Nfter retreating to the left bank of the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, the Russian occupiers are concentrating on maintaining control of the city of Svatove in the east of the country, according to British intelligence. That’s where the Russian troops are most vulnerable, the Ministry of Defense said in London on Monday. “As a major population center in the Luhansk region, the Russian leadership will most likely see maintaining control of Svatove as a political priority,” a status report said.
There have been heavy artillery battles in the area in recent weeks. As in other parts of the front, Russia is expanding its defensive positions there, although these are primarily manned by poorly trained reservists. “However, commanders are likely struggling with the military reality of maintaining a credible defense while attempting to resource offensive operations further south in Donetsk,” the report said. “Both the defensive and offensive capabilities of Russian troops continue to be hampered by a serious shortage of ammunition and qualified personnel.”
On the occasion of the “Day of Dignity and Freedom”, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recognized the commitment of his compatriots. “We can do without money. Without petrol. Without hot water. Without light. But not without freedom,” said Zelenskyy in a video address on the occasion of the holiday, which commemorated the start of the Maidan protests on November 21, 2013 in Ukraine. “There are many changes, but they haven’t changed the most important thing. Because the most important thing is not outside, but inside. And that remains unchanged. And that’s why we will persevere,” said Zelenskyj. In the future, Ukrainians would gather in Kyiv and “celebrate the Victory Day of Ukraine. In a peaceful Kyiv, in a peaceful Ukraine.”
