ISW
Key Takeaways
Ukraine is likely seizing the strategic initiative and forcing Russia to reallocate forces and reprioritize efforts in response to Ukrainian counteroffensive operations.
Russian forces attempted to advance northwest of Izyum.
Ukrainian forces conducted a series of localized counterattacks between Izyum and Slovyansk and regained positions in a number of settlements.
Russian forces continued ground attacks northeast and south of Bakhmut.
Russian troops continued attempts to advance on Pisky and conducted a limited ground attack southwest of Donetsk City.
Russian forces continued to transfer equipment and personnel to northeastern Kherson and western Zaporizhia Oblasts.
Ukraine is likely seizing the strategic initiative and forcing Russia to reallocate forces and reprioritize efforts in response to Ukrainian counteroffensive operations. Russian forces are increasingly transferring personnel and equipment to Kherson and western Zaporizhia Oblasts at the expense of their efforts to seize Slovyansk and Siversk, which they appear to have abandoned. Russian forces are also redeploying military equipment – artillery and aviation in particular – to Crimea from elsewhere in Ukraine. Russian forces have previously withdrawn from or suspended offensive operations on Kharkiv City and the southern axis to prioritize capturing Luhansk Oblast, but they did so on their own initiative based on the changing priorities of their commanders. Russian forces in this case appear to be responding to the Ukrainian counteroffensive threat in Kherson Oblast rather than deliberately choosing objectives on which to concentrate their efforts. Even after Ukrainian forces defeated the Russian attempt to seize Kyiv early in the war, the Russians were able to choose freely to concentrate their operations in the east. Ukraine’s preparations for the counteroffensive in Kherson and the initial operations in that counteroffensive combined with the dramatic weakening of Russian forces generally appear to be allowing Ukraine to begin actively shaping the course of the war for the first time.
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⚡️Most restrictions on stock, commodity markets to be lifted on Aug. 8.
⚡️Ukrainian authorities seize collaborator's assets worth $4 million
⚡️Turkey: 3 ships carrying grain to leave Ukrainian ports on Aug. 5.
Amnesty International prompted a scandal by publishing an Aug. 4 report claiming that Ukrainian troops are endangering civilians by deploying weapons in residential areas.
⚡️Head of Amnesty International Ukraine criticizes report published by main office.
The head of Amnesty International Ukraine Oksana Pokalchuk said that the Ukrainian team wasn’t involved in the preparation of Amnesty’s report that accused Ukraine’s military of endangering civilians. According to her, Amnesty dismissed all arguments by the Ukrainian team regarding the incompleteness of the report, while the authors didn’t wait for a response from Ukraine’s Defense Ministry
⚡️Ukraine’s military destroys 3 ammunition depots in southern Ukraine.
⚡️Zelensky changes composition of the National Security and Defense Council.
⚡️Washington Post: Russia will launch a spy satellite for Iran, use it against Ukraine first.
⚡️Japan Today: Japan to provide Ukraine with additional surveillance drones, vans.
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U.S. Department of State: Blinken and Borrell discussed support for Ukraine and further pressure on the Russian Federation
A Ukrainian soldier fought at the front for three weeks with a broken spine — ZAXID.NET. The 44-year-old fighter turned to the doctors only when he started to feel pain in his lower back and his body temperature rose to 39 °C.
🤝The Office of the President: Ukraine seeks to expand ties with African countries
🇨🇦Canada resumes UNIFIER military training mission — it sends more than 200 instructors to train fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the UK
⚡️Reuters: NATO cooperates with arms manufacturers for more supplies to Ukraine
🛩MKD MK: Macedonia handed over 4 Su-25 attack aircraft to Ukraine
📊Almost a third of foreign retailers left Russia – 27% of the brands that rented premises in the shopping center announced this decision
Another 51% of foreign brands have suspended their activities, and 22% are restructuring.
⚡️The Turkish Ministry of Defense reports that the NAVISTAR ship has left the port of Odesa. 33,000 tons of corn are sent from Ukraine to Ireland. The ship will inspect the Joint Coordination Center in the north of Istanbul. (iM fairly sure they mean the ship will -be- inspected :D)