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Russia-Ukraine War

Assassination in Moscow – cruise missiles slam Odesa

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August 21, 2022, Russia-Ukraine War Update

[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,097 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

Three Russian cruise missiles struck the Odesa region, with the Russian Ministry of Defense claiming they destroyed rockets meant for NATO-provided HIMARS launchers. Ukrainian officials claim five Kalibr cruise missiles were fired, with two intercepted and three striking warehouses storing grain. Neither Russia nor Ukraine provided evidence to support their claims. The missile strikes are a potential violation of Russia and Ukraine’s grain shipment agreement earlier this month.

Northeast Donetsk

There was limited fighting in northeast Donetsk. Russian forces attempted to advance on Ivano-Daryivka and Vyimka and did not gain new territory.

Bakhmut

Russian forces and their proxies continued their attempts to advance beyond the KNAUF-GIPS sheetrock factory on the eastern outskirts of Soledar. They also tried to advance into Bakhmutske without success.

Russian forces continued their attacks on Zaitseve, 10 kilometers southeast of Bakhmut, striking from three directions. Ukrainian defensive positions withstood the assaults.

In the Svitlodarsk bulge, Russian forces attacked Kodema from three directions but failed to dislodge Ukrainian defenders. To the southwest, separatists with the DNR continued attempts to advance on Mayorsk without success.

Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia

In separatist-controlled Horlivka, Ukrainian forces destroyed an ammunition depot. Videos shared on social media showed a large fire with secondary explosions.

Russian-backed troops attempted to advance on Niu York from two directions – striking from the south and east.

DNR separatists attempted to advance on Optyne and retake the northern part of Pisky without success.

Separatist troops made another attempt to advance on Pervomaiske across the open country to the south. The advance was unsuccessful.

Ukrainian forces pushed DNR separatists back from the center of Marinka.

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Kherson

Rockets fired from HIMARS hit the Russian base in Chornobaivka on the outskirts of Kherson city, destroying an ammunition depot and a Russian command post.

West of Kherson, Russian forces attempted to advance on Tavrijs’ke in three separate attacks launched from Olkesandrivka using motor infantry and tanks. They were unsuccessful.

A Ukrainian reconnaissance force tested Russian defenses in the northern part of Snihurivka. Further west, Russian forces attempted to advance on Blahodatne [Mykolaiv] and were unsuccessful.

Mykolaiv

Mykolaiv Oblast Administrative and Military Governor Vitaliy Kim reported that a Russian Kalibr cruise missile hit a five-story apartment building in Voznesensk. Nine people were injured, including four children.

Dnipropetrovsk

Employees of Energoatom, the Ukrainian state-run atomic energy company, have been placed on leave, including operational staff, and told not to return to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. None of the parties involved in negotiations to allow inspectors into the power plant have set a date for when the International Atomic Energy Agency will arrive.

Sumy and Chernihiv

Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, Sumy Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported that the settlements of Buryn, Bilopillia, Khotin, and Znob-Novhorodske were shelled from across the international border with Russia. There were no injuries, and none of the strikes caused major damage.

In Chernihiv, the settlement of Pushkari was shelled. There were no reports of damage or injuries.

Beyond Ukraine

Darya Dugina, the daughter of Putin’s “brain” Alexander Dugin, was killed in an apparent professional assassination when the Land Rover she was driving exploded in Moscow. The Russian state news agency TASS confirmed her death.

Dugina was driving her father’s SUV. He was supposed to be a passenger, but he made a last-second decision to travel in a different vehicle.

Video recorded seconds after the explosion showed a stunned Dugin watching the SUV burn on a Moscow road. Dugina was a journalist and analyst who denied the war crimes in Bucha, openly called for the creation of a Ukrainian rump state, and advocated for the destruction of Ukrainian culture, claiming it was a false concept.

Her father is considered a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the architect of Russia’s growing nationalist views. Some have called him the 21st Century Rasputin due to his demeanor, history, and oversized presence in political circles.

Russia is accusing Ukraine of using biological weapons to poison Russian soldiers with Botulism. The Kremlin claims the soldiers have been sickened by Botulinum Type B, a medication sold under the brand name Myobloc. Myobloc is a different purified version of the Botulinum sold as Botox. Both are used for removing wrinkles and other secondary medical benefits.

Daily Assessment

  1. The psychological impact of the drone strike in Sevastopol is evident as Russian air defense has started firing wildly across the region and cars streaming out of Crimea.
  2. As further evidence that the crisis at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was a psychological operation attempting to smear Kyiv, the new crisis is the Kremlin accusing Ukraine of using biological weapons on Russian troops.
  3. Russian forces have made marginal gains in pushing back the Ukrainian offensives south of Izyum.

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Breaking News, Russia-Ukraine War

All eyes on Zaporizhzhia, Turkey’s Erdogan pledges support for Ukraine

August 19, 2022, Russia-Ukraine War Update

[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,095 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

Air defenses have been activated in Russian-controlled Sevastopol on the Crimea Peninsula. There are reports of explosions. Available videos on social media only show air defense missiles firing and no strikes in the city or surrounding area.

Northeast Donetsk

There was limited fighting in northeast Donetsk, with Russian forces attempting to advance in the direction of Vyimka from Spirne and Mykolaivka without success.

Bakhmut

Russian forces and their proxies fought positional battles on the outskirts of Soledar supported by artillery and attack aircraft and attempted to advance into Bakhmutske without success.

PMC Wagner Group, Russian airborne VDV forces, and elements of the LNR 2nd Army Corps, supported by the Russian air force, attempted to advance on Bakhmut from three directions without success.

In the Svitlodarsk Bulge, PMC Wagner Group and LNR separatists attempted to advance on Kodema without success, and Russian forces attempted to advance on Zaitseve from Holyivskyi but could not make any forward progress.

Ukrainian forces shelled Russian positions in Svitlodarsk.

Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia

DNR separatists launched their first offensive toward Kamyanka since July 29. Belligerents fought a positional battle, and there was no change in the line of conflict.

Separatists attempted to flank Adviivka by advancing from Novoselivka Druha and were unsuccessful.

There was an attempt to advance into Pervomaiske from the Russian-occupied areas of Pisky. Separatists were unable to move forward, lost ground, and Ukraine gained a toehold in the northern part of the contested village. DNR separatists attempted another open country advance from Lozove toward Pervomaiske and were unsuccessful.

In the southern part of the Donbas, DNR separatists attempted to advance in the direction of Vodyane without success.

Kharkiv

A building on the campus of the National Aerospace Academy in Kharkiv was destroyed in an overnight missile attack. A security guard who worked at the university was killed in the attack.

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Kherson

Operational Command South of the Armed Forces of Ukraine hinted that they attempted an offensive toward Stanislav and Shyroka Balka. The advance was unsuccessful.

The bridge at the Nova Kakhovka was hit again by rockets fired by High Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems (HIMARS), thwarting Russian combat engineer attempts to repair the structure.

Mykolaiv

Two Russian S-300 antiaircraft missiles being used as ground-to-ground weapons hit the Black Sea University in Mykolaiv on the 18th, and up to eight missiles struck the campus on the morning of the 19th. This is the third attack on the campus in the last four days and one of four universities targeted by Russian missile strikes in the last 24 hours.

Dnipropetrovsk

There is significant concern by the west and global nuclear power monitoring organizations that Russia is preparing for a false flag event at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on August 19. A statement from the Russian embassy in the United States raised eyebrows with specific accusations and the wording used.

Overnight, the settlement of Nikopol was attacked by rockets fired from MLRS located within the nuclear power plant compound.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he has agreed to a framework for a visit by an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). The agreement was reached after meeting with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in Lviv.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also in the meeting and declared, during a press conference said, “We are alarmed by the hostilities at the [nuclear power plant]. We don’t want to experience another Chornobyl. We are and will remain on Ukraine’s side.”

Sumy and Chernihiv

Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, Sumy Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported that the settlements of Bilopillia, Krasnopillia, and Myropillia, were attacked.

Beyond Ukraine

A Russian ammunition depot in Timonovo, Russia, had a catastrophic explosion. Fire and rescue crews were standing off because it was too dangerous to approach the area. Timonovo and Basovo were evacuated, along with a nearby military base.

Daily Assessment

  1. The Russian Ministry of Defense made no claims of capturing new territory for the first time since early July, and Russian troops have demonstrated they are incapable of concentrating combat power in an offensive as they did in Luhansk.
  2. We maintain that the 1st Army Corps of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People’s Republic are combat ineffective.
  3. Russian military doctrine has relied on indigenous militias and mercenaries to do the bulk of front-line fighting, such as in Chechnya, Syria, and the Central African Republic, to minimize official combat losses and weaken rump states – the waste of human capital among Donbas separatists has hobbled combat capabilities.

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.

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Breaking News, Russia-Ukraine War

Multiple attacks in Russia and Crimea, ammo stored at nuke plant – August 18, 2022 Ukraine update

[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,094 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

An open-air Russian ammunition depot in Timonovo, Russia, exploded on Thursday evening, causing the evacuation of two towns and a military base. Videos from the area showed multiple secondary explosions, including rockets, missiles, thermite, and potentially white phosphorus. Fire and rescue crews were standing off because it was too dangerous to approach the area. Satellite images before the explosion show the depot, located 30 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, is 147,500 square meters (1.6 million square feet) and contained dozens of military vehicles.

There are conflicting reports that Belbek Military Airfield in Sevastopol was attacked and had an explosion. Videos from the area showed air defenses had been activated and recorded explosions and sonic booms in the area. A video allegedly showing a large explosion at an ammunition depot was deemed to be falsely attributed to the airfield.

There are fresh reports that the helicopter base in Stary Oskol, Russia, has been attacked.

Russian air defenses were activated at the Kersch Bridge, which connects Russian-controlled Crimea with the Russian mainland. Russian officials claim they shot down a Ukrainian drone. There was no damage to the bridge.

Social media reports are claiming that Enerhodar, where the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is located, is under heavy attack. A video from earlier today showed Russian military vehicles and ammunition stored in the reactor one complex. An earlier video showed military equipment moving in and out of the machine shop area of reactor one, but the amount of hardware inside was unclear. The ammunition is stored in the same building that houses the generation turbine deck for the reactor one complex.

Northeast Donetsk

There was limited fighting in northeast Donetsk, with Russian forces attempting to advance on Vesele supported by the Russian air force from Bilohorivka [Donetsk]. The advance was unsuccessful. Ukrainian forces were able to overrun the first line of Russian defenses near Bilohorivka.

Russian forces attempted to maneuver to Vyimka but lacked the troop strength to advance across the open territory.

Bakhmut

Russian forces and their proxies tried to improve their positions within the KNAUF-GIPS sheetrock factory in Soledar but did not most the line of conflict. Russian forces also attempted to advance into Bakhmutske without success.

PMC Wagner Group, Russian airborne VDV forces, and elements of the LNR 2nd Army Corps attempted to advance on Bakhmut from two directions without success.

Russian forces and their proxies also attempted to advance on the T-0513 Highway through Zaitseve (10 kilometers southeast of Bakhmut) and were unsuccessful.

In the Svitlodarsk Bulge, PMC Wagner Group and LNR separatists attempted to advance on Kodema without success.

Russian forces also attempted to advance on Zaitseve from Holyivskyi and tried to capture the Mayorsk border crossing. Neither offensive was successful.

Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia

Russia-backed separatists of the DNR were able to advance from Spartak to the edge of Opytne and are attempting to consolidate their gains.

Fighting to reach the village of Nevelske has been intense. DNR used white phosphorus munitions on established Ukrainian positions. DNR forces attempted to cross open territory from Lozove toward Pervomaiske and cross the Ukrainian positions along the E-50 Ring Road. They were unsuccessful.

A railway bridge was hit by an apparent single HIMARS rocket in Makiivka, destroying the tracks, the tunnel, and supports.

Ukraine attacked Russian-controlled Panteleymonovka. One person was killed in the strike.

A Russian ammunition depot in Amvrosiivka was destroyed by rockets fired from HIMARS. The initial blast shattered windows and damaged buildings up to 1.6 kilometers away.

In the southern part of the Donbas, fighting for control of Novobakhmutivka continued, with Ukrainian positions hit by artillery.

Ivan Fedorov, the exiled mayor of Melitopol, said that Russian occupying forces had sealed the city and forcing everyone to go through filtration. The city has been rocked by almost daily partisan attacks, including a series of explosions on August 17.

In Russian-controlled Kyrylivka, Russian ammunition and military equipment reportedly exploded due to insurgent activity.

Kharkiv

Russian missiles hit an apartment building in the Saltiva district of Kharkiv. The building was destroyed in the attack, killing seven and wounding 20. The city was hit a second time in the Slobidskyi District. A hostel was partially destroyed before sunrise killing two and wounding 18.

Rockets also struck Krasnohrad at 4:00 AM while people were still asleep. Two people were killed, and another two were wounded.

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Kherson

Operational Command South of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the General Staff reported conflicting information about Bilohirka on the Inhulets River bridgehead. The General Staff reported that Russian forces attempted to advance on the settlement and were unsuccessful. Operational Command South reported that a Russian ammunition depot in Bilohirka was destroyed.

Dnipropetrovsk

The settlement of Nikopol was shelled overnight. A school was damaged, and one woman was hospitalized.

There has been no progress on efforts to demilitarize the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Lviv for talks with Ukrainian and Turkish officials about the situation in Zaporizhzhia.

Sumy and Chernihiv

Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, Sumy Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported that 176 artillery shells hit border towns on August 17. The settlements of Bilopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Esman, Krasnopillia, Yunakivka, Myropillia, Shalyhyne, and Buryn were attacked.

Odesa-Crimea-Black Sea

Reports by Russian state media that the naval airbase in Russian-controlled Hvardeyskye, Crimea, experienced a fire with several explosions was a disinformation campaign. Satellite images show there was no damage, and the base was operating normally.

Daily Assessment

  1. The 1st Army Corps of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People’s Republic are combat ineffective.
  2. Ukraine continues to destroy ammunition depots, troop positions, and military equipment deep in Russian-occupied territory.
  3. Russian forces launched a series of punitive strikes on civilian targets in Mykolaiv, Zatoka, and Kharkiv, and we expect more attacks through the rest of the week.

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National, Russia-Ukraine War

Russians make little progress – August 1, 2022 Ukraine update

[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

  1. The number of areas with an active insurgency in Ukraine is expanding with increasing attacks and assassination attempts in Russian-occupied territory.
  2. A deficit in trained light infantry, disruption of logistics, and the continued destruction of ammunition depots are impacting Russia’s offensive capabilities.
  3. 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.

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Mykolaiv shattered in missile attack – July 31, 2022 Ukraine update

[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

  1. Russian forces are attempting broad but ineffective offensive operations to spread Ukrainian military resources and attempt to force a delay in pending larger counteroffensives.
  2. 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.
  3. Russian forces continue to lose ground south of Izyum, reinforcing previous assessments that Russian combat power has reached a culmination point on this axis.

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Russian Su-34 shot down by ‘friendly fire’ – July 18, 2022 Ukraine update

[KYIV, Ukraine] – MTN It has been 3,063 days since Russia occupied Crimea on February 27, 2014.

Russian Minister of Defense General Sergei Shogui announced on July 15 that the operational pause by Russian forces was over. In the first 36 hours since the announcement, Ukraine had the quietest day on the battlefield since February 24. The Russia-Ukraine War is entering Phase 3, but it remains unclear what that will look like.

Luhansk – Russian troops remained pinned in Bilohorivka and the Verkhnokamyanka oil refinery. Attempts to advance into Donetsk were thwarted in both directions.

Near Alchevsk, during a Ukrainian High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) attack, air defenses of the Luhansk People’s Republic accidentally targeted a Russian Su-34 generation 4.5 fighter aircraft, shooting the plane down. The airframe has been identified as number RF-95890, a Su-34M. The M variant is the most technologically advanced version of the Su-34. The pilot was able to eject, with Ukraine claiming they captured the pilot behind the line of conflict. The wreckage was still smoldering at sunrise.

Northeast Donetsk – The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian forces tried advancing “near” Hryhorivka and were unsuccessful. There was also a report of a probe toward Serebrianka, which was unsuccessful.

Additionally, there is continued fighting in the Spirne-Ivano-Daryivka area with no change in territorial control. Spirne remains a no man’s land.

Bakhmut – Serhiy Haidai, the Luhansk Region Administrative and Military Head, reported that the next Russian objective is Bakhmut. Russian forces shelled and fired rockets from MLRS at Soledar, Bakhmut, and the surrounding villages.

In the Svitlodarsk Bulge, Russian forces attempted to improve their positions in Novoluhanske and advance on the Vuldhar Power Plant. Neither attack was successful.

Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia – Elements of the 1st Army Corps of the Donetsk People’s Republic attempted to advance on Marinka. Fighting continued overnight, but Ukrainian forces beat back the Russia-backed militia.

Ukraine claims to have hit a Russian ammunition depot in Mykilske with HIMARS rockets. The depot was stored with ammonium nitrate fertilizer, creating a large shockwave and clouds of telltale orange smoke.

Pro-Russian social media accounts were reporting Ukraine had liberated Solodoke, south of Donetsk city.

Kherson – Ukraine hit two Russian ammunition depots in Nova Kakhovka using NATO-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). Russian and Ukrainian forces exchange artillery, rockets, and air strikes from Oleksandrivka [Mykoaliv] to Osokorivka. There weren’t any documented changes in territorial control.

Operational Command South of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the air force attacked “troop concentrations” never Davydiv Brid.

Dnipropetrovsk – The city of Nikopol was hit with over 60 rockets fired from Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) across the Dnipro. Civilians and civilian infrastructure were targeted. The Russian Ministry of Defense set up artillery and MLRS firing positions in Enerhodar at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.

Kharkiv – Northeast of Kharkiv, there were no ground attacks of significance from either belligerent. Russian forces had improved their position in Dementiivka on July 16, but were pushed back by Ukrainian territorial guard forces overnight.

Sumy – The settlements of Velikopysariv, Krasnopil, Khotyn, Bilopol, Shalygin, Novoslobid, Esman, and Seredino-Bud were shelled by artillery and rockets fired by MLRS from Russian positions across the international border. There were no reports of casualties.

Chernihiv – Twelve artillery shells hit the settlement of Snovsk in the Chernihiv oblast. There were no reports of injuries.

Izyum – For the second day in a row, Russian forces made no attempts to advance on the line of conflict south of Izyum. Multiple reports indicated that Russian forces had lost control of Dibrovne.

Odesa – Black Sea – Serhiy Bratchuk, the adviser to the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, reported that a majority of warships in the Black Sea Fleet had been relocated from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk in Russia.

Beyond Ukraine – A Ukrainian An-12 cargo plane operated by the private company Meridian Air crashed in Greece. The plane had taken off from Serbia and was en route to Amman, Jordan, when it experienced a mid-air emergency. Witnesses said the plane caught fire and rapidly descended before crashing. All eight crew members were killed in the crash.

Daily Assessment

  1. It has been two days since the Kremlin announced the operational pause is over, and the operational tempo for ground combat remains low.
  2. Russian forces have increased the amount of artillery fire in the last 24 hours, but it remains far below the intensity of fire experienced in June 2022.
  3. We cannot confirm Governor Haidai’s statement that the next large offensive from Russian forces will be to secure Bakhmut. We believe that defending Kherson or securing Siversk will be the next major objective.

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