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The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense announced the start of a military operation in Karabakh following a series of alleged attacks by Armenia forces, with the aim of disarming the breakaway Republic of Artsakh.

Fighting has continued throughout the day, with 7,000 civilians being evacuated from the regions of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh. At least 25 people have been killed in the fighting, with videos showing civilian areas being hit by artillery rounds and mortars.

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces released a series of videos showing Armenian air defenses, radar, and communication sites being destroyed by drones. Power in the city of Stepanakert was knocked out, with residents in panic as the sound of continuous artillery fire rubbled.

Azerbaijan officials claim that landmines placed on roads killed civilians and soldiers on September 19, sparking the “anti-terror operation.” Armenia vehemently denies the claim.

At the start of the hostilities, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense released a statement saying, “In the last few months, the Armenian armed forces units in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan systematically fired at the positions of the Azerbaijani Army from various calibers of weapons, continued mining of our territories, engineering improvements of the combat positions, as well as increasing the number of trenches and shelters, caused an increase in tension.”

The Ministry claimed that a land mine killed employees of the State Agency of Zaerbaijan Highways, and in a separate incident, military personnel were killed and injured “as a result of a mine planted by the intelligence-sabotage groups,” adding that Russia and Türkiye were notified about the military action.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia released a statement saying that “Azerbaijan unleashed another large-scale aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, aimed at completing its policy of ethnic cleansing” that is “guided by a sense of impunity.”

Armenian officials condemned the ongoing blockade of the Lachin Corridor, which has isolated up to 120,000 ethnic Armenians, bringing thousands to the brink of starvation. The Ministry accused Azerbaijan of conducting false flag attacks to justify large-scale military operations, adding, “the news about mining and sabotage operations are false and fabricated.”

In the same statement, Armenia appealed to its international partners, the UN Security Council, and the Russian peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh to put “an end to Azerbaijan’s aggression.”

A History of Religious Violence and Genocide

Historically, the Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh region has been a homeland for ethnic Armenians. In 1805, Russian troops occupied Artsakh, annexing the territory from Iran in 1812. During the First Balkan War of 1912, Christian Armenians were accused of atrocities against Muslims, laying the foundation for future violence. A 1913 coup in the Ottoman Empire installed a one-party, fiercely anti-Christian government, which started a policy of forced relocations. Constantinople (now Istanbul) began “Muslimifcation” of the regions bordering Imperial Russia to disrupt what they believed was a growing separatist movement.

On October 29, 1914, the Ottoman Empire aligned with the Central Powers and entered World War I by attacking Russia’s Black Sea ports. Ottoman armies invaded Russia through modern-day Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the offensive was a military disaster. Retreating Ottaman-Turks massacred Christian Armenians and burned towns to the ground. This started a two-year genocide that killed up to 1.5 million ethnic Armenians through executions, starvation, and forced labor.

A brief period of independence from 1918 to 1920 ended with the invasion of the Soviet Red Army, and in 1922, Armenia and Azerbaijan became part of the Soviet Union.

When Josef Stalin became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1924, he implemented policies that harshly repressed religion. A heavy hand with a crushing grip closed the fractures between Christians and Muslims, but the wounds remained unhealed.

For its historical part, Türkiye has never recognized the Armenian Genocide.

How Azerbaijan and Armenia Got to Today

As the Soviet Union crumbled, the first clashes over control of the region erupted in 1988. In 1991, the Republic of Artsakh, located in a mountainous region of the South Caucus, declared its independence from the Soviet Union. A regional ceasefire was negotiated in 1994, with the Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh continuing to operate as an independent region within the borders of Azerbaijan, heavily supported by Armenia.

Today, the Nagorno-Karabakh uses the Armenian dram as its currency, holds elections for an independent government, and is supported militarily by Armenian “volunteers.” Despite these connections, the Armenian government has never formally declared Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Armenia territory.

In a series of skirmishes, clashes, and a four-day war in 2016, various peace agreements and annexations left Nagorno-Karabakh isolated from the internationally recognized border of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Access to the region is dependent on a single road – the Lachin Corridor.

The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War started on September 27, 2020, leaving 7,000 dead before a Russian Federation brokered ceasefire was reached on November 10. Part of the agreement placed Russian peacekeepers in Azerbaijan to act as observers, prevent further hostilities, and keep the Lachin Corridor open.

The geopolitics of the region is complex, with Azerbaijan backed by Turkey. Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Russia’s version of NATO, which includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

The Beginning of the end of the CSTO Alliance

On September 12, 2022, Azerbaijan launched an unprovoked attack on Armenia, and on September 13, it shelled a base housing Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) peacekeeper troops, damaging barracks and vehicles. On September 14, Armenia tried to execute Article IV of the CSTO Alliance, requesting direct military intervention. The Kremlin rejected the petition and offered to send additional observers. From September 12 to 29, the clashes left up to 300 people dead, including civilians.

On the same day that Armenia requested assistance from the Alliance, CSTO members Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan entered into a four-day border clash that left over 150 dead, including civilians, with both combatants accusing each other of war crimes.

With two members fighting, up to 90% of Russian ground forces fighting in Ukraine or supporting the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, and Belarus entangled with Russia, Kazakhstan was the only CSTO member not already at war, supporting a war, or ready to fight a war with another CSTO member.

It was under this backdrop that Armenia hosted the CSTO Alliance Summit in Yerevan on November 23-24. At the end of the summit, Armenia refused to sign a draft declaration due to the absence of a statement addressing Azerbaijan’s aggression.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said, “Under these conditions, the lack of a clear political assessment of the situation and the failure to make the above decision may not only mean the CSTO’s refusal from allied obligations but may also be interpreted by Azerbaijan as a green light from the CSTO for further aggression against Armenia.”

With the CSTO leaders sitting at a round table and the signing ceremony broadcasted on live TV, Pashinian declared the summit over and walked out of the room. Russian President Vladimir Putin was so stunned the pen fell out of his hand.

Russia Wanted More from the 2020 Ceasefire

Moscow started flexing its political will in the region, fomenting the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to declare independence and the desire to become part of the Russian Federation.

Following the same playbook used in Georgia and Ukraine, Russia started offering passports to Armenians, and on February 22, 2022, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Konstantin Zatulin, said the same process used to create the illegitimate so-called Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republic in Ukraine, could work in Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh. He suggested that the pro-Russian elements of the Karabakh could form a People’s Republic aligned with Moscow, which would facilitate future annexation.

On April 13, Russian propagandist and ethnic Armenian Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT, shared a post on Telegram supporting the formation of a so-called Karabakh People’s Republic.

Russia’s attempt to occupy Ukraine in February 2022 collapsed in a humiliating defeat, suffering the loss of tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of pieces of some of its best military hardware in just five weeks. To continue its war of aggression and reconstitute military units, Russia started drawing down its peacekeepers and military hardware from regions around the world, including Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor. In December 2022, Azerbaijan blockaded the mountain roadway.

What’s the World is Saying

French President Emmanuel Macron called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, and the European Council condemned the hostilities. In a separate statement, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused Azerbaijan of breaking the 2020 peace agreement. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there is “deep concern for the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and underscored that the United States is calling on Azerbaijan to immediately cease hostilities and return to dialogue immediately.”

The Foreign Ministry of Russia called for an end of hostilities. “In connection with the sharp escalation of the armed confrontation in Nagorno Karabakh, we urge the conflicting parties to immediately stop the bloodshed, stop hostilities, and eliminate civilian casualties.”

The statement from Moscow falsely alleges that Yerevan has made a territorial claim to Nagoro-Karabakh. On May 25, in a televised address that included Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and Pashinian, Putin said, “In my opinion, on the whole, despite difficulties and problems, and there are enough of them, the situation is nonetheless moving towards a settlement,” adding that, “officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia would continue to meet to ensure that “all unresolved issues will be cleared away.”

During those talks, Pashinian offered a shocking list of concessions, including the ratification of the Armenia-Azerbajian border and recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory. Pashinian singular condition was security guarantees to the 120,000 ethnic Armenians in the region. As recently as August, Putin expressed hope a resolution would be reached and called for patience.

The Foreign Ministry of Türkiye said that Azerbaijan was left with no options, declaring, “As a result of its rightful and legitimate concerns about the situation on the ground that it voiced repeatedly not being alleviated in nearly three since the end of the Second Karabakh War, Azerbaijan was forced to take measures it deems necessary on its sovereign territory.”

Another Genocide

The nine-month blockade has left Nagorno-Karabakh without food, fuel, and medical supplies. Residents line up for bread, with people standing in line for hours to receive one loaf per day. On August 15, 2023, Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender, Gegham Stepanyan, reported the first person had died from malnutrition due to the blockade. The next day, the United Nations demanded that the Lachin Corridor be opened immediately to allow relief aid to pass, which Azerbaijan ignored. On September 11, the BBC independently verified that eight residents had died from hunger.

Because Armenia has never made an official claim that Nagorno-Karabakh is its national territory, for right or wrong, international law will likely view the ongoing fighting as an Azerbaijan internal issue.

Ominously, the Azerbaijan state news agency, quoting a presidential spokesperson, said, “Nevertheless, for the antiterror measures to stop, the illegal Armenian military formations must raise the white flag, all the weapons must be handed over, and the illegal regime must be dissolved. Otherwise, the antiterror measures will be continued until the end.”

Azerbaijan forces did reopen the Lachin Corridor, but embattled civilians report the road is being shelled by artillery, making it impassable.

In a Facebook Live address, Prime Minister Pashinyan asserted that Armenia is not currently involved in the situation in Artsakh, sparking mass protests.

Armenia’s Fragile Future

Thousands have gathered in Yerevan calling for the resignation of Pashinyan, despite his calls to remain calm and to resist “provocations aimed at destabilizing the nation.”

Ignoring his request, tensions are rapidly rising, and Pashinian condemned protesters demanding a coup. Security forces have deployed flashbang grenades and potentially teargas.

Protesters also surrounded the Russian Embassy, demanding intervention in Azerbaijan as part of the 2020 peace accord, chanting, “shame,” “killers,” and curses at Russian President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The Russian Foreign Ministry urged the Armenian government to end the protest.

On social media, a flood of Russian disinformation has started, referring to Armenia as “temporarily occupied” and calling Pashinyan a CIA-installed puppet. There are hints that Russia is attempting to take advantage of the situation, with the Russian Deputy Chairman of the Security Council and former President, Dmitry Medvedev, writing, “One day, one of my colleagues from a fraternal country told me: ‘Well, I’m a stranger to you, you won’t accept me.’ I answered what I had to: ‘We will judge not by biography, but by actions.’ Then he lost the war, but strangely stayed in place. Then he decided to blame Russia for his mediocre defeat. Then he gave up part of the territory of his country. Then he decided to flirt with NATO, and his wife defiantly went to our enemies with cookies. Guess what fate awaits him.”

After Armenia requested Russia to honor the 2020 peace agreement, propagandist Simonyan wrote on Telegram, “Pashinyan demands (!) that Russian peacekeepers protect [Artsakh]. And what about NATO? Not? Doesn’t protect?”

We had assessed the CSTO Alliance had reached the beginning of the end last year, with Russia’s September 2022 refusal to provide military aid to Armenia, Pashinian’s dramatic end to the CSTO Summit, and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan almost reaching all-out war.

In May 2023, Pashinyan declared Armenia would remain in CSTO, and Armenia has been accused of supporting Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine by being one of the main conduits for the transit of sanctioned goods. But Yerevan is keeping an eye on the West for its future.

In 2022, United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) became the highest-level U.S. official to ever visit Yerevan on official business. On March 24, Türkiye and Armenia opened two border crossings that had been closed since 1993, and on September 11, Armenia and the U.S. launched a ten-day joint military exercise involving 85 U.S. troops. The Armenian Defense Ministry said the drills are meant to increase the interoperability of units participating in international peacekeeping missions and exchanging tactical skills.

Armenia has had a dedicated peacekeeping brigade since 2001. The 12th Peacekeeping has deployed to Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Kazakhstan. In 2019, Armenia responded to a Russian request to deploy explosive ordnance disposal engineers, medics, and security officers to Aleppo, Syria.

Putin’s Dilemma has no Good Answer, and Thousands Could Die

Militarily, the CSTO Alliance is the Russian Federation’s might covering several other nations. Prior to 2022, this was a convenient relationship. The Kremlin could exert its power, and the CSTO members had a nuclear-armed force that the world perceived was still a global superpower. The price of entry was loyalty to President Putin.

Russian losses in Ukraine could be as many as 260,000 troops since February 24, 2022, and there is significant evidence that up to 45% of all Russian military land war hardware is damaged, destroyed, or needs extensive reconditioning due to neglect. The state of the Russian Federation Armed Forces was worse in September 2023 than it was in 2022 when it declined Armenia’s Article IV request.

The bitter truth for Moscow is it can’t intervene in Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh even if it wanted to, and the peacekeeping force it deployed in November 2020 has been impotent. Unable to project military power, the Kremlin is settling on a disinformation campaign that the NATO Alliance supports Armenia, and the country is being betrayed. Since President Putin rose to power, nations embedded in Russia’s sphere of influence that have shown interest in broadening their alliances have been met with destabilization efforts and military intervention.

Complicating the situation for Putin, Russia’s dismantling of Private Military Company Wagner Group is backfiring in Africa. The West African branch of al Qaeda, called Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), has recently launched a series of brutal attacks on the remaining Wagner mercenaries, the troops of the interim government of Mali, and non-Muslim civilians. PMC Wagner mercenaries have publicly accused the Russian Ministry of Defense of sabotaging military aircraft and sharing the mercenary group’s tactical plans.

Russia appears to be preempting an Armenian Article IV declaration while ignoring its existing obligations to maintain a viable peacekeeping force in Azerbaijan. Putin is in an incredibly difficult position and could find himself trying to hold back an ongoing Ukrainian offensive while sinking into a Sahel and Caucus quagmire of his own making.

Regardless of the geopolitical swamp that has brewed for over 120 years and extends across three continents, thousands of ethnic Armenians are trapped in Artsakh and face starvation, repression, and death.

Russia-Ukraine War

Russia has exhausted its combat capabilities in Ukraine

August 22, 2022 Malcontent News Staff

August 22, 2022, Russia-Ukraine War Update

[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,098 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

Russian cruise missiles struck Zatoka for the twelfth time since February 24. Russian cruise missiles hit the disabled Zatoka Bridge. There are no reports of injuries.

Northeast Donetsk

Russian forces were attempted an advance on Vesele [Donetsk] from Spirne while Siversk and the surrounding settlements were shelled, as was Ivano-Daryivka.

An ammunition depot in Alchevsk was destroyed in a rocket attack launched by HIMARS.

Bakhmut

PMC Wagner Group and elements of the 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) attempted to advance into Soledar and Bakhmutske without success.

Private Military Company (PMC) Wagner Group, supported by the LNR separatists, remains on the outskirts of Bakhmut. The 58th Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine shot down a Russian Su-25 ground attack aircraft.

Russian forces continued their attacks on Zaitseve, 10 kilometers southeast of Bakhmut, striking from two directions.

In the Svitlodarsk bulge, Russian forces attacked Kodema from three directions but failed to dislodge Ukrainian defenders.

Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia

North of Donetsk, an attempt to advance on Niu York ended in failure. DNR separatists fought positional battles near Krasnohorivka but could not improve their tactical situation.

West of Donetsk, elements of the 1st Army Corps of the DNR attempted to advance on Optyne and Pisky using reconnaissance in force without success.

The village of Nevelske was attacked from two directions, but a lack of tanks made moving across the open fields near impossible for light infantry forces.

DNR separatists tried to improve their positions in eastern Marinka using reconnaissance in force. They also attempted to flank Markina from Luhanske without success.

In Donetsk, rockets fired from HIMARS made a precision strike on a large ammunition depot in the eastern part of the city.

On the Donetsk-Zaporizhia administrative border, Russian forces tried to advance on the Velyka Novosilka suburb of Neskuchne and were unsuccessful.

Kharkiv

North of Izyum, Russian forces launched offensives on Dementiivka and Pytomnyk, but they were unsuccessful.

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Izyum

South of Izyum, Russian forces maintained tradition with attempted advances on Dmytrivka and Bohorodychne using reconnaissance in force. They weren’t successful. Russian units attacked Ukrainian positions in Dibrovne, Dolyna, and Karnaukhivka. They also tried to advance in the direction of Nova Dmytrivka from Brazhkivka. They were not able to gain new territory.

Kherson

Rockets fired from HIMARS hit the Antonivsky Bridge in Kherson, producing a major fire and a large explosion. Rockets also hit the bridge and Russian bases in Nova Kakhovka.

Russian airborne troops (VDV) continued their attempts to advance on Tavrijs’ke from Oleksandrivka. They could not improve their positions. Russian forces attempted to capture all of Blahodatne [Mykolaiv] but remained unsuccessful.

Ukrainian forces launched offensives on Novohrednjeve and Sukhyi Stavok, intending to expand the Inhulets River bridgehead. Fighting was described as intense. However, Ukrainian troops did not capture either settlement.

Dnipropetrovsk

The situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is unchanged. 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.

Valentyn Reznichenko, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported that Nikopol was hit by Grad rockets fired from the Zaporizhzhia NPP region.

Sumy and Chernihiv

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

In Chernihiv, the settlements of Muravyi and Zaliznyi Mist were shelled. There were no reports of damage or injuries.

Odesa, Crimea, and the Black Sea

North of Odesa, Russia fired five Kalibr cruise missiles into the Odesa Oblast. Two were shot down, with three landing in the area of Maiors’ke. Russia also fired two cruise missiles at the Zatoka Bridge south of Odesa. The bridge has been disabled since early May, and this was the sixth strike on the structure since the start of the war.

Russian air defenses fired at unidentified objects across the Crimea Peninsula, but there were no confirmed drone or missile strikes. Russian sources did not provide any proof to support claims of rockets, missiles, and drones being shot down.

Beyond Ukraine

Russia’s National Republican Army claimed responsibility for the assassination of Daryna Dugina on August 21. The group claims that they planted an improvised explosive device (IED) under the driver’s seat of her father’s SUV.

Daily Assessment

The British Ministry of Intelligence and the ISW assessed that Russian forces had exhausted their combat strength, validating our conclusion from August 19.
Russian officials have likely kicked out Ukrainian employees of Energoatom from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to eliminate evidence of its use as a military base in preparation for the agreed-to International Atomic Energy Agency inspection.
There is a very high chance of multiple and significant punitive strikes against Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure the week of August 22 due to attacks on Belgorod, Russian-occupied Crimea, the assassination of Darya Dugina, and Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations on August 24.

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Russia-Ukraine War

Assassination in Moscow – cruise missiles slam Odesa

August 21, 2022 Malcontent News Staff 1 Comment

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

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.
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.
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 Malcontent News Staff

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

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.
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.
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.

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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

August 18, 2022 Malcontent News Staff

[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

The 1st Army Corps of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People’s Republic are combat ineffective.
Ukraine continues to destroy ammunition depots, troop positions, and military equipment deep in Russian-occupied territory.
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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Russia-Ukraine War

Russian offensive to capture Avdiivka falters – August 17, 2022 Ukraine update

August 17, 2022 Malcontent News Staff

[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,093 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.

Northeast Donetsk

Russian forces gaining additional protection from the Russian air force withdrew from the area of Ivano-Darivka back to the Verkhnokamyanka oil refinery.

The former offices of the Ukrainian Intelligence Service in occupied Lysychansk were destroyed in a rocket attack launched by High Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems (HIMARS). Governor Haidai reported the building was occupied by the 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR). It is claimed over 100 were killed.

On August 15, an ammunition depot in Russian-controlled Rodakove was destroyed in a probable HIMARS attack.

Officers of the 2nd Army Corps on the LNR accidentally revealed the location of their command post in Lysychansk when they posted pictures on social media. The photos included all the metadata, including the precise geolocation.

Bakhmut

Reconnaissance units probed Ukrainian defenses in Soledar near the area of the KNAUFF-GIPS sheetrock factory and returned to their positions. In support of the attempted advance on Soledar, Russian forces continue to attempt to advance on Bakhmutske.

Russian forces tried to move into Zaitseve (10 kilometers southeast of Bakhmut) using reconnaissance in force and were unsuccessful.

In the Svitlodarsk bulge, Russian forces attempted to advance into Zaitseve (north of Horlivka) but were unsuccessful.

Elements of the 1st Army Corps of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) attempted to advance through the Mayorsk border crossing after Russian forces shelled Ukrainian positions to the north and were unsuccessful. Following an artillery barrage on Shumy, DNR forces attempted to advance into the settlement and were unsuccessful.

Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia

Near Donetsk, elements of the 1st Army Corps attempted to advance on Nevelske and Opytne. The advance on Nevelske was unsuccessful, and fighting was ongoing in Spartak, southeast of Opytne.

After fighting to secure the Butivka Mine Ventilation Shaft compound on the southeast edge of Pisky, DNR forces abandoned their positions without a fight. We have recoded Pisky as contested based on social intelligence, the General Staff report, and Russian state media reports.

Ukrainian forces shelled a water treatment plant in Donetsk city, causing additional damage to the facility, which was previously attacked on March 16.

Russian missiles destroyed several warehouses and electrical infrastructure in Kurakhove.

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

Russian forces attempted an advance on Shevchenko and were unsuccessful.

The International Red Cross now claims that its employees were able to visit the Russian penal colony in Olenvika, Donetsk, on two occasions. The revelation reverses earlier claims that they had never been allowed inside the compound. The ICRC stated they had no opportunities to meet with prisoners face-to-face, and Russian proxy forces would not allow unsupervised meetings, violating the Geneva Convention. For background information, you can read our Special Report: Anatomy of a botched false flag attack at Detention Camp 52.

Kharkiv

Members of the Azov Battalion conducted a special operation in Russian-controlled Ternova, northeast of Kharkiv. The unit destroyed two Russian BMP infantry fighting vehicles, an ammunition depot, and an observation post. Russian forces responded by remotely mining the settlements of Peremoha and Ukrainka.

Southeast of Kharkiv, Russian forces launched offensives toward Bazaliivka and Lebyazhe – neither were successful.

Russian forces shelled Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure along the entire line of conflict, including firing rockets from MLRS into the Saltivka District of Kharkiv.

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Izyum

South of Izyum, Russian forces continued their attempts to recapture Mazanivka and were unsuccessful. A new offensive to recapture Bohorodychne was launched, resulting in Russian forces being pushed back.

Russian forces shelled and then remote mined Dibrovne. The General Staff reported that Russian forces were advancing in the area of Nova Dymtrivka and were unsuccessful.

Near the village of Rudneve, Russian forces were ambushed by Ukrainian forces in the so-called “Sherwood Forest” region, west of Izyum.

Kherson

Russian efforts to push Ukraine from the Inhulets River bridgehead failed. Russian Special Operation Forces (SOF) attempted to flank Ukrainian positions in Bilohirka by advancing a platoon toward Bila Krynsytsya. The unit was discovered, suffered heavy losses, and retreated.

Simultaneously Russian forces from Davydiv Brid advanced on Bilohirka, contested the town, and then were pushed back, suffering heavy casualties in the failed offensive.

Russian forces made a second attempt to advance on Novohryhorivka, northwest of Kherson city and were unsuccessful.

There are reports that units of the Chechen Rosgvardiya have been redeployed east of the Dnipro River to prevent deserters from trying to leave their positions in Kherson. There have not been reports of widespread desertion, but morale is reported to be low, with the 25,000 Russian troops west of the river cut off.

Dnipropetrovsk

The settlement of Nikopol was shelled overnight. There was damage to the Nikopol highway and six homes but no casualties.

There has been no progress on efforts to demilitarize the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

The Russian Ministry of Defense and Volodymyr Rogov, the Russian-appointed head of Zaporizhzhia, accused Ukraine of shelling the power plant and damaging the cooling circuit.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Lviv on August 18. Topics will include grain shipments, economics, and the situation at Zaporizhzhia. After the meeting in Lviv, Guterres will travel to Odesa.

Sumy and Chernihiv

Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, Sumy Oblast Administrative and Military Governor, reported that 130 artillery shells hit border towns on August 16. The settlements of Khotin, Billopillia, Myrolaiivka, Shalyhyne, and Krasnopillia were attacked.

The settlement of Kamianska Sloboda in the Chernihiv oblast was shelled from across the international border. There were no reports of casualties.

Odesa-Crimea-Black Sea

The seaside resort town of Zatoka was struck by two Kh-22 air-to-sea cruise missiles fired by Russian air force Tu-22M3 heavy bombers. The attack destroyed up to seven seaside hotels and over a dozen summer homes. This was the 11th attack on Zatoka since the start of the war.

Russian state media reported that the naval airbase in Russian-controlled Hvardeyskye, Crimea experienced a fire with several explosions. Two squadrons of the 37th Composite Aviation Regiment are stationed at the base.

Zhytomyr

Two Russian Kh-59 air-to-sea cruise missiles fired by Russian Su-34 aircraft operating in Belarusian airspace struck the Ukrainian air force base in Ozerne. Ukrainian officials reported the runway was cratered, and several non-aviation vehicles were damaged.

Beyond Ukraine

Russian officials are blaming Ukrainian Special Operation Forces for destroying multiple power transmission towers in the Kursk region. Russian FSB reported that between August 4 and 12, six towers for electrical distribution carrying from 110 to 750 kilovolts connected to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant were destroyed.

Daily Assessment

Russian forces continue to make operational security errors contributing to Ukrainian successes.
The 1st Army Corps has likely abandoned direct assaults on Avdiivka and Marinka and may be reallocating troops already from Pisky.
Ukrainian military leaders have maintained defensive lines across Ukraine despite having fewer resources and an artillery deficit.

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Russia-Ukraine War

Fears rise over nuclear accident risk at Europe’s largest plant – August 8, 2022 Ukraine update

August 8, 2022 Malcontent News Staff

[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,083 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.

Northeast Donetsk

Russian forces made two advances on Ukrainian positions on the administrative border of Luhansk and Donetsk without success. They launched two attacks on Verkhnokamyanske and probed Ukrainian positions near Bilohorivka [Donetsk]. None of the actions were successful.

Bakhmut

Near Bakhmut, Russian forces attempted to advance on Yakolivka, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, and Vershyna and were repelled. The Russian Ministry of Defense has drawn down the last motor infantry battalion tactical group leaving the offensive under the command of the Private Military Company Wagner Group, supported by terrorists of the Imperial Legion of Russia and Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republic separatists.

In the Svitlodarsk bulge, fighting continued for control of Kodema, and Russian forces continued to try to advance on Zaitseve.

Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia

Near Donetsk, Russian forces attempted to improve their positions east of Krasnohorivka but were unsuccessful. Elements of the 1st Army Corps of the DNR and the 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) continue to attempt to capture Pisky, Avdiivka, and Marinka with no change in the line of conflict since Saturday. Russian forces attempted to flank Ukrainian positions in Pisky by advancing toward Nevelske across open cropland. They suffered heavy losses and retreated.

Ukrainian forces continue to hold the Shevchenko Mine waste heap in the southeastern part of Marinka, maintaining fire control over the city and advancing Russia-separatists attempting to advance into the city.

Ukrainian forces shelled a complex of warehouses in the Kyivskyi District of Donetsk city, less than 5 kilometers from the line of conflict.

Ukraine launched rockets from High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) on Melitopol, striking Russian troop and equipment staging areas.

In Russian-occupied Mariupol, insurgents set fire to the Satellite Factory in the eastern district. Russian officials couldn’t control the fire and chose to let it burn itself out.

Kharkiv

There wasn’t any significant ground fighting northwest, north, or northeast of Kharkiv city. Both belligerents have settled into a defensive posture and have reinforced their defensive lines.

Russia continues to launch Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles and S-300 antiaircraft missiles used to strike ground targets in Kharkiv city.

Kherson

Ukrainian forces hit the Antonovsky Bridge in Kherson for a third time, in the exact location as the two previous strikes. The bridge was on fire after the attack. Video from this morning showed renewed damage and partial repairs from last week in progress.

Russian forces shelled and then launched an attack on Blahodatne, supported by a company of Russian VDV troops, about 50 kilometers east of Mykolaiv. There were reports of heavy fighting, but the advance was unsuccessful.

On the Inhulets River bridgehead, Ukrainian forces widened their area of control and destroyed a Russian ammunition depot in Ishchenka. The Russian air force attacked Ukrainian positions east of the river.

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Izyum

Russian forces made three small attacks southwest and south of Izyum. Elements of the 1st Guard Tanks Army attempted to advance on Virnopillya from a forested area north of Brazhivka and retreated after advancing less than 500 meters.

Russian forces also attempted to reconnoiter Ukrainian positions in Dolyna and Bohorodychne. The platoon-size units were engaged and retreated.

Zaporizhia

Russian and Ukrainian leaders traded accusations of shelling the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Energoatom reported that rockets fired by MLRS on August 6 landed adjacent to the dry storage of spent fuel rods. Three radiation sensors were destroyed in the attack. The United Nations demanded inspectors be granted immediate access to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

Russia has staffed a garrison of 500 soldiers at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and is using the facility as a firebase for tubed artillery. Satellite images released today showed that Russia is using the buildings that house nuclear reactors to store armored vehicles. Ukrainian nuclear power company Energoatom accused Russian officials of mining critical infrastructure of the plant with explosives.

The use of a nuclear facility as a military base in a war zone is unprecedented in human history.

Dnipropetrovsk

Nikopol was hit by up to 60 Grad rockets fired by MLRS. Two people were injured, and 50 private homes were damaged or destroyed. The Russian Air Force fired two Kh-59 “Ovod” from Su-24 aircraft on Chervonohryhorivka.

Sumy

Dmytro Zhivytsky, Sumy Regional Administrative and Military Governor, reported that Seredyna-Buda, Esman, Billopillya, Buryn, Pavlivka, and Nova Sloboda were shelled. The border city of Seredyna-Buda was under heavy attack from artillery, mortars, rockets from MLRS, and airstrikes. At least one aircraft was shot down, although the video did have enough detail to show from which nation.

Chernihiv

Russian forces shelled the settlements of Hai and Hremyach over the international border. Officials did not release information on damage or casualties.

Odesa

Another four ships sailed from ports in the Odesa area carrying 161,000 tonnes of corn, meal, and sunflower oil.

Western Ukraine

Three cruise missiles hit the Ukrainian airbase east of Vinnytsia. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported “victims” but did not specify how many or their condition. Russia used Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles in the strike, which Ukrainian air defense systems could not detect. Additionally, an unspecific number of Kinzhal missiles hit the Ukrainian air base east of Kropyvnytskyi in the Kirovohrad oblast.

Beyond Russia

Amnesty International apologized for any “pain caused” by its report on Ukrainian war tactics last week and sought to clarify its position in a statement on Sunday. The organization, which had its website blocked in Russia on March 11 and its NGO status canceled by Moscow on April 8, said it stood by its report but added, “We must be very clear: Nothing we documented Ukrainian forces doing in any way justifies Russian violations. Russia alone is responsible for the violations it has committed against Ukrainian civilians.”

CBS News was walking back a documentary that claimed only 30% of military equipment provided to Ukraine by NATO and its allies was reaching the front. The figure came from Jonas Ohman, founder of the non-profit Blue-Yellow. On Monday, CBS tweeted they had removed the quote and were updating the documentary after additional research. The network has also pulled promotional ads for the documentary.

Daily Assessment

Ukrainian military leaders have forced the Russian military to respond to the possibility of a counteroffensive in Kherson and Zaporizhia, likely impacting previously planned strategies to capture Siversk, Slovyansk, and Kramatorsk.
Ukrainian interdiction effort of Russian supplies and troop movements is impacting ongoing offensives near Bakhmut.
Russian forces continue to focus significant military resources to grind down Ukrainian defenses west of Donetsk, suffering heavy losses for almost no gains since the beginning of August.

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National, Russia-Ukraine War

Russians secure critical Ukrainian defensive position – August 3, 2022 Ukraine update

August 3, 2022 Malcontent News Staff

[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.

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Anatomy of a botched false flag attack at Detention Camp 52

July 30, 2022 Malcontent News Staff 1 Comment

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.”

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.

National, Russia-Ukraine War

PMC Wagner Group tortures Ukrainian POW in shocking video – July 29, 2022 Ukraine update

July 29, 2022 Malcontent News Staff

[UKRAINE] – MTN It has been 3,073 days since Russia occupied Crimea on February 27, 2014. Here is our latest update. Here is your daily Russia-Ukraine War summary

Luhansk – A disturbing video emerged of a bound Ukrainian POW being castrated with a box cutter and then stomped on by a terrorist with the PMC Wagner Group 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 was found on the cellphone of a dead soldier, analyzed by Ukrainian intelligence, and leaked to social media. The video has been deemed authentic, and the perpetrator in the video has been identified.

Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets released a statement that his office was preparing a message to the United Nations Committee Against Torture. “As the Verkhovna Rada [Ukrainian Parliament] Commissioner for Human Rights, I have applied to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine to verify the facts and to record a war crime and a violation of the norms of the Geneva Convention,” he wrote in a statement.

“We will hold consultations with the International Committee of the Red Cross again to increase the pressure by the countries from around the world on the Russian side to fulfill its obligations regarding prisoners of war and to allow access of ICRC representatives to the POW to assess their health and conditions of detention.”

Additionally, proceedings will be entered under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine against the identified individual who committed the torture.

Russian forces did not attempt to advance from the administrative borders of Luhansk, instead relying on artillery, indirect fire from tanks, and airstrikes in northeast Donetsk oblast.

Northeast Donetsk – Russian forces attempted reconnaissance to determine the position and strength of Ukrainian forces in Berestove and Nahime. Neither advance was successful.

Bakhmut – Near Bakhmut, Russian forces attempted to advance on Yakovlivka and were unsuccessful. East of Soledar, fighting continued near the town. Russian forces attempted to advance on Bakhmut from Klynove along the M03 Highway and were unsuccessful. Russian forces also shelled Bakhmut and Vesela Dolyna. The Russian air force attacked Yakovlivka, Pokrovske and Vesela Dolyna.

West of the Svitlodarsk bulge, terrorist elements of the Imperial Legion with PMC Wagner Group, attempted to advance on Semyhira and were unsuccessful.

Southwest Donetsk – Zaporizhia – The Ukrainian Directorate of Intelligence (SBU) is accusing PMC Wagner Group of destroying a building at the Olenivka Penal Colony that held prisoners of war from the Azovstal Metallurgical Plant. Local officials in Donetsk report up to 50 POWs were killed on July 28 and claimed that Ukrainian forces shelled the prison camp. Ukrainian officials have demanded the United Nations, Red Cross, and Red Crescent perform an immediate investigation. The SBU claims the order to kill the prisoners was made by Yevheny Prigozhin, the head of PMC Wagner Group.

In a statement on Telegram, the SBU 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. The organization and execution of the terrorist attack was not agreed with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.”

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 and were unsuccessful. In Pisky, Russian forces wore Ukrainian uniforms in an attempt to deceive defending forces.

Russian forces attempted to advance on Krasnohorivka from Donetsk and were unsuccessful. It was reported that Russian forces made small gains in Marinka, advancing a couple of hundred meters to a slag heap.

Russian forces launched a small offensive toward Velkya Novosilvika from Blahodatne and were unsuccessful.

Ukrainian forces fired rockets from High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) on a large ammunition depot in Illoviask. The attack produced multiple secondary explosions that continued hours after the strike.

Kherson – Russian combat engineers made temporary repairs to the bridge over the Inhulets River at Darivka, enabling light vehicle traffic to cross the bridge.

Ukrainian forces have likely made advances toward Novopetrivka, tightening the partial encirclement of Russian forces in Vysokopillya.

Ukrainian forces fired rockets from HIMARS, destroying an ammunition depot in Brylivka. This strike is the second Russian based on the Crimea Canal that has been attacked in the last 24 hours.

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Mykolaiv – Russian forces fired up to six missiles into the city of Mykolaiv. Three hit the city, destroying School Number 47, damaging the Yacht Club, and destroying an agricultural warehouse in the main port. Early in the morning on July 29, a Russian S-300 antiaircraft missile used in a ground-to-ground role struck a bus stop in Mykolaiv, killing five and wounding 12.

Oleksandr Sienkevych, Mayor of Mykolaiv reported, “The strike was conducted with an anti-aircraft missile, so the affected area is very large. It covers several hundred meters. That is why there are so many casualties. There are still people with slight injuries who will recover at home after receiving medical attention.”

Kharkiv – Neither belligerent launched any ground offensives north of Kharkiv. The line of conflict remains frozen with Russian artillery, rockets from MLRS, cruise missiles, and SRBMs prioritizing civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Russian and Ukrainian forces also exchange artillery and rocket fire from MLRS southeast of Chuhuiv. Russian forces shelled and fired rockets into Pechenihy, Bazaliivka, Lebyazhe, and Korobochkyne.

Izyum – Russian forces attempted reconnaissance in force near Brazhivka and were unsuccessful, suffering significant losses.

Sumy – Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, Head of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration, reported mortars and artillery struck the settlements of Krasnopillya, Shalyhyne, and Brusky. There weren’t reports of injuries or significant damage.

Kyiv – Russian missiles hit a military base in Lyutizh, north of Kyiv. One building was destroyed and another was damaged.

Daily Assessment

Russian forces have initiated or are setting conditions for a significant offensive west of Donetsk but likely do not have the combat power to be successful.
The Russian Ministry of Defense appears to be abandoning attempts to secure Slovyansk and Siversk in favor of Bakhmut and areas west of Donetsk.
There are unconfirmed reports that Russian combat losses are becoming closer to losses suffered in April and the first week of May and disproportional to Ukrainian losses in the field.

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