Ukraine War Daily Summary 22 Aug 22
27 Aug 22
At the geostrategic level, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Senior Colonel Tan Kefei warned “We firmly oppose any third party to meddle in the China-India border issue in any form.” This came after upcoming India-US exercises were announced in the region. There is a strong belief that after seizure of Taiwan China will turn to settle accounts with India.
The Solomon Islands refused a US Coast Guard vessel the USCGC Oliver Henry to make a recent logistics port stop over as tensions remain after a recent Chinese visit and new Chinese agreements signed in closer ties between the two. The US warship had to go on to Papua New Guinea.
Tensions are rising between Serbia and Kosovo as there is a significant build-up of Serbian military equipment near the border.
Russia blocked the passage of a UN declaration on nuclear disarmament of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. This unwise move firmly isolated Russia, as even China expressed disappointment with its non-passage and did not reiterate support for Russia's objections in Ukraine.
A significant part of the Russian Mediterranean task force withdrew from the region with the departure of Northern Fleet warships. The Slava class cruiser Marshal Ustinov, Udaloy class destroyer Vice-Admiral Kunikov and fleet oiler Vyazma passed into the Atlantic Ocean via the Strait of Gibraltar, ending a six-month long deployment.
Russia pulled a S-300 air defense system out of Syria and sent it back to Russia.
Belarus has 4-7 Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) between Brest and Gomel to fix Ukrainian troops in the North and prevent them from reinforcing forces fighting to the south. The Belarusian military are reportedly conducting reconnaissance all along the Ukraine border. While not an indication of hostile action Belarusian forces exercise tempo from mid-spring to now has been unprecedented. Belarus has extended military drills near Ukraine's borders.
Ukrainian media and Belarusian opposition figures are warning that Russia is amassing significant forces in Belarus to fire missiles on Ukrainian cities with Ukraine's Independence Day.
Across the theatre, Russian air and missile strikes continued but on a very subdued scale. Russian shelling continued to be heavy around Donetsk City, near Bakhmut, northwest of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and north of Kharkiv.
On the ground, British intelligence believes that Russia has made progress over the past five days around Pisky which is near Donetsk airport. This coincided with an intensification of Russia's attacks north of Donetsk city, which includes Siversk and Bakhmut.
There is evidence that Russia’s new 3rd Army Corps being raised for service in Ukraine is being equipped for offensive operations and with modern equipment such as the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle and T-80BVM, T-90M main battle tanks, and even the latest AK-12 models.
Fighting continues around Soledar after a sizeable Russian offensive that was repelled with Russian losses.
Fighting also continued east of Bakhmut with Russian forces fighting to move beyond the strategic highway intersection.
Two smaller Russian offensives on Kodema were the scene of heavy fighting on the fringes of the town.
Around Izyum there was Russian activity towards Karnaukhivka 20 kilometres to the south.
East of Zaporizhzhia the Ukrainian counteroffensive continued to make ground. Ukrainian forces destroyed two targets around Chernihivka with HIMARS or similar further southeast, believed to be a Russian ammunition depot and rotation base.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on late Friday said the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remains “very risky” after two of its six reactors were reconnected to the grid following shelling.
Ukrainian forces hit the Dariivskyi bridge near Kherson and the bridge is believed to be inoperative. With strikes against three main bridges across the Dnipro River, Russia’s combat effectiveness was noticeably affected.
The Antonovsky bridge was also targeted successfully yesterday by Ukrainian forces. Reports suggest the damage to the bridge is now significant and Russian resupply operations to occupation forces in the region face yet another challenge.
Russian Naval activity in the Black Sea remains very active.
25 Aug 22
At the grand strategic level, in another sign of a confused and muddled foreign policy Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Canada plans to return five repaired gas turbines which are part of the Russian Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany.
While Canada could help Germany and other European allies with their energy security ahead of the next winter, the last several days have shown little interest by the Trudeau government in investing in and helping to ship Canadian Liquified Natural Gas to Europe citing a lack of East coast infrastructure to support the moves. It has shown a total disregard for enhanced alliance solidarity in the face of Russian energy warfare and completely ignored Canada’s battered energy sector.
Chief of Defense Staff Wayne Eyre has said two Canadian Air Force C-130J Super Hercules, previously based in Kuwait, will now be assisting in the transport of military aid to Ukraine.
Taiwan is reportedly going to increase its defense budget by 13.9 percent next year to $586.3 billion NTD. A Chinese seizure of Taiwan breaks the first island chain and gives the Chinese navy full access to the open seas.
Some four PLAN warships and 15 PLA aircraft were deployed around Taiwan today. Another US government delegation is expected shortly.
India voted to allow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to address the UN Security Council. This is the first time India has opposed Russia on the Ukraine War in the UN.
Before the second phase of the Ukraine War began in February, Russian estimates of the cost of war ran up to one percent of Russia’s GDP. Russia’s equipment losses, which stand at $16.56 billion excluding missiles, far exceed this figure alone.
Lack of supporting infrastructure and naval maintenance capability along with the slow pace of the Ukraine War has forced the Russian Navy to start reducing its presence in the Mediterranean starting with the departure of the modernized cruiser Marshal Ustinov.
In another sign Russian military power is reconsolidating, Russia transferred to Azerbaijan control over the corridor connecting Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh. According to Azeri news agency APA, Russian forces are disassembling checkpoints along the Lachin Corridor, a mountain road that links Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russian MP Sergei Mironov has suggested that the "special military operation" in Ukraine could be reformatted into a "counterterrorism operation" that would give Russia a free hand to target the Zelensky government and its officials as "terrorists."
Belarus has 4-7 Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) between Brest and Gomel to fix Ukrainian troops in the North and prevent them from reinforcing forces fighting to the south. The Belarusian military are reportedly conducting reconnaissance all along the Ukraine border. While not an indication of hostile action Belarusian forces exercise tempo from mid-spring to now has been unprecedented. Belarus has extended military drills near Ukraine's borders.
Ukrainian media and Belarusian opposition figures are warning that Russia is amassing significant forces in Belarus to fire missiles on Ukrainian cities with Ukraine's Independence Day.
Across the theatre, Russian air and missile strikes continued with impacts reported in the Kyiv region. Russian forces have registered over 100 strikes on Sumy region. A strike on a Dnipropetrovsk railway station outside Dnipro in the village of Chaplyne caused many casualties. A strike in Khmelnytsky Oblast and Poltava Oblast on a military aviation installation, also caused casualties. Russian shelling was heavy near Bakhmut, towards Kramatorsk, around parts of Donetsk City, near Zaitseve southeast of Bakhmut, northwest of Kherson and on Kryvyi Rih.
UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace stated that combined Russian casualties of wounded and dead had reached 80,000 troops.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced plans to recruit 137,000 more troops to the Russian Army.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the slow pace of Moscow’s military campaign was deliberate and aimed at reducing civilian casualties.
On the ground, heavy fighting continues towards Bakhmut, near Soledar and further south near Kodema, but Russian offensives have not taken any new ground. The heaviest fighting is just east of Bakhmut city at the major highway intersection where Ukrainian forces have fortified positions.
Around Izyum there were some Russian moves towards Nova Dmytrivka in the south, and sporadic fighting continues west of Izyum.
Fighting has continued in several areas around Donetsk City and Pisky remains contested. Fighting was very heavy near Mar'inka too with several Russian attacks.
East of Zaporizhzhia the Ukrainian counteroffensive continues to make some gains attacking Russian defences.
Ukraine has confirmed that the damaged Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been reconnected to the power grid.
Satellite have reportedly detected fires near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Russia-occupied Energodar. Three fire brigades are deployed there and there are a lot of fires.
Around Kherson Ukrainian forces attacked the dam again in Nova Kakhovka with reports of some damage. Most of the fighting continues around Oleksandrivka and in Blahodatne.
Ukrainian forces hit the Antonivsky bridge near Kherson again and it appears that Russian forces are not trying to use or repair the Antonivsky Bridge across the Dnipro River.
Russian Naval activity continued to be high in the Black Sea.
24 Aug 22
At the grand strategic level, Japan’s new Defense White Paper has warned that the “international community is currently facing its greatest trial since WWII. It is not an exaggeration to say that we have entered a new period of crisis in the twenty-first century. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has shocked the world, with the loss of countless innocent civilians’ lives giving rise to deep indignation and grief.” The White Paper went on to say that, “As strategic competition between nations becomes more apparent against the backdrop of changes to the global power balance, the existing order is being exposed to serious challenges, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, which is at the center of this competition.” Not surprisingly the policy document focused quickly on the China threat warning that, “In particular, China continues to unilaterally change or attempt to change the status quo by coercion in the East China Sea and South China Sea. The country’s ties with Russia, an aggressor nation, have deepened in recent years, with joint navigations and flights being conducted in the areas surrounding Japan by both Chinese and Russian vessels and aircraft. Furthermore, China has made clear that it would not hesitate to unify Taiwan by force, further increasing tensions in the region.” The report also took a concerning note with regard to the ‘Hermit Kingdom’ when it cautioned, “North Korea has repeatedly carried out ballistic missile launches well into 2022, thereby unilaterally escalating its provocations towards the international community. It has also defended Russia in respect of the latter’s aggression against Ukraine, asserting that the fault for this situation lies with the United States and other Western countries.”
The Defense’s budget for 2023 includes funds to strengthen Japan’s capability to detect and intercept hypersonic missiles.
Donga and The Financial News are reporting increased strategic missile activity has been detected in North Korea. South Korea and the US are not ruling out a provocation during the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises.
The US military said it carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria that targeted areas used by militias backed by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard at Deir Ez-Zor.
The US Biden’s administration announced $3 Billion in a new military aid package to Ukraine that included six NASAMs air defenses, 245,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition, 120mm mortars, 24 counter artillery radars and drones. The US has now sent $13.5 Billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The UK has announced a new £54-million package of military aid to Ukraine which will pay for 2,000 drones, including 850 hand-launched Black Hornet micro-drones, as well as anti-tank loitering munitions requested by the Ukrainian armed forces.
Belarus has 4-7 Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) between Brest and Gomel to fix Ukrainian troops in the North and prevent them from reinforcing forces fighting to the south. The Belarusian military are reportedly conducting reconnaissance all along the Ukraine border. While not an indication of hostile action Belarusian forces exercise tempo from mid-spring to now has been unprecedented. Belarus has extended military drills near Ukraine's borders.
Ukrainian media and Belarusian opposition figures are warning that Russia is amassing significant forces in Belarus to fire missiles on Ukrainian cities with Ukraine's Independence Day.
Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, has banned public celebrations commemorating Ukraine’s independence from Soviet rule.
Across the theatre, Russian air and missile strikes continued but with no sign yet of the escalation and major strikes. Ukrainian air activity increased across the Donbas with reports of airstrikes against Russian targets. Russian shelling was heavy across the whole front. Heavy artillery exchanges and some Ukrainian airstrikes continued yesterday east of Zaporizhzhia towards Polohy. Another Russian ammunition depot was also destroyed this time in occupied Tokmak further south.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would recapture its annexed peninsula of Crimea from Russia by any means it deemed right and that it would not consult other countries before doing so.
On the ground, fighting continues to be heavy around Donetsk City, Pervomais'ke and Nevel's'ke where Russian forces launched heavy offensives.
Towards Bakhmut and around Soledar fighting continues to be heavy with some localized clashes south of Izyum.
Around Kherson most fighting continues around Blahodatne and Oleksandrivka. Small arms fire was heard inside Kherson City last night.
Russian Naval activity in the Black Sea is very active and fluid.
23 Aug 22
At the grand strategic level, speaking to the American policy researchers from Stanford University’s Hoover Institution think tank, President Tsai Ing-wen referred to the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1958, a conflict in which the Chinese military conducted prolonged shelling of Taiwan’s outlying Kinmen and Matsu islands. Tsai said, “That battle to protect our homeland showed the world that no threat of any kind could shake the Taiwanese people’s resolve to defend their nation, not in the past, not now and not in the future. We, too, will show the world that the people of Taiwan have both the resolve and the confidence to safeguard peace, security, freedom, and prosperity for ourselves.” Tsai later said to the Japanese lawmakers that aggression against Taiwan would have a major impact on the entire Indo-Pacific region.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday, “China strongly deplores this egregious move and will take resolute and strong measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Seventh Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Karl Thomas said China's decision to fire missiles over Taiwan must be contested otherwise such action by China would become the norm, calling it "a gorilla in the room".
Some four PLAN warships and 20 PLA aircraft were detected today around Taiwan.
The Chinese Coast Guard blocked another Philippine resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in late June to Second Thomas Shoal on June 27th.
US officials have said that they expect to respond to Iran’s comments on a European draft proposal by Wednesday, after which another round of negotiations in Vienna to finalize the details of a potential deal will likely be needed. Numerous hurdles remain and key sticking points could still unravel efforts to bring back the 2015 deal under which Iran received billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program intended to prevent it from developing an atomic weapon.
Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General Abolfazl Alijani who was operating near Aleppo in Syria was killed last night according to Iranian sources.
A group of 14 Russian warships transited through La Pérouse Strait from the Western Pacific Ocean into the Sea of Japan ahead of Russian military drills scheduled to start next week. On Saturday, four Russian warships were sighted sailing westwards in an area 161 miles east-northeast of La Pérouse Strait. The release form the MoD identified the ship as destroyer RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov (543) and corvettes RFS Gremyashchiy (337), RFS Sovershennyy (333) and RFS Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov (339). On Sunday, ten more Russian ships were sighted sailing westwards in an area 50 miles east-northeast of La Pérouse Strait. Those ships included corvettes RFS Metel (323), RFS MPK-221 (354), RFS R-14 (924), RFS R-18 (937), RFS R-11 (940) and RFS R-19 (978), missile range instrumentation ship RFS Marshal Krylov (331), a Dubna class replenishment ship, hospital shipIrtysh and a Sliva class tug.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pledged “no mercy” for the perpetrators of a car bomb attack that killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of a close ultranationalist adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian officials were quick to blame Kyiv, particularly Ukrainian intelligence. American officials have likewise stated that they predicted Moscow would inevitably target Ukraine for retaliation.
Belarus has 4-7 Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) between Brest and Gomel to fix Ukrainian troops in the North and prevent them from reinforcing forces fighting to the south. The Belarusian military are reportedly conducting reconnaissance all along the Ukraine border. While not an indication of hostile action Belarusian forces exercise tempo from mid-spring to now has been unprecedented. Belarus has extended military drills near Ukraine's borders.
Ukrainian media and Belarusian opposition figures are warning that Russia is amassing significant forces in Belarus to fire missiles on Ukrainian cities with Ukraine's Independence Day.
Across the theatre, Russian air and missile strikes continued around Bakhmut and the Donetsk regions but were significantly subdued. Tomorrow is Ukrainian Independence Day and could see a major Russian air and missile assault on the country. Russian shelling continued to be heavy around Bakhmut, Donetsk, and east of Zaporizhzhia.
Russia carried out artillery and air attacks in the Zaporizhia region, where fighting near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has raised fears of a catastrophic nuclear incident. Russian rockets were fired at Nikopol, Krivyi Rih and Synelnykovsky, all close to the damaged plant.
On the ground, fighting continues to be heavy around Bakhmut, Kodema, Soledar, and Siversk.
Around Izyum Russian forces continue to be contained and localised Russian activity southwest of Izyum has stalled.
Localized Russian offensives in various regions around Donetsk made no reported gains.
East of Zaporizhzhia fighting has significantly increased around Polohy as the Ukrainian counter-offensive gains momentum.
Around Kherson Ukrainian forces targeted Russian defences and resupply assets significantly around Chornobaiivk, and targeted the Antonivsky Bridge again causing further damage.
Fighting continues to be heavy around Oleksandrivka and Blahodatne, but Ukrainian forces continue to make slow gains.
Russian Naval activity in the Black Sea and missile movements into Belarus and Crimea continue to indicate a very likely Russian retaliatory strike of some significance is pending.
22 Aug 22
At the grand strategic level, the Commander of the Chinese Coast Guard Admiral Wang Zhongcai who oversaw repeated incursions into Japanese waters near the Senkaku Islands has been promoted to naval commander in charge of the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait also known as the People's Liberation Army Navy's Eastern Theater Command.
China has announced war games in the East China Sea.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said four Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.
The Japanese government is looking to obtain more than 1,000 long-range cruise missiles with the Taiwan contingency in mind. Tokyo intends to deploy the missiles mainly from Kyushu to the Nansei island chain. Its aim is to narrow the gap with China, which has deployed many ballistic missiles. The Japanese government is working to extend the range of the Type 12 surface-to-ship guided missile deployed by the Ground Self-Defense Force from the current more than 100 kilometers to about 1,000 kilometers, allowing the missile to reach North Korea and coastal areas of China. Japan aims to deploy the modified ground-launched version as early as fiscal 2024.
South Korea and the US began their largest joint military drills in years on Monday with a resumption of field training as the allies seek to tighten readiness over North Korea’s potential weapons tests.
Russian media are reporting that Russia's FSB are now accusing Ukrainian Special Services of planning the assassination of Daria Dugina in Moscow even after an unknown Russian group the National Republican Army has claimed responsibility for the killing.
Belarus has 4-7 Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) between Brest and Gomel to fix Ukrainian troops in the North and prevent them from reinforcing forces fighting to the south. The Belarusian military are reportedly conducting reconnaissance all along the Ukraine border. While not an indication of hostile action Belarusian forces exercise tempo from mid-spring to now has been unprecedented. Belarus has extended military drills near Ukraine's borders.
Ukrainian media and Belarusian opposition figures are warning that Russia is amassing significant forces in Belarus to fire missiles on Ukrainian cities with Ukraine's Independence Day.
Across the theatre, Russian air and missile strikes have continued but remain subdued with impacts reported in the south. A significant retaliatory strike is anticipated in the coming days, likely including targets in western Ukraine. Russian airspace closures, missile movements into Belarus, and activity in the Black Sea are all possible indications of a possible significant retaliatory strike in the next few days, potentially Ukrainian Independence Day. Russian retaliatory strikes would most likely involve targets in the more western regions of Ukraine including Kyiv with a focus on military installations, infrastructure, weapons systems, and the political leadership. Russian shelling was intensive around Bakhmut, north of Donetsk City and near Kherson.
On the ground, according to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia continues to maintain forces in its border regions of Bryansk and Kursk to force Kyiv to maintain a military presence far from Ukraine’s east and south.
There was heavy fighting near Soledar where Russian forces secured some roads. Fighting towards and south of Bakhmut has remained heavy making minor gains.
South of Izyum there was another increase in Russian activity yesterday with movements around Nova Dmytrivka, Dolyna and Dibrovne. There was minimal movement out of Lyman or towards Sloviansk, despite heavy shelling. Some Russian units moved to the north out of Izyum.
Russia has now ordered its staff at the damaged Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to take indefinite leave. Ukraine is warning of a major false flag attack.
Around Kherson more explosions were reported in Nova Kakhovka as Ukrainian forces targeted Russian defences. Significant fighting occurred near the Inhulets again as Ukrainian forces continue their push south and east against heavy Russian resistance. Fighting in Sukhi Stavok and Blahodativka was intensive until Russian forces pulled back in a tactical withdrawal.
In Crimea, more explosions were reported in Sevastopol, Yevpatoria and Saky. There are reports the Nakhimov military school in Sevastopol was targeted by Ukrainian forces.
There are reports of increasing Russian Naval activity in the Black Sea, including increased Cruise Missile launchers moving into firing positions.
21 Aug 22
At the grand strategic level, there are some concerning signs China May be preparing for military action and war including taking steps to insulate the economy from sanctions like those placed on Russia for the Ukraine War and talking to Chinese companies about moving their manufacturing lines to military goods for the PLA. Beijing is also finding ways to rid itself of foreign academics and researchers. As well a new state law that places the military in times of crisis under the total control of the Central Military Commission and not the Chinese Communist Party. President Xi is the Chairman of the Committee. Even if he is not given a third term as President as unlikely as that is he will continue to lead the country through his Chairnanship of the Central Military Commission.
Five PLAN warships and 12 PLA aircraft are around Taiwan and surrounding region.
Former Putin advisor Sergey Glazyev has claimed that MI6 and the US are pushing Ukraine to shell the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and trigger a direct Russia-NATO conflict. Discussions about invoking Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty are gaining ground if Russia detonates the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in the US and Britain.
Ukraine’s top presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has denied his country’s involvement in the assassination death of Darya Dugina, the daughter of Putin supporter Alexander Dugin. It is thought her father, the Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, who is known as "Putin's brain", may have been the intended target of the attack. Dugin is a prominent ultra-nationalist ideologue who is believed to be close to the Russian President.
Belarus has 4-7 Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) between Brest and Gomel to fix Ukrainian troops in the North and prevent them from reinforcing forces fighting to the south. The Belarusian military are reportedly conducting reconnaissance all along the Ukraine border. While not an indication of hostile action Belarusian forces exercise tempo from mid-spring to now has been unprecedented. Belarus has extended military drills near Ukraine's borders.
Ukrainian media and Belarusian opposition figures are warning that Russia is amassing significant forces in Belarus to fire missiles on Ukrainian cities with Ukraine's Independence Day.
Across the theatre, Russian air and missile strikes continued with impacts in the south and southeast. Russian forces conducted airstrikes north and west of occupied Donetsk, near Mariinka, Vodyane, Krasnohorivka, Novomykhailivka, and in southern Ukraine, north of Mykolaiv. Russian shelling was heavy near Bakhmut again, Sloviansk and north of Donetsk. Shelling was reduced around Kherson and there was a slight increase of sporadic Russian shelling into Mykolaiv and Sumy Oblasts.
According to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces, the Russian command has closed the sky in certain sections of the Lipetsk, Voronezh, and Belgorod regions.
Moscow has said several Russian servicemen have been taken to a military hospital with signs of serious poisoning and tests showed a toxic substance, botulinum toxin type B, in their bodies.
On the ground, around Kharkiv Russian shelling continued with localized Ukrainian counterattacks now having re-secured Velyki Prokhody 8 kilometres from the border to the north of the city.
Fighting was heavy around Bakhmut east of Soledar, east of Siversk and around Kodema, and Dacha to the south of Bakhmut is likely now occupied by Russian forces after Ukrainian forces conducted a tactical withdrawal.
Some fighting continues west of Izyum with Ukrainian forces keeping pressure on Russian forces in the city, while a Russian unit was pushed back to the south near Kurulka, and others Russian troops launched a localized attack on Nova Dmytrivka south of Izyum.
There was shelling towards Sloviansk and some increased movement towards Sloviansk by Russian Forces out of Lyman.
East of Zaporizhzhia there was increased fighting as Ukrainian forces continue to advance towards Russian lines.
Northwest of Kherson there was significant fighting around Blahodatne and very intensive Russian shelling on Ukrainian forces. West of Kherson there was fierce fighting around Oleksandrivka where Ukrainian forces made gains.
Many explosions were reported in Chornobaivka on the outskirts of Kherson city, after reports Ukrainian forces targeted a Russian military base and the airfield with some damage reported.
Partisan activity continues to increase with more assassinations reported in Mariupol.
Russia has struck Odesa with five Kalibr missiles with three of the Kalibr missiles hitting grain elevators and agricultural facilities. In a further sign that Russia is still trying to weaponize food.
Russian Naval activity in the Black Sea remains very high.
