[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,099 days since Russia occupied Crimea on February 27, 2014. Here is our latest update. You can visit our Russia-Ukraine War Center to find more news about Ukraine. You can also listen to our in-depth podcast, Malcontent News Russia Ukraine War Update, hosted by Linnea Hubbard.
Breaking News
The United States Department of State has urged all Americans to evacuate Ukraine due to specific intelligence of Russian plans to launch widescale attacks on civilians and government centers through the upcoming week.
“The Department of State has information that Russia is stepping up efforts to launch strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days,” according to the embassy’s website.
“The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to depart Ukraine now using privately available ground transportation options if it is safe to do so.”
Bakhmut
Near Bakhmut, fighting continues on the outskirts of Soledar. Russian forces have been unable to advance past the KNAUF-GIPS sheetrock plant.
Russian forces continued their attacks on Zaitseve, 10 kilometers southeast of Bakhmut. Two advances were attempted, a storming action and a reconnaissance in force assault; neither was unsuccessful.
In the Svitlodarsk bulge, Russian forces only attempted an advance on Kodema but failed to dislodge Ukrainian defenders.
Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia
North of Avdiivka, DNR separatists attempted to advance on Krasnohorivka but did not gain any new territory.
Separatist troops made another attempt to advance on Pervomaiske but failed to improve their tactical positions. The village of Nevelske came under attack by DNR separatists, who could not find a way to move through the exposed, artillery-blasted fields. Skirmishes in the area of Pisky continued.
An ammunition depot in Rozdolne was hit by rockets fired from HIMARS.
South of Donetsk, Russian forces continue to advance further into Novomykhailivka without success.
On the Donetsk-Zaporizhia administrative border, Russian forces attempted to advance on Zolota Nyva again but did not move the line of conflict.
There are reports from reliable sources that Ukrainian forces have launched an offensive in the area of Polohy.
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Izyum
There is growing evidence that Russian forces in Izyum are experiencing shortages of artillery munitions, having to use antiaircraft guns for direct fire.
Kherson
Rockets fired by HIMARS hit the Antonovsky Bridge in Kherson. There are unconfirmed reports that the strike occurred as a Russian column of supply trucks carrying ammunition was on the bridge.
An S-300 antiaircraft missile fired by Russian forces to attack Mykolaiv failed after launch and crashed in Russian-controlled Zelenivka, near Kherson.
Dnipropetrovsk
Ukrainian forces accused Russian troops of shelling the thermal plant in Enerhodar. A video showed the water feed lines damaged, and a man slumped over in the driver seat of a taxi with shrapnel damage.
Valentyn Reznichenko, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported that Marhanets was hit by artillery fire wounding two people. Nikopol was not attacked with Grad rockets for the first time in more than six weeks.
Sumy and Chernihiv
Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, Sumy Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported a border skirmish involving light arms fire at an unspecified border village in the Shostka district.
Odesa, Crimea, and the Black Sea
Two cruise missiles were fired at the previously disabled Zatoka Bridge southwest of Odesa.
Beyond Ukraine
Moldova and Ukraine worked collaboratively to reopen the Berezyne-Basarabeasca rail connection. The completed upgrades have restored rail connections from the rest of Europe, bypassing the damaged Zatoka Bridge over the Dniester estuary.
Daily Assessment
There wasn’t any reported ground combat in northeast Donetsk, Kharkiv, Izyum, or Kherson, which may be due to Russian staffing and supply challenges or a standdown order due to looming more significant attacks.
The United States Department of State warning from the embassy in Kyiv validates our assessment that there is a very high chance of multiple and significant punitive strikes against Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure planned for the week of August 22.
There is growing evidence that Russian forces on the Izyum axis are suffering from ammunition shortages, hampering their ability to hold the current lines of defense.
To read the rest of our report, become a Patreon! For as little as $5 a month, you get access to the daily Russia-Ukraine War Situation Report. The report provides analysis, maps, detailed information about all the axes in Ukraine, international developments, information about war crimes and human rights, and economic news. As an added benefit, you get access to flash reports, breaking news, and our Discord server.
[SEATTLE, Wash.] -MTN The poliomyelitis virus has been detected in the wastewater of the international travel hubs of New York, London, and Jerusalem, indicating that the disease is spreading through the community. King County tests wastewater for several diseases but polio, long eradicated in Washington state, isn’t one of them.
“At this time, we are not testing King County wastewater for poliovirus,” Kate Cole, communications representative for Public Health of Seattle and King County, said.
Polio once struck fear into the hearts of parents until the 1950s, when the first polio vaccine brought the disease, which has no cure, into check. Thanks to widespread vaccination campaigns, the disease, which can cause paralysis and death, was declared vanquished from the United States. By 2016, the complete eradication of polio appeared to be within grasp, with cases numbering in the hundreds appearing in two nations – Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The virus spreading in New York and London is a revertant Sabin type 2 virus, which originates from the Sabin orally administrated polio vaccine. The oral polio vaccine was discontinued in the United States in 2000 but is still used in other nations, mainly to contain polio outbreaks. When a person is vaccinated with the oral vaccine, which uses a weakened version of poliomyelitis, they can shed the virus in their feces for up to a month. If an unvaccinated person comes in contact with a contaminated surface, they can become infected. Eventually, if the weakened virus sickens enough people, it can revert to a more virulent version.
On July 21, the New York State Department of Health reported the first case of community transmission of polio in the United States since 1981. The infected Rockland County resident suffered from paralytic polio, which state officials identified as a “revertant polio Sabin type 2 virus.” In a fully vaccinated population with strong herd immunity, the story would have stopped there. But due to declining vaccination rates, it didn’t. In the following weeks, polio was detected in the wastewater of three New York regions, including New York City.
While polio appearing in the wastewater of two of the largest cities in the world and three travel hubs is alarming, most of the infected have no idea they are a carrier. Up to 75% of people who get infected are asymptomatic – they never experience a single symptom. While many will never know they had polio, they are contagious and quietly spread the disease for up to a month.
For those who get sick, symptomatic polio resembles the flu or a mild case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Fatigue, body and joint aches, weakness, stomach distress, and fever. That makes it even harder to spot because many physicians haven’t seen a case of polio in their lives, and mild symptoms mirror more common diseases that are active in the community.
In less than 2% of cases, polio crosses from the digestive tract to the nervous system. One out of two hundred who catch polio will develop paralytic polio, which can be fatal. The chances of experiencing paralysis increase the older a person is. Polio thrives in areas with warm water and populations with poor hygiene, especially children.
According to the National Library of Medicine, in 1981, over 90% of Americans were vaccinated for polio, creating so-called herd immunity. Vaccination rates peaked in 2008. The journal Nature published a study in 2019, reporting the rate had dropped to 80%. Preliminary data indicates that vaccine disinformation has dropped the rate even lower. In some conservative and religious counties, the rate is below 70%.
Travelers who took the oral vaccine, or in rarer cases, are infected with a vaccine acquired case of polio unwittingly spread the disease to the unvaccinated. In closed communities, the disease can spread quickly and silently.
Some epidemiologists believe because polio is spreading in New York City, it has likely spread to other major travel hubs in the United States. Americans have taken to the skies in near-record numbers after two years of COVID-related travel declines. Orlando. Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle could have cases silently spreading without carriers even knowing.
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – MTN After almost two years of radio silence on the Breonna Taylor case, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced four Louisville Metro police officers involved in the fatal 2020 no-knock warrant raid on Taylor’s apartment had been charged with violating her civil rights. The four officers charged were Detective Joshua Jaynes, Detective Kelly Goodlett, Sargent Kyle Meany, and Brett Hankinson.
Attorney General Garland said the Department of Justice alleges that the civil rights violations “resulted in Ms. Taylor’s death.” Late on Friday, detective Goodlett announced through their attorney they would be entering a guilty plea on one count of falsifying an affidavit.
The federal charges allege that members of the Place-Based Investigations unit falsified an affidavit used to obtain the search warrant of Ms. Taylor’s home,” Garland also mentioned that the search warrant was sought after, despite officers knowing they lacked probable cause for the search. The investigation into the conduct of the officers found Jaynes and Goodlett falsely claimed officers verified the target of the warrant had received packages with drugs at Taylor’s address.
Detective Goodlett, who was is a member of the Louisville police unit that investigated drug trafficking, and Meany, who supervised the unit, were charged with falsifying an affidavit. Detective Jaynes procured the warrant used in the search of 26-year-old Taylor’s apartment on March 13, 2020. Jaynes and Goodlett are accused of misleading FBI investigators who were looking into the deadly shooting. Former officer Hankison was charged with using excessive force while executing the search warrant in question in a separate indictment.
According to a statement given by Louisville police, Hankison was terminated from the department in June of 2020, and Jaynes was terminated in January 2021. The department also commented that they were looking to terminate Goodlett and Meany. A Louisville Police spokesperson announced on Thursday, “Today Chief Erika Shields began termination of Sgt. Kyle Meany and Officer Kelly Goodlett. While we must refer all questions about this federal investigation to the FBI, it is critical that any illegal or inappropriate actions by law enforcement be addressed comprehensively in order to continue our efforts to build police-community trust.”
Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump gave a statement after the press conference, saying it has been a difficult two years since Taylor’s death. “Today was a huge step toward justice. We are grateful for the diligence and dedication of the FBI and the DOJ as they investigated what led to Breonna’s murder and what transpired afterward,” said Crump.
During the fatal early morning raid, officers opened fire, killing Taylor after her boyfriend, who believed an intruder was trying to break in, fired a gun at the door. Attorney General Garland reaffirmed that Taylor’s boyfriend had legally obtained the gun. After he fired and struck an officer, two officers proceeded to fire 22 shots into the apartment, one of which was the fatal blow that struck Taylor in the chest.”
The raid was meant to target Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, a convicted drug dealer who was not at the apartment. According to Glover, Taylor had no involvement in the drug trade. Garland clarified that the officers directly involved in the raid were unaware of the falsified statements in the search warrant affidavit.
Garland further clarified that Hankison was the sole officer charged with excessive use of force because after Taylor was shot, he moved from a doorway and fired 10 additional shots into a window and a sliding glass door that was covered with curtains. Hankinson was previously charged with endangering a couple and their 5-year-old son in a neighboring apartment on the night of the raid when. He was found not guilty on all accounts in March.
While Breonna Taylor’s death was a horrible tragedy and a prime example of the gaps in the U.S. law enforcement and justice systems, the officers involved will have to answer for their actions in federal court. “There are still so many families who are fighting and praying for justice and accountability in situations where their loved ones were wrongfully killed by the police.” Crump stated, “We need to stand with them, pray with them, and do whatever is possible for them.”
[SEATTLE, Wash.] – A 37-year-old Lynnwood, Washington man was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury for a hate crime and four counts of interstate threats, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Joey David George will be arraigned on the indictment on August 11, 2022, in Seattle Federal Court. George remains detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, Washington.
“By law, the decision to charge a hate crime is appropriately deliberate – with consultation and approval from DOJ’s Civil Rights Division in Washington DC,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “In this case, the hate-filled threats to kill, based on race, are fittingly being prosecuted as a hate crime.”
The probable cause court filing on July 21 outlined the alleged incidents. According to records filed in the case, on July 19 and 20, George allegedly telephoned a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and threatened to shoot Black people in the store.
“On July 19, 2022, an individual called a Tops grocery store in Buffalo, New York. The caller, who identified himself as “Peter,” spoke with an employee at the store. The caller asked how many Black people were in the store. He said he would make the news if he shot and killed all of the Black people, including all of the women, children, and babies. He asked if the employee had cleared out the building. He said there was a chance he was already in the store or somewhere nearby. He said that if he did not see anyone at the store, he would travel to the Jefferson Tops store,” the court filing said.
The Tops Friendly Market store in Buffalo had reopened on July 14, two months after a racially motivated mass shooting left ten dead and three injured. In the second call, George allegedly ranted about a “race war.” Law enforcement traced the phone number and identified George as the person who made the call. The second Tops location in Buffalo on Jefferson Avenue, had a grand reopening on July 16 after an extensive renovation.
In addition to the calls to Buffalo, George is charged in connection with a May 2022 call to a Shari’s Restaurant and Pies in San Bruno, California. In that call, George, using the pseudonym “Tony Sumorrah,” talked to a San Bruno, California police officer. George told the officer that he called Shari’s restaurant because “he wanted to attack Black people and strike fear into the Bay Area’s Black community. He stated Black people are not human but rather “sub-humans.” He said he was proud of his actions because he instilled fear in the employees and customers of the restaurant.”
The San Bruno police department obtained location data for the origination point of the call. The call was made from Lynnwood, Washington, using a T-Mobile-provided cellphone number with Joey George as the subscriber. T-Mobile confirmed the May 12 call to Shari’s came for George’s number and phone. In the eyes of the law, a restaurant is a place of public accommodation, which added the hate crime charge: Interference with a Federally Protected Activity.
Additionally, George is charged with making interstate threats to a business in Maryland, saying he intended to shoot Black people at the store. The fourth count of the indictment charges him with making interstate threats to bomb a restaurant in Connecticut.
On January 16, 2022, George threatened marijuana dispensaries in Seattle and Skyway. An employee answered the call, and the male caller asked if there were any Black employees at the business. The male caller stated that he carried a gun and would go to the business to shoot any Black people who were there at the time of his arrival. According to the dispensary, a similar threat was made to their Skyway location. T-Mobile records show the call to the Seattle business came from George’s cellphone. George is not facing charges for the January 2022 incident, and it is unclear if the Seattle Police Department was contacted about the threat and if they were if they initiated a case and performed an investigation.
George is facing up to 30 years in prison based on the five charges.
[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 23 weeks since the start of the Russia-Ukraine War and 3,078 days since Russia occupied Crimea on February 27, 2014. Here is our latest update.
Northeast Donetsk
On the Luhansk-Donetsk administrative border, Russian forces attempted an advance on Ivano-Darivka and were unsuccessful.
Bakhmut
Fighting intensified with Ukraine and Russia trading territorial gains. Russian forces advanced toward Yakovlivka from Volodymyrivka and were unsuccessful.
Russian forces were pushed out of Vershyna on August 1 and attempted to recapture the settlement by advancing from Roty. The attack was unsuccessful.
Russian forces also attempted to advance on Zaitseve and Pokrovske from Klynove and were unsuccessful in both directions. Russian forces made an advance on Bakhmut from the central part of Pokrovske but did not make new gains.
In the Svitlodarsk bulge, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian forces had partial success advancing into Kodema from Vidrodzhenya. We have assessed that Seimhirya was captured by terrorist elements of the Imperial Legion and Private Military Company Wagner Group on August 2.
Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia
West of Donetsk city, Russian forces have focused their resources and ground assaults on Avdiivka and Pisky. Elements of the 1st Army Corps of the DNR and the 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) attempted to advance on Avdiivka from Mineralne and were unsuccessful.
Elements of the 1st Army Corps of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) captured the Ukrainian stronghold at the Butivka mine ventilation shaft. The defensive position is south of Avdiivka and was an integral part of the defensive line west of Donetsk.
Kharkiv
Russian forces launched a reconnaissance in force group into Dementiivka and were unsuccessful. They launched a second advance on Dementiivka from Kochubeivka, which was also unsuccessful.
Russian forces launched an offensive from Ternova for the first time in almost two months, trying to advance on Bairak. They were unsuccessful.
Southeast of Kharkiv city, Chuhuiv was hit by multiple Russian missiles, killing one civilian.
Kherson
On the Inhulets River bridgehead, a small Russian group supported by two tanks attempted to advance on Bilohirka from Sukhyi Stavok and were unsuccessful.
The Russian base at Chornobaivka was shelled by Ukrainian artillery, causing a major fire with secondary explosions. The blast was so powerful it broke windows, and three magnetic anomaly stations detected the blast as far away as Bucharest, Romania.
Russian troops accidentally caused a major explosion at the Kalanchak railroad station in Myrne while unloading a train full of ammunition. The blast damaged the tracks severing the Ground Line of Communication (GLOC – aka supply line) from Crimea. The connection is expected to be repaired over the next few days.
Russian combat engineers continue repairs on the Antonovskiy Bridge, with local officials announcing it will be reopened by next week. Russian forces also set up a second river crossing at the Antonovskiy Mist Railroad Bridge, moving military equipment into Kherson but at a reduced volume.
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Izyum
South of Izyum, Russian reconnaissance groups were identified near Dovhenke and Dolyna. Ukrainian forces did not engage with either group. We have coded Dovhenke as contested due to the increasing activity around the settlement. Otherwise, Russian forces increase the volume of artillery firing along the entire line of conflict southwest and south of Izyum.
Mykolaiv
Vitaly Kim, the Mykolaiv Regional State Administrative and Military Governor, reported that Russian missiles struck Mykolaiv city. The attack damaged a university dormitory and destroyed private homes. There was one injury reported.
Oleksandr Sienkevych, Mayor of Mykolaiv, reported that missiles hit the city in the early hours of August 3 local time, destroying a grocery store and striking an equestrian training center. Sienkevych reported no animals were injured or killed in the attack.
Zaporizhia
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has issued a dire warning over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine.
The situation there is getting more perilous every day, he said, urging Russia and Ukraine to allow inspectors to visit the complex to understand what steps need to be taken to prevent a nuclear accident. Russia has turned Europe’s largest nuclear power plant into a firebase and military barracks.
Dnipropetrovsk
Russian forces continue to fire rockets using Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) at Nikopol. The city has been under constant attack for three weeks, with over 1,100 rockets striking the region. The attacks have been coming from the Zaporizhzhia NPP on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River.
Sumy
Dmytro Zhivytsky, Sumy Regional Administrative and Military Governor reported that Esman, Seredyna-Buda, and Khotin were shelled by mortar and artillery fire. There were no casualties or significant damage.
Lviv
A Russian Kh-101 cruise missile struck outside the settlement of Radekhiv in the Lviv oblast. Official and local reports reported indicated a Ukrainian antiaircraft site was destroyed. Two cruise missiles hit the Ukrainian military base in Chervonohrad, 13 kilometers from the Poland border.
Daily Assessment
Russian forces have returned to the military doctrine of using artillery to completely destroy an area until there is nothing left to defend and advance into the ruins west of Donetsk.
In the next three weeks, many Russian military regulars will be coming to the end of their six-month contract in Ukraine, and because there has not been a formal declaration of war, they will be able to opt out of a new contract.
Increased artillery fire south of Izyum is not a prelude to a renewed offensive and is meant to keep Ukrainian forces from advancing.
To read the rest of our report, become a Patreon! For as little as $5 a month, you get access to the daily Russia-Ukraine War Situation Report. The report provides analysis, maps, detailed information about all the axes in Ukraine, international developments, information about war crimes and human rights, and economic news. As an added benefit, you get access to flash reports, breaking news, and our Discord server.
[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,077 days since Russia occupied Crimea on February 27, 2014. Here is our latest update.
Northeast Donetsk – In northeast Donetsk, Russian forces attempted to advance on Ivano-Daryivka and were unsuccessful, withdrawing through the Spirne no man’s land.
Bakhmut – In the Bakhmut area, Russian forces attempted to advance on Yakovlivka using reconnaissance in force. They were unsuccessful and retreated after suffering losses. There were additional attempted advances on Soledar and Bakhmut. Both attempts were unsuccessful. Ukrainian and Russian forces continued to fight for control of the northern half of Pokrovske.
Terrorists with the Imperial Legion and Private Military Company (PMC) Wagner Group temporarily captured Vershyna with the support of Russian artillery and Russia-backed separatists. The force reached Zaitseve but was pushed back into Vershyna.
In the Svitlodarsk bulge, Russian forces attempted to advance on Kodema and Travneve but were unsuccessful.
Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia – The offensive west of Donetsk city has become more focused, with Russian forces not making any additional gains in the last 36 to 48 hours. Elements of the 1st Army Corps of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) and the 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) attempted to advance on Avdiivka and Pisky but made no additional territorial gains. They remain on the southern edge of Avdiivka and to the second street in southeast Pisky.
Russian forces attempted to advance further into Marinka but were unsuccessful and withdrew.
A reconnaissance group tried to advance on Novopil on the Donetsk-Zaporizhia border, fired on Ukrainian positions, and was neutralized.
Kharkiv – North of Kharkiv, Russian forces launched a reconnaissance in force group into Dementiivka and were unsuccessful.
Southeast of Kharkiv city, Chuhuiv was hit by at least one Russian missile, causing significant damage to a factory complex.
Kherson – In Kherson, Operational Command South reported that Russian forces tried to advance on Andriivka with a platoon-size force and were unsuccessful. Russian forces suffered heavy losses in the failed advance. Operational Command South also reported that Russian forces attempted to advance on Trudloiubivka with a platoon-size force and suffered heavy losses. Based on this information, Lyubymivka is under Russian control.
A video released by Ukraine showed a loitering munition striking a group of Russian soldiers dug in to the southwest of Soldataske. Satellite images showed that Russian forces had dug trenches and built pillboxes for tanks southwest of Pravdyne. Based on this new information, Myrne, Myrolyubivka, Pravdyne, and Soldatske are under Russian control.
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Izyum – South of Izyum, a Russian reconnaissance group was discovered in the Mazanivka area and neutralized by Ukrainian forces. Neither belligerent reported additional fighting anywhere else on the axis.
Mykolaiv – Russian missiles struck Mykolaiv causing significant damage to a hospital, destroying the ambulance bay, and damaging a new trauma center.
Dnipropetrovsk – Russian forces struck the Zelenodol Power Plant with Smerch rockets fired MLRS destroying two buildings. Additionally, the Shyrokivska and Pokrovska districts of Kryvyi Rih were hit by rockets fired from MLRS. There were no casualties in the attack.
Russian forces targeted railroad infrastructure in Hrushivka, damaging the tracks. This attack was likely made to interdict equipment and personnel massing for the Kherson counteroffensive.
Sumy – Dmytro Zhivytsky, Sumy Regional Administrative and Military Governor, reported that Esman, Bilopillia, and Khotin were shelled by mortar and artillery fire. There were no details on casualties or damage.
Chernihiv – The General Staff reported Senkivka and Lypkivka in the Chernihiv oblast were shelled. There weren’t any additional details.
Daily Assessment
Russian forces have reached a culmination point in northeast Donetsk and the Izyum axis and won’t be able to restore offensive operations without adding significant resources.
Russian forces have ended attempts to advance from Izyum on Slovyansk and have transferred significant resources to Donetsk and Zaporizhia.
Ukraine’s starting point for a Kherson counteroffensive is not as robust as it appeared a couple of weeks ago.
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[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – The United States Food and Drug Administration announced that Lyons Magnus has voluntarily recalled 53 nutritional and beverage products, including popular brands such as Premier Protein, Stumptown, and Oatly, due to microbial contamination.
The products are potentially contaminated with the organism Cronobacter sakazakii. Common symptoms from infection include fever, vomiting, and urinary tract infection. Infections are rare, and so far, there have been no reported cases.
The recall was announced on July 29 and mostly impacted institutional packages of products sold to restaurants, gyms, and long-term care facilities. The impacted brands include Lyons Ready Care, Lyons Barista Style, Pirq, Glucerna, Aloha, Intelligentsia, Kate Farms, Oatly, Premier Protein, MRE, Stumptown, and Imperial. A complete list of the recalled products is available on the FDA’s website.
Impacted Glucerna products were sold at Costco, BJ’s Wholesale, and Sam’s Club under the Glucerna brand name.
Anyone who has a recalled product in his or her possession should dispose of it immediately or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers in all time zones with questions may contact the Lyons Recall Support Center 24/7 at 1-800-627-0557
[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,076 days since Russia occupied Crimea on February 27, 2014. Here is our latest update.
Northeast Donetsk – A Russian reconnaissance group probed Ukrainian positions in the Serebrianka area in the direction of Siversk. The unit was destroyed.
Bakhmut – Fighting continues in Stryapivka, with Russian forces attempting to advance on Soledar. Fighting has also continued in Pokrovske. We maintain the northern half of the settlement is a no man’s land with neither belligerent able to hold control of the area.
Fighting continues in the Svitlodarsk bulge, where Russian forces did not make additional progress in Vershyna, Semyhirya, or Travneve.
Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia – Fighting continued west of Donetsk along a broad front, including Kamyanka, Avdiivka, Pisky, and Krasnohorivka. Russian forces made no forward progress after achieving gains on July 30 and small gains in Pisky on the morning of July 31.
There were reports that Ukrainian forces had launched a limited counteroffensive south of Hulyaipole last week, and fresh reports today that advances toward Polohy were made.
There were reports of a large explosion at the airbase northwest of Melitopol. The General Staff did not report they made a HIMARS strike at the Russian-controlled airfield.
Kherson – Ukrainian forces hit a large Russian ammunition depot using rockets fired by High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in the settlement of Skadovsk. Residents reported that Russian troops had been bringing large quantities of the ammunition “for days” into the area.
An ammunition depot was hit in Russian-controlled Beryslav, also producing a large fire.
In Kakhovka, Insurgents destroyed the car of Russia-collaborator Vitaliy Efimenko. The vehicle he was driving was armored, with Efimenko suffering injuries in the attack.
In Kherson, Russian troops have dug trenches and defensive positions on the north bank of the Dnipro River at the entrance of the disabled Antonovskiy Bridge. Russian forces continue to mix civilian and military traffic on the military-operated ferry. Combat engineers have started repairs on the deck of the bridge.
At the Nova Kakhovka Dam, the railroad tracks that cross the spillway have been destroyed. The bridge has received a temporary repair using steel plates to cover the damaged area. The road is operational but reduced to a single lane.
There are reports that Oleksandrivka [Kherson] is under Russian control again.
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Izyum – Russian forces launched an unsuccessful offensive on Husarivka. There continues to be an increase in activity northwest of Izyum along the Siverski Donets River.
Odesa – Two missiles were fired into the Odesa oblast, landing in a sparsely populated area near a quarry. The strike caused a brush fire, but there wasn’t any additional information on damage or casualties.
The first boat carrying Ukrainian grain departed from an Odesa area port. The ship is carrying a load of corn that will arrive in Lebanon. The Ukrainian and Russian government declared the departure as a sign of progress.
Sevastopol – Russian authorities are now claiming the attack on the Black Sea Fleet Headquarters in Sevastopol was a locally launched attack using modified consumer drones.
Daily Assessment
The number of areas with an active insurgency in Ukraine is expanding with increasing attacks and assassination attempts in Russian-occupied territory.
A deficit in trained light infantry, disruption of logistics, and the continued destruction of ammunition depots are impacting Russia’s offensive capabilities.
Russian troop movements indicate that offensive operations toward Bakhmut and Donetsk are being prioritized while defensive operations in Kherson and Zaporizhia are being reinforced.
To read the rest of our report, become a Patreon! For as little as $5 a month, you get access to the daily Russia-Ukraine War Situation Report. The report provides analysis, maps, detailed information about all the axes in Ukraine, international developments, information about war crimes and human rights, and economic news. As an added benefit, you get access to flash reports, breaking news, and our Discord server.
[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,075 days since Russia occupied Crimea on February 27, 2014. Here is our latest update.
Northeast Donetsk – Russian forces did not attempt to advance toward Siversk from any direction. Neither Ukrainian nor Russian sources reported fighting in Spirne, Ivano-Darivka, or Berestove. A small Russian reconnaissance group was discovered in the area of Serebryanka and neutralized.
Bakhmut – Russian forces are attempting to gain full control of Pokrovske and fighting continued. The northern half of the settlement has turned into a no man’s land where control is constantly shifting.
In the Svitlodarsk bulge, Russian forces continue to work on collapsing the pocket. The settlement of Semyhirya was attacked from three sides, with Russian forces advancing to the eastern edge of the town. Russian forces attempted to advance on Zaitseve and Travneve and were unsuccessful.
Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia – Elements of the 1st Army Corps of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) and the 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) continue to attempt to advance on Kamyanka, Avdiivka, Opytne, Pisky, and Krasnohorivka. The General Staff reported that Russian forces had made some gains in Avdiivka but were non-specific. Russian sources had reported gains on July 30.
Russian forces made territorial gains north of Krasnohorivka, crossing the H-20 highway and reaching the railroad spur line. Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack from Opytne toward Spartak and successfully drove back the Russian advance.
Russian forces withdrew from the settlements of Verkhnii Tokmak and Chernihivka in Zaporizhia after their positions were shelled. The Ukrainian General Staff reports the roads have been mined. The Russian Ministry of Defense claims this is part of a planned troop rotation.
Kherson – In Kherson, the Antonivskyy Zaliznychnyy Mist Railroad bridge was attacked for a second time and is likely unusable through the rest of the war. The attack hit the bridge at the abutment, breaking the girders that connect the bridge girders and smashing the top deck.
Operational Command South reported that the Ukrainian air force flew multiple sorties on the settlement of Russian-controlled Beryslav and destroyed two ammunition depots.
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Mykolaiv – Oleksandr Sienkevych, the Mayor of Mykolaiv, reported the city experienced “the strongest ever” missile and rocket attack of the war. The city was hit with at least 40 missiles and rockets fired by multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS). Oleksii Vadaturskyi, a Hero of Ukraine and the owner of the major grain trading company Nibulon, and his wife were killed when a rocket struck their house. Vadaturskyi was 74.
Zaporizhia – The Nikopolskyi District of Zaporizhzhia was struck by Grad rockets fired by Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS). One person was injured in the attack, which knocked out water and natural gas service.
Kharkiv – North of Kharkiv, neither belligerent launched any ground offensives north of Kharkiv as the front remained frozen. The Nemyshlianskyi District in Kharkiv city was hit by a missile overnight.
Izyum – Russian forces increased ground combat activity after an extended lull on the axis. A Russian reconnaissance unit moved along the line of conflict between Nova Husarivka and Husarivka but was repelled. Another recon group tried to scout Ukrainian positions in Dolyna but was unsuccessful, and a Russian advance into Dmytrivka failed.
The General Staff reported that Ukrainian positions “near” Andriivka [Kharkiv] were shelled. This information indicates that marginal gains have been made from the west, and we now consider the settlement contested. In Svatove, 65 kilometers east-northeast of Izyum, insurgents destroyed switching and control boxes for the railroad lines.
Sumy – Dmytro Zhivytsky, Sumy Regional Administrative and Military Governor reported that Velyka Pysarivka, Bilopillya, and Seredyna-Buda were shelled by mortar and artillery fire.
Odessa – A pilot boat hit an improvised explosive device at the mouth of the Bystroye Canal, causing significant damage. The vessel lost power and drifted out of the shipping canal but did not sink. The crew was rescued, but the canal used for the transit of Ukrainian grain was closed.
A Russian missile attack on the Odesa oblast hit a mine at a quarry. The specific location was not reported at press time.
Sevastopol – The Russian state media news agency TASS reported that Ukrainian forces used drones to attack the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Russian-occupied Sevastopol. According to mayor Mikhail Razvozzhaev, five people were injured in the attack. Area officials canceled Navy Day festivities and advised all persons to stay home.
Daily Assessment
Russian forces are attempting broad but ineffective offensive operations to spread Ukrainian military resources and attempt to force a delay in pending larger counteroffensives.
Increased shelling and reconnaissance in the Chepil region of the Izyum axis likely is not a precursor to a larger offensive in this direction, given Russian failures at contested water crossings.
Russian forces continue to lose ground south of Izyum, reinforcing previous assessments that Russian combat power has reached a culmination point on this axis.
To read the rest of our report, become a Patreon! For as little as $5 a month, you get access to the daily Russia-Ukraine War Situation Report. The report provides analysis, maps, detailed information about all the axes in Ukraine, international developments, information about war crimes and human rights, and economic news. As an added benefit, you get access to flash reports, breaking news, and our Discord server.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story referenced the converted warehouse where POWs from the Azov Battalion were being kept in the northeast corner – that should have been northwest. Thank you for your understanding.
[UKRAINE] – (MTN) – On July 28, the self-declared leaders of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic accused Ukraine of attacking the Olenivka Penal Colony, located 16 kilometers from the line of conflict. Over the span of 12 hours, Russian leaders, Russian state media, and unaffiliated pro-Russian journalists shared horrifying pictures, painting the Ukrainian armed forces as the executions of their people. The evidence they showed the world and their own casualty reports painted a different picture. One that potentially and accidentally documented in vivid detail the worst war crime against POWs in Europe since the Kosovo War in 1998.
The history of the Detention Camp 52
The dark history of Olenivka started in 2014 when the camp, situated in wheat fields and rolling hills just west of the village of Molodizhne, became a filtration camp for Crimean Tartars after the Russian occupation of the Crimea Peninsula. A 2015 United States Department of State annual report on Human Rights in Ukraine documented extrajudicial imprisonment and justice, torture, and executions. Conditions in the colony were squalid where disease ran rampant, and potable water was scarce.
After the Russia-Ukraine War started in February, Detention Camp 52, as it is officially known, took on a new role as a filtration camp for Ukrainian citizens in captured territory. During the siege of Mariupol, people who tried to leave the city went through a filtration process in the towns of Manush and Bezimenne. Many of those who were taken away for additional filtration ended up in Olenivka.
Women who went through filtration and were released reported being held in concentration camp conditions. They were held in areas so cramped they had to sleep sitting or, worse, in shifts. There was little heat, no blankets, and no beds. Disease was rampant, food was scarce, and drinking water was withheld, sometimes for more than a day. Hygiene products were barely provided, and female hygiene products were not to be found.
The world got its first look inside Olenivka in April when Russian state media and Pro-Russian social media accounts circulated pictures of alleged Ukrainian POWs from Mariupol. Our team analyzed and geolocated the videos. The video wasn’t recorded in Mariupol – it was recorded in Olenivka.
Photo credit – Russian State Media – a still image from a video released on April 14 shows alleged Ukrainian POWs from Mariupol. Russian state media claimed the video was recorded in Mariupol but in the Olenivka Penal Colony.
Editor’s Note: We have elected not to blur the faces of these prisoners in the hope that the continued sharing of their faces and identities can help keep them alive.
An analysis of the video showed only a few men in military uniforms moved to the front while the rest wore civilian clothing. Some of the men didn’t wear the uniforms of Ukraine but of Russian separatist militias. Most of the men did not resemble the numerous pictures from Russian state media and dark corners of Telegram showing dead Ukrainian soldiers who were mostly younger and more fit than their Russian conscript counterparts.
Photo Credit – Google Maps – satellite image of Olenivka Penal Colony – 47°49’38.9″N 37°42’41.4″E
The penal colony is easily found on a map. The prison is double-walled and covers over 114,000 square meters. The perimeter is 1.5 kilometers with buildings for administration, guards, and worse surrounding the facility. In the northwest region, the warehouse that was partially converted into housing for prisoners of the Azov Battalion was still unused and had holes in its roof at the time of the Google satellite image.
From filtration camp to POW colony
On May 15, almost three months after the siege of Mariupol began and three weeks after Russia had declared victory within the port city, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a deal had been reached that would permit the safe surrender of the Ukrainian forces remaining inside the Azovstal Metallurgical Factory.
Confusion spread through the news channels as Pro-Russian social media accounts spread disinformation, and officials remained silent. Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine, Anna Malyar, released a brief statement in the morning saying, “Thanks to the defenders of Mariupol, Ukraine gained critically important time. They fulfilled all their tasks. But it is impossible to unblock Azovstal by military means.”
Initially, the deal negotiated through United Nations and Red Cross intermediaries appeared to be a win for Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine found a way out for up to 2,200 marines, territorial guards, foreign volunteers, and local police. Russia was able to end its siege without having to storm the fortress that was Azovstal. It would take 7,000 to 10,000 troops to defeat the 2,200 remaining defenders, resulting in heavy losses. Russia’s offensive in Luhansk was bogged down, and they needed a way out.
On May 16, the first 264 Ukrainian troops left Azovstal and into Russian captivity. Among them were 53 seriously wounded soldiers that would face death without care from a hospital. Reporters from Russian state media and western media documented the evacuation and followed the convoy of hospital buses to Bezimenne. The other 211 soldiers faced an uncertain future as a convoy of five buses headed northeast to Olenivka.
On May 16, we wrote in our Situation Report, “The soldiers were likely taken to the infamous detention camp 52, between Olenivka and Molodizhne.” Video released by Russian state media on May 17, showed the convoy of busses arriving in the morning hours at the filtration center turned POW camp.
The deal that was brokered between Russia and Ukraine through the United Nations and Red Cross would facilitate a prisoner of war transfer. The Red Cross would be able to document the information on each prisoner, notify their family members, be a conduit of communication, and would monitor their care and treatment.
As the last of as many as 2,200 remaining soldiers, foreign volunteers, and police left the bunkers of Azovstal, the deal was already falling apart.
A history of war crimes
There were already rumors and whispers about the conditions within Detention Camp 52 as Mariupol POWs streamed in. The Red Cross never received its promised access, and multiple requests to inspect Olenivka and the prisoners were denied. Officials weren’t even permitted to document all of the prisoners that were removed from Azovstal, with a large discrepancy between the numbers claimed by the Russian Ministry of Defense and human rights observers.
Before the group from Mariupol arrived, the stories were consistent for the few who could leave the walls. Men taken to Olenivka fell into three groups.
For those found to be part of the military, the government, or had a prior history with the military or as a government employee, beatings, torture, and disappearances awaited. A release could be found through forced conscription for able-bodied men from 18 to 65 with no prior military or government connections and no pro-Ukrainian tattoos or ideation on digital devices. Those that refused faced deprivation, beatings, and torture until they disappeared or joined the Donetsk People’s Republic militia as forced conscripts. For the rest, slave labor in dangerous conditions awaited while living in squalid conditions without enough food and limited access to clean drinking water. The Red Cross and United Nations brokered a deal that committed POWs to concentration camp conditions.
On June 29, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that a prisoner swap had been arranged, and 144 POWs held at Olenivka were being exchanged for 144 Russian POWs. Among those released were 95 defenders from Azovstal and 43 members of the Azov Battalion. Pro-Russian social media erupted with outrage. Outside of the bots, troll farms, and the consumers of their social media content, hope emerged for more swaps on both sides. Despite the issues, it seemed possible that civility would prevail and that the stories were exaggerations. The hope was short-lived.
Photo credit – Ukrainian Ministry of Defense – former Ukrainian POWs await transport back to Ukraine during a June 29, 2022 prisoner exchange
Many of those released were in poor health and were still healing from wounds now six weeks old. Some had to be taken away in ambulances. The Ukrainian government said that those released were getting the medical and psychological care they needed and asked for respect and privacy. Soon after their release, new whispers emerged within the medical community.
Beginning on July 8, our e-mail and social media inboxes became flooded with requests to validate reports that many of the soldiers released on June 29 had been castrated. On July 10, we made a public response that in order to confirm the reports, we would require first-person accounts from Ukraine with the cooperation of doctors and former POWs willing to go on the record. We would need access to medical records and permission from the Ukrainian government. We would need assistance and support from individuals trained to interview victims of torture and former prisoners in an ethical and respectful way.
We started working through our network to make that happen and planning a trip in late September or early October. On July 27, we received our forms from the Ukrainian government to get our press credentials. We wouldn’t need them. Hours later, the world had all the evidence it needed.
Photo credit – left – Russian state media – right – PMC Wagner Group – on the left is the person accused of torturing and executing a Ukrainian POW – on the right is a still image of the torture where the POW was beaten, castrated, mutilated, and executed
On July 28, a disturbing video emerged of a bound Ukrainian POW being castrated with a box cutter and then stomped on by a soldier in the Chechen Ahmat Unit, possibly in Severodoentsk, sometime in June. The POW was bound and restrained by multiple mercenaries and made blood-curdling screams as he was hacked for more than 45 seconds in the horrific video. After severing the genitals, the mercenary holds it up to the camera and tosses it on the ground by the man’s head. The video started circulating on Pro-Russian Telegram channels before spilling over to Twitter, YouTube, and others. The video has been deemed authentic, and the perpetrator in the video has been identified. A few hours later, a second part of the video emerged. The Ukrainian POW, who was likely already fatally wounded from his torture, was shot in the head at point-blank range.
The whispers of castration weren’t just rumors. They were unthinkably true.
A false flag to clean up a big mess
During the week of July 25, the leaders of Detention Camp 52 moved up to 200 members of the Azovstal Batallion to their own quarters. The area was walled off from the larger warehouse. It was a single room with a high ceiling and a corrugated metal roof. The building was brick and cinderblock construction.
PMC Wagner Group had at least one major problem, and possibly two. A squad recorded themselves torturing and executing a Ukrainian POW. The participants in the war crime wore surgical gloves, and the leader of the atrocity had a box cutter. In less than two minutes, they coordinated and moved in a way that indicated this was not the first time this had been done.
Worse, he was almost instantly identified because of his distinct clothing and the perpetrator appearing in earlier Russian state news reports, revealing distinguishing characteristics. Within 24 hours, the video had been validated by multiple sources, including our own team. The United Nations, European Union, and government officials condemned the action labeling it a war crime and a terrorist act.
Within the walls of Olenivka were there other prisoners who had been castrated, but instead of their testicles and penis removed to the prostate gland, only had their testicles cut off? The world will likely never know.
Hours after an undetermined explosion in the new barracks and Russian accusations of it being a HIMARS strike, the Ukrainian Directorate of Intelligence accused PMC Wagner Group of destroying the building. Local officials in Donetsk reported that 47 POWs had been killed and up to 130 wounded on July 28. Ukrainian intelligence claimed that the order to destroy the building came directly from Yevheny Prigozhin, the head of PMC Wagner Group.
There were reports that inspectors from the Russian Ministry of Defense were coming on September 1 to check on the conditions on Olenivka and do an audit of funds given to Wagner Group to expand the strained facilities.
In a statement on Telegram, Ukrainian Intelligence wrote, “The explosions in Olenivka are a deliberate provocation and an undeniable act of terrorism by the occupying forces side. According to the available information, they were carried out by mercenaries from the Wagner Group private military company (PMC) under the personal command of the nominal owner of the specified PMC, Yevheny Prigozhin.”
As the Kremlin and leaders of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic tried to turn the horror into a public relations coup, likely in an attempt to cripple western sanctions and arms support, the story quickly disintegrated. Not a single person with the Russian military, separatist militias, terrorists from the Imperial Legion, PMC Wagner Group, Chechen territorial guard, local territorial guard, or area police were injured or killed in the attack. No camp administrators or support staff were killed or wounded. The building, which held up to 200 POWs, was void of any guards or other authorities.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Ukrainian heads of staff and the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner of Human Rights regarding the terrorist attack in Olenivka, which was deliberately staged by Russian occupation forces. The Red Cross submitted a formal request to inspect the site and conduct an investigation.
The European Union condemned the incident, with EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell stating Russia’s actions constitute “severe breaches of the Geneva conventions and their Additional protocol and amount to war crimes.”
The Red Cross, which was supposed to have unfettered access as part of the May agreement, submitted a formal request to inspect the site and conduct an investigation. In a later statement, the Red Cross said it would conduct a full investigation if “all parties” would agree.
The evidence doesn’t support there was a rocket attack
Ukrainian officials have known about Olenivka since 2014. The camp, 16 kilometers from the line of conflict, has never been shelled since Russia annexed Crimea and separatists started fighting in February 2014. The settlements around the camp have also never come under artillery or rocket fire, nor have ever been bombed or attacked by aircraft. Our research team was aware of Detention Camp 52 by early March and was working on documenting and validating ongoing abuse claims.
We spoke with a former Gebirgspionier with the German Bundeswehr with explosives experience for their evaluation.
“It’s impossible that a HIMARS fired M30 or M31 warhead was used in the strike on the POW camp. No usual shrapnel pattern on the walls; they are almost virgin. Even the bodies don’t show shrapnel wounds but typical blast injuries. The roof is almost intact, which is near impossible for the corrugated metal roof material. The roof would have been blown almost entirely.
Photo credit – Russian state media – a July 29 still image from a video showing damage and charred bodies still inside the Olenivka Penal Colony
The bunk beds would have been expected to fall over and be torn apart, at least in the center of the blast radius. However, the burn marks on the walls and the spalling in their center remind me of directional charges (like one or two MON-90 hanging from or laying on the metal roof) attached to a gasoline canister. In my assessment, this caused the spalling on the wall: an impact of that metal canister where [an accelerant] splashed and formed those significant brand markings, as you would expect when searching a burned house for the source of a fire.”
Photo credit – Russian state media – a July 29 still image from a video showing damage and charred bodies still inside the Olenivka Penal Colony
Photos from the exterior also do not support the claim of a rocket attack. The building has no shrapnel damage. The corrugated metal roof has been blown outward, not smashed down and blasted away. The blast damage and fire damage are all from the interior. Metal bars and window frames are not blown out but show damage consistent with an interior building fire.
The section of the building directly adjacent to where the Azovstal prisoners were held is also undamaged, with no blast damage through the concrete block wall.
Photo credit – Russian state media – a July 29 still image from a video showing damage to the outside of the Olenivka Penal Colony, which is inconsistent with a rocket, missile, or artillery attack
But the most damning evidence came from Russian state media and PMC Wagner Group. On July 27, a video circulated of a school in Izyum that had been converted into a military base after it had been attacked with rockets fired by HIMARS. That building was more soundly constructed than the Olenivka warehouse and had multiple interior rooms that would have contained the blast. The damage to the building doesn’t match the impact on the penal colony. The roof has been smashed from the top and blown out by the detonation. The building has been blown apart, with debris strewn in multiple directions. Whole window frames were blown out and lay meters away.
Photo credit – Russian state media – a July 27 still image from a video showing a school converted to a military base by PMC Wagner Group in Izyum after it was destroyed in a HIMARS strike
In another clumsy attempt to claim Ukraine committed a war crime by destroying a school, Wagner Group’s drone video showed trenches, tank scrapes, and firing positions on the school grounds and, from at least one point, still partially intact after the strike. The video also provided clear evidence of what a HIMARS strike looks like and the damage it causes.
Epilogue
Ultimately we cannot arbitrate if this was an interior or exterior explosion. That will have to be left to the experts and investigators. It is unlikely that third-party investigators will be allowed onto the scene until it was been sanitized and prepared more, if ever.
Was the building destroyed to cover up torture and mutilation? Was the explosion rigged to mass execute Azov Battalion members while painting Ukraine as the perpetrators to fracture western support? Was PMC Wagner Group covering up more war crimes and potential corruption?
One day, we may know. In war, the victor writes the history.
Journalists, activists, and researchers defending the First Amendment
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