Day 355: Russia Claims Gains Along Ukraine Frontline

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Facts

  • Russia's defense ministry said on Monday that its troops had managed to advance a few kilometers west in four days of fighting, without specifying where the advances were made. The claim couldn't be independently confirmed.1
  • Meanwhile, Ukraine's military made no mention of any Russian advances but reported heavy shelling along the frontline on Monday — including the Donetsk city of Bakhmut where fighting remains the heaviest.1
  • One such attack was reported in the Kherson region, reportedly striking the production facilities of a local business and killing one civilian. Russian attacks in Kherson also damaged railway infrastructure in the region.2
  • Ukrainian officials also reported that one civilian was killed and another was injured in the Donetsk region while a further civilian was recorded injured in the region of Kharkiv.3
  • Elsewhere, after Ukrainian Pres. Zelenskyy said his country uncovered a Russian plan 'for the destruction of Moldova' last week, Moldovan Pres. Maia Sandu on Monday accused Russia of planning to use foreign saboteurs to bring down her country’s leadership and prevent it from joining the EU. Sandu alleged the saboteurs were planning to spark protests in an attempt to 'change the legitimate government to an illegal government controlled by the Russian Federation.'4
  • Meanwhile, following a rift between Ukraine and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after a decision was made to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games, IOC Pres. Thomas Bach said that while he shared the 'grief and human suffering' of Ukrainians, national governments should not decide who takes part in international sporting events.5

Sources: 1Rte.ie, 2Ukrainska pravda, 3Ukrinform, 4Www.euractiv.com and 5Guardian.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Newsweek. Russia's inability to take the Donetsk city of Bakhmut is symbolic of its wider deficiencies that will prevent it from conducting further successful offensives in Ukraine.
  • Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Tass. Russian forces continue to make advances in the Donetsk. It's only a matter of time before they take the city of Bakhmut and the remainder of the Donetsk region.

Predictions