Ukraine War Update: Full Frontline Update
Title:Ukraine War Update: Full Frontline Update Topics:
Table of Contents 📖
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"This is not liberation. When you liberate places, you allow them freedom - freedom to say this is who I am, this is who I feel I am, and this is who I want to be. You don't say 'I'm liberating you and by the way, if you don't adhere to the identity that I think you should have, I'm going to deport you somewhere else, I'm going to punish you for that.' That is not liberation."
Hello Team!
- Jonathan had to tear himself away from drinking tea and singing Morrissey to do the update
📍 FRONT-LINE UPDATE -🗺️ MAP LEGEND
Deportation of Ukrainians from occupied areas
- Russia has a history of deporting people from areas they want to control and bringing in ethnic Russians to assimilate
- Putin signed a decree defining those in Russian-occupied territories who refuse Russian passports as "foreign citizens and stateless persons"
- This decree sets conditions for deportation of Ukrainians who do not agree to become Russian citizens
- Russian authorities are continuing to deport Ukrainians, particularly children, to Russia
- ISW assesses this may constitute a violation of the Geneva Convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide
- Jonathan emphasises this is not liberation - when you liberate places you allow people freedom to choose their identity
Frontline Update: Kupyansk to Kreminna
- Geolocated footage shows Russian forces have advanced ~10km northwest of Kreminna
- This confirms what pro-Russian mappers are saying, that the recent Ukrainian counter-attack in this area has been countered
- Russians are now back to where they were before the Ukrainian counter-attack within the last week
- Unsuccessful Russian attacks reported near Dubrovo, Bilohorivka, Torske, Terny
Frontline Update: Bakhmut
- Wagner Group has made advances in central Bakhmut, taking full control of some streets
- Fighting ongoing at the Bakhmut Medical College
- On southern outskirts, Russians have liberated an industrial technical school
- Most pro-Russian mappers (e.g. Suriyak Maps) show Russians control up to 90% of Bakhmut
- Prigozhin has said Wagner may not exist much longer, being replaced by conventional Russian troops around Bakhmut
- Ukrainian tanks have been geolocated firing at Russian positions in the industrial college
- Speculation Ukraine may try to do something significant around the May 9 Russian "Victory Day" related to Bakhmut
Frontline Update: Avdiivka, Marinka, Vuhledar
- Not much change reported around Avdiivka and Marinka
- Some footage of Ukrainian drones taking out Russian equipment behind frontlines in Marinka
- Around Vuhledar/Pavlivka area:
- Geolocated footage shows Ukrainian forces have advanced southwest of Pavlivka
- First time seeing reports of Ukrainian advances in this area
- Russian forces struck Ukrainian positions near Pavlivka with artillery
- Russians have allocated TOS-1A thermobaric artillery systems to Avdiivka/Western Donetsk - indicates potential preparations to intensify offensive operations
Frontline Update: Zaporizhzhia Oblast
- HIMARS strike reported on a Russian officers' camp between Tokmak and a reservoir
- Tokmak has defensive fortifications all around it, likely to be attacked in upcoming Ukrainian counter-offensive
Wrap up
- Update a bit rushed today due to family visiting
- Lots to cover in planned "Extra" video
- Busy day tomorrow with a rugby tournament for his kids