Section: The Centre for Eastern Studies (Poland)
Ukrainian forces continue their offensive in the south. Day 481 of the war
Ukrainian forces are still trying to break the Russian defences in Zaporizhzhia oblast and the western part of Donetsk oblast. They are renewing attacks in the areas south of Velyka Novosilka and south and west of Orikhiv. One site of particularly heavy fighting over the last few days is Piatykhatky, which lies immediately south of the village of...
The offensive along the Zaporizhzhia front slows down. Day 477 of the war
Over the past few days there has been a marked reduction in the intensity of fighting compared to last week. The Ukrainians are continuing to carry out reconnaissance operations along the section of the front near Orikhiv, and have not made any attempts to storm the enemy positions. At Velyka Novosilka, their advance along the main axis was...
Ukraine’s first defeats and successes on the Zaporizhzhia front. Day 474 of the war
Over the past four days, Ukrainian forces have continued their offensive operations on the Zaporizhzhia front. Attempts by mechanised subunits to break through the Russian defences south of Orikhiv (near the village of Robotyne) have failed. The enemy defended this section ably, using fortifications and minefields which they had prepared in...
The Belgorod syndrome: the Ukrainian incursion reveals the weakness of the Russian regime
A Ukrainian subversive and psychological operation has been ongoing on the territory of the Belgorod oblast since 22 May. It is mainly being carried out by Russian volunteer troops of the ‘Free Russia’ Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, who oppose the Putin regime and are subordinate to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Their operational...
Ukrainian counter-offensive in the south of the country. Day 470 of the war
On 7 June, Ukrainian units struck in the Zaporizhzhia oblast, attempting to break through Russian defences in two or three places (depending on the attack wave) south of Orikhiv; the heaviest fighting is taking place over the town of Robotyne. Attempts to break through the invaders’ defences are also being undertaken about 25 km west of...
Russian volunteers destabilise the Belgorod oblast of Russia. Day 463 of the war
Russian volunteer formations fighting on the side of Ukraine are continuing a psychological sabotage operation to confirm that resistance to the regime is growing in Russia. On 31 May, a spokesman for the Free Russia Legion reported that “between 500 and 1000 people” who are exclusively Russian citizens are fighting in its ranks. The formation is...
Denmark: higher spending on defence and military support for Ukraine
On 30 May, Denmark’s acting defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen presented the government’s proposal for the new Defence Agreement covering the 2024–33 period. It provides for additional defence spending of 143 billion kroner (€19.20 billion) over the next 10 years. The increase is expected to allow the country to meet the target of...
More massive attacks on Ukraine. Day 459 of the war
On the night of 28 May, the Russians launched a massive attack on Kyiv (the largest to date, according to the Ukrainian government’s assessment) using Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, only one of the 59 drones launched by the Russians hit its target (earlier, the Air Force Command of Ukraine had...
Slowdown on the front. Day 456 of the war
Ukrainian forces failed to break through the Russian defences north and southwest of Bakhmut, and after 22 May, when the command of the Eastern grouping declared that some slight advances in the field had still been made, they went on the defensive again. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian Land Forces commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi was still able...
The credibility of Russian economic statistics is a growing problem
Analysing Russia’s current economic situation is becoming increasingly difficult. Since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has restricted access to statistical data, including those concerning foreign trade. On 26 April, the government of the Russian Federation decided it would no longer report on the country’s oil...
