyed another Pantsir MLRS on Zmiinyi (Snake) Island in a massive attack which also killed 40 RF soldiers and destroyed two howitzers, three combat vehicles, and a fuel depot. Russia then evacuated all surviving RF from the island and then obliterated the island with their own bombing attack to prevent Ukraine from gaining equipment left behind.
Chernihiv – RF shelled the communities around the border town of Hremiach on Wednesday morning as well as firing three missiles. There were no casualties or damage from the attacks.
Dnipropetrovsk – RF forces on Wednesday launched a missile strike on Dnipro. There were no casualties. Then on Saturday RF shelled the city of Pavlohrad.
Lviv – The mayor of Lviv held an operational meeting on Saturday to prepare for an expected attack from Belarus.
Mykolaiv – Early Wednesday morning, Russian missiles struck a residential building in Mykolaiv killing at least eight people and injuring six others. On Friday RF fired 12 missiles against Mykolaiv, but all of them were shot down. But later they fired MLRS on the city damaging the windows and roofs of 18 homes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsU4hIFTEsc
Odesa – Russia took revenge for losing Zmiinyi (Snake) Island by launching missiles against Odesa region. RF conducted two missile strikes on Odessa on Thursday. There were no casualties or damage from the attacks. But on Friday RF fired missiles at an apartment building and recreational center in the village of Serhiyivka killing 21 civilians and wounding another 30.
Sumy – For the second day in a row, RF shelled the border communities of Krasnopillya and Bilopillya on Wednesday. They fired 20 mortar shots, followed by 25 artillery and then machine-gun fire. They also dropped one bomb via a drone. Later in the evening they fired mortars at the border community of Khotin. Two people were killed and eight injured in the attacks. 270 attacks were made against border towns on Friday injuring one woman who was working in her vegetable garden.
Other News
In response to the Russian bombing of a crowded shopping mall in Kremenchuk killing 18 people, injuring at least 60, and still 38 missing, President Zelensky called on the US and other members of the G7 to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. All of them already condemned the attack as a war crime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxyc9yerfLY
Turkey dropped its opposition to Finland and Sweden joining NATO. In exchange, the two countries will extradite 33 alleged Kurdish militants and coup plot suspects to Turkey.
A prisoner exchange was made between Ukraine and Russia last Wednesday. 144 Ukrainian POWs were released, including 43 of the defenders of Mariupol. It was not announced how many Russian POWs Ukraine released in the exchange.
Syria officially recognized the independence of the Russian-controlled rebel republics of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic. Ukraine broke off diplomatic relations with Syria in response.
Belarus has sent out summons to all fighting age men and women to report to military enlistment centers. Failure to do so would be a criminal offense. When they arrived, they are told that they are being registered for a defense force if Ukraine might invade, but it is obvious that Belarus is preparing to declare war on Ukraine. Military exercises scheduled to end on Friday were extended. On Saturday, Belarusian dictator Oleksandr Lukashenko accused Ukraine of launching missiles against his country and ordered his military on alert.
International Support
Six member states of the UN Security Council – Albania, Ireland, France, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States – published a joint statement also signed by Ukraine condemning Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.
The NATO alliance held a summit in Madrid to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. US President Joe Biden announced the US strengthening of NATO forces in Europe by sending two more destroyers to Spain, setting up a permanent headquarters in Poland with the 5th Army Corps, another 5000 troops in Romania, two additional squadrons of the F-35 stealth plane to Britain, and increased air defense over Germany and Italy. NATO declared Russia its “most direct threat.” It stressed that NATO has no plans to confront Russia.
Ukraine, in a gesture of thanks to EU countries who are supporting Ukraine and suffering from Russian reduction of fuel supplies, has begun exporting electricity to the EU via Romania.