Day 223: Ukraine Launches Attacks on Luhansk; Russian Lawmakers Ratify Annexation of Four Regions

Facts

• Following vast advances in the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian forces have neared the administrative border of Luhansk – one of four territories annexed by Russia on Tuesday – and launched a number of attacks on the region in the last 24 hrs, according to the exiled head of military administration for the region, Serhiy Haidai.
• In contrast, Andrei Marochko, a military official from the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), claimed Ukrainian forces had attempted to cross the administrative border but were "destroyed" by pro-Russian forces that pushed them back to their previously held positions. The claim could not be independently confirmed.
• Elsewhere, the Russian Federation Council - the upper house of the country's parliament - unanimously ratified the annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia on Tuesday. It comes after the State Duma - the lower house - unanimously ratified the annexations a day earlier.
• Meanwhile, as speculation and investigations into the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines continue, Britain's defense ministry on Monday announced that it has sent a Royal Navy ship to the North Sea to work alongside Norwegian counterparts, "to reassure those working near the gas pipelines."
• In other news, speaking on the condition of anonymity, US officials said the country would soon be sending four additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to Ukraine, having previously announced 18 additional HIMARS would be made available for purchase through loan agreements.
• On the ground, Ukrainian officials reported that three civilians were killed in Russian attacks in the last 24 hrs – two in Kharkiv and one in Donetsk. Russian attacks were also recorded in Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk, resulting in four civilian injuries. There were no new reports of civilian casualties from pro-Russia officials at this stage.

Sources: Pravda, Tass, MSN, Associated Press, and Ukrinform.

Narratives

• Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by Newsweek. Ukrainian forces advancing through Kharkiv into the Luhansk region are destroying Russia's most elite and valuable troops, all while the Kremlin continues struggling to effectively train and equip new personnel. The gains from this counter offensive could mark a turning point in favour of Ukraine in this conflict.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Tass. Russian forces are holding the line against Ukrainian counterattacks, which are coming at an exceptionally high cost to manpower and military equipment for Ukraine's army. These losses are not sustainable, and Russia will continue to secure newly annexed regions and defend their populations.

Predictions