UAF – Ukrainian Forces
RF – Russian Forces
MLRS – Multiple Launch Rocket Systems
Summary of the Events
UAF crossed the Oskil River near Dvorichna and is advanced east of Kupyansk. UAF also encircled 5000 RF in their hub in Lyman and then liberated the town. RF continue their assaults on Bakhmut with little if any gains.
Battle for the Donbas
Battle for Bakhmut – Fighting continues over Soledar and Bakhmutske. RF forces advanced a few meters closer to Pidhorne but have not yet reached the settlement.
Battle for Slovyansk – RF continue to assault from the east against Spirne and towards Vyimka, but with no success.
UAF encircled Lyman trapping 5000 RF and then liberated the town which was being used as a command center and supply hub by Russia in their attempt to capture Slovyansk. With the fall of Lyman, the Battle for Slovyansk has ended, and the northern Donetsk region has been liberated with RF pushed 30 miles back to Kreminna. Seventeen towns were liberated in the campaign.
UAF are also moving up the Oskil River having liberated Pisky-Radkivski
The red line marks the RF positions at the beginning of the week
Donetsk Line – All RF assaults on the Donetsk line were repelled
Other Regions
Dnipropetrovsk – RF fired 130 rounds of artillery at Nikopol on Monday destroying almost 40 houses and 20 commercial buildings. An electrical station was also hit knocking out power to 3000 families.
In the early morning hours on Thursday, RF conducted a missile strike on the city of Dnipro targeting residential buildings. More than 60 private homes and several high-rise apartment buildings were hit killing three civilians, including one child, and injuring five others.
Kharkiv – UAF crossed the Oskil River at Dvorichna and continued to push east from Kupyansk liberating Kucherivka and reaching Petropavlivka. UAF also moved south from Kupyansk and liberated Kupyansk-
Odesa – RF launched attacks on Odesa with kamikaze drones on Monday. Two drones hit military installations but there were no casualties. UAF struck the drone control and training center killing four Iranian trainers teaching RF how to use the drones.
Zaporizhia – RF launched missiles on infrastructure targets in the center of Zaporizhia and a nearby village on Monday. Infrastructure facilities were destroyed, but there were no casualties.
RF shelled a humanitarian convoy leaving Zaporizhia on Friday killing 25 aid volunteers.
Other News
Russia held fake referendums in the territories they have captured and announced that the regions voted to become part of Russia. Russia released the report that votes to become part of Russia were 87% in Kherson, 93% in Zaporizhia, 98% in Luhansk, and 99% in Donetsk. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the accords annexing the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia into Russia.
Now that Russia is threatening to use tactical nuclear weapons to defend their new territories they just declared to be part of Russia, the U.S. announced they will step up their intelligence detection of Russian military actions. The U.S. give another 18 Himars rocket systems to Ukraine as part of a new $1.1 billion military aid package. But it will take years to deliver them as they are not in stockpiles.
Tens of thousands of Russian troops have been drafted into the military but will not go through adequate training but will be sent quickly to the front lines. The attrition rate will thus be very high.
Arsons have set 15 Russian military recruitment centers on fire over the last week.
Investigations have begun over the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline which is causing an energy crisis in Europe.
International Support
The U.S. on Monday announced another $457.5 million in assistance to Ukrainian law enforcement. The funds will support the national police and border guards and to investigate Russian war crimes in recently liberated regions. Then on Friday the U.S. announced another $12 billion in military aid
The UK expanded their sanctions against Russia to include 92 Russian individuals and companies involved in the sham annexation referendum votes in Ukrainian occupied territories. A few days later the EU expanded their list by 1300 individuals and companies, as well as banning the importation of several Russian products. The U.S. expanded its sanctions on Russia after the annexation decree was signed.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna made an unannounced visit to Ukraine in a show of support.
Kazakhstan promised to protect Russian citizens fleeing Russia to avoid conscription into the army. Nearly 100,000 Russians have already fled to Kazakhstan.
Under pressure from the U.S., Turkey finally halted all use of Russian credit cards.
Finland has become the latest country to close its borders to Russian tourists.
UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the annexation vote in the occupied territories of Ukraine by Russia. After Russia announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, the UN voted to condemn the Russian action, but the condemnation was vetoed by Russia.