10 June 2023, Saturday, 17:01 1139

ISW Analyzes Successes Achieved By Defense Forces Of Ukraine

Редактор: Tetiana Herasimova

Experts of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) report that the Defense Forces continue to advance near Bakhmut, and also have certain successes in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Regions. The report notes that Ukrainian troops continued counter-offensive operations in at least four sections of the front on June 9.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Russian troops repelled limited and localized ground attacks by Ukrainian troops in the area of Kreminna.

At the same time, Ukrainian officials said that Ukrainian troops advanced 1.2 kilometers during the continuation of offensive operations near Bakhmut on June 8.

In addition, the Defense Forces continued limited counter-offensive operations in the west of Donetsk region near the border of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Regions on June 9 and achieved tactical successes in this area.

Ukrainian forces also continued ground attacks in the west of the Zaporizhzhia Region on the night of June 8-9 and the afternoon of June 9, and a Russian source suggested that Ukrainian forces had achieved some success during these attacks.

Analysts point out that Ukrainian officials explicitly acknowledged that Ukrainian troops expect losses of equipment during counteroffensive operations.

According to experts, the structure of the Russian command responsible for the war in the southern regions of Ukraine is fuzzy and probably duplicates each other.

After analyzing the statements of the Russian military and their actions, analysts came to the conclusion that the command relations between these four military leaders of the Russian Federation - Romanchuk, Teplinsky, Kuzovlev and Gerasimov - who are called the main responsible for Russian troops in this region, remain unclear.

The White House said on June 9 that Iran was helping Russia build a drone factory in Tatarstan, Russia, highlighting growing military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow despite Western sanctions.

Analysts note that the head of the Russian General Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov, on June 9 discussed strengthening Russian-Chinese military cooperation with the head of the joint department of the headquarters of the Central Military Commission of China Liu Zhenli.

ISW Key Takeaways for June 9:

- Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in at least four areas of the front on June 9, making further gains around Bakhmut and in Western Donetsk.

- Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on June 9 that the Ukrainian counteroffensive recently began and noted that Ukrainian forces still have offensive potential, a departure from previous Kremlin efforts to downplay Ukrainian counteroffensives.

- Contrarily, much of the Russian information space prematurely claimed that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed after Russian forces damaged more Western-provided Ukrainian military equipment on June 9.

- Ukrainian officials directly acknowledged that Ukrainian forces expect to suffer equipment losses during counteroffensive operations.

- The Russian command structure responsible for areas of southern Ukraine is unclear and likely overlapping.

- Russian forces carried out missile and drone strikes across Ukraine on the night of June 8 to 9.

- Several independent sources reported additional evidence that an internal explosion likely destroyed the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam on June 6.

- The White House revealed on June 9 that Iran is helping Russia build a drone manufacturing factory in Yelabuga, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, underscoring the growing military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow despite Western sanctions.

- Chief of the Russian General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov discussed increasing Russian-Chinese military cooperation with Chinese Central Military Commission (CMC) Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli on June 9.

- Russian and Ukrainian forces conducted limited and localized ground attacks south of Kreminna.

- Russian forces continued ground attacks near Bakhmut and on the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line.

Ukrainian forces continued limited ground attacks on the administrative border between the Donetsk and Zaporizhia Regions and in western Zaporizhia Region.

- Russia continues to evade international sanctions and has reportedly restored access to key Western microchips and electronics that Russia needs to produce military equipment.

- A Ukrainian report states that Russian authorities may be preparing evacuations from northern Crimea.

- Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on June 9 that Russia will begin deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus in July 2023, and this is not an escalation from Putin’s prior nuclear weapons rhetoric.

Больше новостей о: ISW Institute for the Study of War ISW report