UAF – Ukrainian Forces
UAS – According to Ukrainian Sources
RF – Russian Forces
RS – According to Russian Sources
Summary of the Events
Heavy fighting occurred around Bilohorivka (Luhansk Oblast) but it seems that UAF have maintained control over the city despite some RS claiming Russia captured it. RF move made some marginal gains in Bakhmut and have surrounded Krasne Hora on three sides. RF are also making some gains in the north around Kupyansk.
Eastern Ukraine: (Eastern Kharkiv and Western Luhansk Oblast)
RF may have taken Senkivka (6 miles NE of Kupyansk) as reported by several RS. But it has not yet been confirmed. If true, RF are gaining ground towards Kupyansk. RS also claim that RF have captured Dvorichne and geolocated footage showing UAF firing at Dvorichne support this claim. And UAS did not report that UAF repelled any RF assaults on Dvorichne as they have done on previous daily reports.
RF have intensified their attacks towards Lyman and conducted a record number of artillery strikes (384) and 20 combat clashes on Friday. Although RS claimed that UAF were pushed back, UAF were able to take control of Bilohorivka. Some footage was released showing RF attacking UAF in Bilohorivka wearing Ukrainian uniforms, a violation of the Geneva Convention on war crimes.
UAF struck an industrial facility in Svatove on Saturday.
Donetsk Oblast: (Russia’s Main Objective)
Bakhmut – Fighting also intensified over Bakhmut with RF conducting 23 ground assaults against the city on Friday alone. Geolocated footage confirms that RF are advancing slowly through the eastern outskirts of the city. The city has not yet been encircled by RF and UAF have not begun to withdraw. Krasna Hora is under assault from three sides and RF may have reached the outskirts of the city and captured the old Soviet military base nearby.
Siversk – It is believed that the expansion of fighting north of Soledar is not part of a plan to encircle Bakhmut, but instead to encircle Siversk. Geolocated footage indicates that RF have advanced west of Sil.
Avdiivka – RF have slowed their attacks in this region indicating that Russia does not have the forces to conduct assaults everywhere along the frontlines and has given more priority towards taking Bakhmut.
Marinka – Geolocated footage shows that RF have moved farther west in Marinka.
Vuhledar – It seems that RF have stopped direct assaults on Vuhledar and are instead attempting to encircle this city as well.
Southern Ukraine: (Eastern Kherson, Southern Zaporizhia, and Western Donetsk)
RF have nearly ended all assaults in Southern Ukraine, more evidence that coming offensive will be in Eastern Ukraine. Russia has been conducting an information operation leaking a supposed order from Russian President Vladimir Putin to take Zaporizhia city by the end of March. This is very unlikely to take place as Russia does not have the troops to even reach the city, let alone take such a large city. The information operation is designed to force UAF to defend the city regardless.
UAF continue to attack Russian positions in the rear areas of Southern Ukraine. Geolocated footage shows UAF striking a Russian air defense system near Nova Kakhovka.
RF continue to conduct routine fire at Hulyaipole and in Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv Oblasts. RF also continue to shell Kherson city with illegal incendiary munitions.
Belarus
Russian aircraft that was deployed to Belarus for joint air exercises has remained so far in Belarus even though the exercises have officially come to an end.
Russian Mobilization and Troop Morale
Russian authorities have expanded their recruitment of prison criminals to include women. 50 women were recruited and pardoned in occupied Snizhne.
Residents of Altai Krai have demanded the resignation of the hospital administrator after a local child died because there was no doctor on site. A child in Gomy has also died due to the absent of a doctor. These are just some of the growing evidence that many Russian doctors have been sent to the war zone leaving hospitals low on medical doctors.
Several youth were arrested in Altai Krai and charged with terrorism for sabotaging rail lines and setting fire to recruitment centers. In Podolsk a 70-year-old man was sent to a psychiatric hospital for arson against a recruitment center.
A Russian soldier was arrested near occupied Volnovakha for desertion. Another two soldiers were sentenced to five years in prison for attacking their commanding officer.
Life in Occupied Ukraine
Russia is trying to create the image that there is a grassroots effort to rebuild the occupied regions of Ukraine by funding NGOs directly from the Russian federal budget.
Two Ukrainian banks with headquarters in occupied territories were nationalized and turned over to the Russian Promsyyazbank.
Ukrainian partisans assassinated Yevgeny Kuzmin, the Russian occupation Ministry of Internal Affairs, with an improvised explosive device while he was in his car in Enerhodar.
Fifty Ukrainian high school students were taken from Lysychansk to Russia to prepare for the State Exams and were offered free tuition at Russian universities.
Two cadet classes promoting military education have been established in occupied Skadovsk to instill military training and Russian patriotism among Ukrainian students.
Russian occupation authorities have banned all Protestant and non-Orthodox churches from operating in Mariupol. All Baptist churches have been closed and nationalized.
Other News
Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange last Saturday. Russia returned 116 Ukrainian POWs while Ukraine returned 63 Russian POWs.
A Russian missile strike on Kharkiv injured five civilians on Sunday.
International Support
The U.S. announced a new $2.2 billion military aid package to Ukraine which includes precision long-range HIMARS missiles. Previous HIMARS missiles provided by the U.S. had a range of 50 miles, but these missiles will have a range of nearly 100 miles. The package also includes Javelin anti-armor systems, two HAWK air defense firing units, regular HIMARS ammunition, and 120mm mortar and 155mm artillery rounds.
The U.S. also approved to send to Ukraine Russian assets that have been confiscated in the U.S. due to Russian sanctions to pay for the rebuilding of Ukraine. It is estimated to be worth $5.4 million.
Germany, who had already promised 14 Leopard tanks to Ukraine, approved manufacturers to provide more Leopard tanks. This could bring 100 – 150 Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
France and Italy have agreed to send mobile air-defense systems to Ukraine to defend against drones and missiles.
Major Source Materials
- Institute for the Study of War daily report on the Russian invasion
- Kyiv Post
- Militaryland milblogger site.