In its latest analysis of the war in Ukraine, published on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank wrote: “Ukrainian forces continued to strike Russian ammunition depots in southern Ukraine on July 11 and July 12. The Ukrainian Southern Operational Command confirmed that Ukrainian forces destroyed ammunition depots in Nova Khakovka and Charivne, approximately 60 km east and 65 km northeast of Kherson City.”
Ukrainian employees refuse to work under Russian occupation authorities
Meanwhile, "employees of the Ukrainian electric energy company Kharkivoblenergo refused to work under Russian occupation authorities in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, on July 12,” the US experts said.
They added: “The Ukrainian Resistance Center reported that Russian occupation authorities subsequently threatened to send unwilling Kharkivoblenergo workers to a concentration camp” in Vovchansk.
Russian forces continue operational pause
According to the ISW, Russian units remain in a theatre-wide operational pause in Ukraine. The think tank wrote: “Russian forces continue to regroup, rest, refit, and reconstitute; bombard critical areas to set conditions for future ground offensives; and conduct limited probing attacks.”
The US analysts said that Russian forces conducted limited and unsuccessful ground assaults north of Slovyansk and east of Siversk, accompanied by continued air and artillery strikes around Bakhmut and Avdiivka, and multiple unsuccessful ground assaults north of Kharkiv City.
Russia conducts false flag attack in Zaporizhzhia
Meanwhile, “Russian forces likely conducted a false-flag attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in occupied Enerhodar, Zaporizhia Oblast,” the ISW wrote.
It added that the attack may have been a provocation “in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive” or an attempt “to spin Ukrainian attacks on ammunition dumps across the Southern Axis as an effort to target civilians or civilian infrastructure.”
Earlier, Ukrainian officials called on civilians to evacuate occupied settlements in Kherson and Zaporizhia Oblast before the start of Ukrainian counter offensives. Ukrainian officials also said that Russian forces sought to hold Ukrainian civilians as human shields, according to the ISW.
Iran to supply Russia with drones?
Meanwhile, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned this week that Iran could provide Russia with “up to several hundred UAVs” for use “as early as July,” the ISW noted.
‘Low morale, systematic consumption of alcohol’ in Russian army
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Wednesday reported that “the moral and psychological state" of Russian military personnel "remains low," with "systematic consumption of alcoholic beverages and desertion."
Ukraine’s military command added: “The occupiers complain about the ineffectiveness of their attacks on Ukrainian positions.”
Ukraine repels Russian attack near Slovyansk
The Ukrainian General Staff also reported that near Slovyansk, in the eastern Donbas province, “Ukrainian defenders successfully repulsed the assault in the direction of Dovhenke and Dolyna settlements.”
Ukrainian military officials added: “It is not excluded that the enemy will continue to conduct offensive operations to improve the tactical position and create favourable conditions for conducting an offensive in the direction of Izyum - Slovyansk.”
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russian forces continued shelling in the northeastern Sumy Oblast, as well as in the direction of Kharkiv, Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Kurakhivka, Novopavlivka, Zaporizhzhia and South Buh.
Russian forces used barrel artillery and mortar fire as well as airstrikes, Ukraine’s military command said.
Wednesday is day 140 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, understandingwar.org, facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua