Ukraine Continues to Claim Gains Amid Widespread Clashes
Ukraine's armed forces on Monday continued to claim that they were making incremental gains, as military clashes were reported across the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson over the weekend.
Facts
- Ukraine's armed forces on Monday continued to claim that they were making incremental gains, as military clashes were reported across the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson over the weekend.1
- Hanna Maliar, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, said on Monday that heavy battles were ongoing but claimed that, in the past week, Ukraine had recaptured nearly 11 square miles (28.4 square km) in the south, while 3.5 square miles (9 square km) were said to be recaptured in the east.2
- The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US military think tank tracking battlefield progress in the war, made no claim to the amount of territory recaptured by Ukraine in its latest assessment. However, it confirmed that Ukraine had launched assaults in six sectors, some of which resulted in gains.1
- According to ISW, geolocated footage of Ukrainian troops confirmed gains in western Donetsk. Ukrainian forces appeared to have taken positions on the eastern bank of the Antonovsky Bridge in Kherson after flood waters in the area receded. However, the institute's report also noted that Russian forces made pockets of gains in a number of areas.1
- The country's troops are not yet believed to have reached Russia's main defensive lines — set some distance back from primary fortifications. Gen. Mark Milley, America's top general and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also warned observers late last week against having illusions on the realities of war, adding that the counteroffensive will be long and bloody.3
- On Monday, Ukraine's Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted: "Last week was difficult on the frontline. But we are making progress. We are moving forward, step by step! I thank everyone who is defending Ukraine, everyone who is leading this war to Ukraine’s victory!"4
- Meanwhile, it was also reported on Monday that the Ukrainian author and war crimes researcher Victoria Amelina had died of injuries sustained in an attack on the Donetsk region of Kramatorsk. The 37-year-old was dining at the Ria Pizza restaurant when it was hit by a Russian missile last Tuesday.5
Sources: 1Understandingwar, 2UKRINFORM, 3Business Insider, 4Evening Standard, and 5Al Jazeera.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Ukrinform. As Ukraine's counteroffensive enters its fifth week, the country is continuing to advance and make incremental gains. The fighting has been difficult, yet Ukrainian soldiers have continued to drive Russia back. Though a monumental challenge remains, Ukraine is headed in the right direction.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Business Insider. Despite Ukraine's marginal advances, its forces are still caught up in Russia's primary defensive lines and are incurring heavy casualties. They have yet to reach Russia's main defensive lines, where they'll receive even stiffer resistance. Ukraine faces a long fight to regain control of its sovereign territory.
- Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. Russia remains open to a political solution to the conflict. However, the chances of such a resolution are slim, because Ukraine and its Western backers are still committed to betting on Ukraine's chances at defeating the Russian militarily. Ukraine must give up its unrealistic counteroffensive ambitions and come to the negotiating table.
