24 August 2022, Wednesday, 20:24 623

Invaders Stage Strikes On Pushilin’s "Administration" In Donetsk - ISW

Редактор: Tetiana Herasimova

Russian invaders in Donetsk initiated the shelling of the "administration" of the leader of the "DPR" Denis Pushilin to justify attacks on Ukrainian government buildings on Independence Day of Ukraine. This is stated in the message of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

So, according to the Institute, at the time of the shelling, Pushilin was absent.

“Russian officials may have conducted a false flag event in Donetsk City on August 23 to justify attacks against Ukrainian government buildings on August 24, Ukrainian Independence Day,” the report said.

The Institute for the Study of War found that, probably, the commanders of military groups in Ukraine report directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In addition, according to the report, the Russian authorities are deploying security forces in Luhansk region, probably in response to a decrease in support for the war and an increase in unwillingness to fight among Luhansk residents.

The Russian government's deployment of Rosgvardia units to provide security in the occupied Luhansk region distracts these forces from operations elsewhere in Ukraine, likely contributing to Russia's wider failure to turn limited tactical advances into operational successes.

Unverified sources said that commanders of Russian military groups in Ukraine report directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, bypassing the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in the command system.

Also, the Institute, citing the collected data, suggests that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu lost Putin's confidence after the initial phase of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which failed, despite Shoigu's assurances of a quick victory.

Key findings of the institute's analysts:

Russian government sources confirmed that Russian authorities are bringing Ukrainian children to Russia and having Russian families adopt them. The forcible transfer of children from one group to another “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group” is a violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Russian authorities are deploying security forces to Luhansk region likely in response to waning support for the war and growing unwillingness to fight among Luhansk residents. This deployment diverts these forces from operations elsewhere in Ukraine, likely contributing to the broader Russian failure to translate limited tactical gains into operational successes.

Russian officials may have conducted a false flag event in Donetsk City to justify attacks against Ukrainian government buildings on Ukrainian Independence Day.

Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks northeast and south of Bakhmut, on the northwestern outskirts of Donetsk City, and southwest of Donetsk City.

Russian forces made limited gains east of Mykolaiv City and in northwestern Kherson region.

Ukrainian forces continued to strike Russian military assets and ground lines of communication (GLOCs) in Kherson region.

Russian federal subjects (regions) are continuing to increase one-time enlistment bonuses for recruits, and are likely recruiting personnel with no prior military experience for specialist positions.

Ukrainian partisan activity continues to disrupt Russian occupation activities.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the occupiers announced explosions in the "administration" of Pushilin in Donetsk.

Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the head of the Presidential Office, believes that Russia will likely increase the number of missile attacks on Ukraine on August 23-24.