Russia Responding To Defeat Around Kharkiv Region By Doubling Down On Crypto-Mobilization - ISW

Russia is responding to the defeat around Kharkiv region by doubling down on crypto-mobilization rather than setting conditions for general mobilization.

This is stated in the message of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

It is noted that Ukrainian forces continue counter-offensive operations in the east of the country, increasing pressure on Russian positions and logistics lines in the eastern part of Kharkiv region, northern part of Luhansk region and eastern part of Donetsk region.

The defeat near Kharkiv region prompted the Kremlin to announce an all-Russian recruitment campaign.

According to analysts, the Kremlin almost certainly depleted most of the forces initially stationed at Russian bases in the former Soviet republics, which likely weakened Russia's influence in those states.

Key ISW Takeaways

- Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in the east of Ukraine.

- The Kremlin is responding to the defeat around Kharkiv region by doubling down on crypto-mobilization, rather than setting conditions for general mobilization.

- The Kremlin has almost certainly drained a large proportion of the forces originally at Russian bases in former Soviet states since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February, likely weakening Russian influence in those states.

- Russian and Ukrainian sources reported Ukrainian ground attacks northwest of Kherson City, near the Ukrainian bridgehead over the Inhulets River, and south of the Kherson-Dnipropetrovsk region border.

- Russian-appointed occupation officials and milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted a landing at the Kinburn Spit (a narrow peninsula in Kherson region).

- Russian forces conducted limited ground assaults and are reinforcing positions on the Eastern Axis.

- The Russian proxy Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) is likely attempting to stop its administrators from fleeing ahead of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, demonstrating the bureaucratic fragility of the DPR.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Russian occupiers are trying to hide mass losses after a fire defeat inflicted by the Ukrainian military.

Meanwhile, during the counteroffensive in Kharkiv region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted heavy losses on two rifle regiments of the 2nd Army Corps of the Russian occupation army.