[dabigv13]

If this Ukrainian govt claim is true, it would be notable. Ukraine is saying that Russia has shifted to defense near Kharkiv, Izyum, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.

https://mobile.twitter.com/PhillipsPOBri...WG0qcqAAAA

That would mean that Russia is now only attacking in the Donbas. The part of the claim that seems most notable related to Izyum because Russia far outnumbers Ukrainian troops in that region from what I’ve seen recently.

I still have concern that Ukraine is ceding territory in the southeast near a couple of towns of ~100,000 people. Russia hasn’t encircled or taken any new towns of that size since the very early days of the war when it stormed Kherson, Melitopol, and Mariupol. Shelling Ukrainian cities and towns from the outskirts is bad enough, but Ukraine needs to do everything possible to prevent more massacres of urban civilians populations by occupying Russian soldiers.

But if the claim above is true, then I have a lot of hope that Russia’s momentum is stalling, as the media is claiming.

ISW says Russia is pulling troops from Izyum to defend against the counterattacks around Kharkiv. This is why I'm saying the Donbas offensive is finished. If one of your (very slow moving) pincers is getting pinched off itself at it's base, you're gonna have a bad time with an offensive.

Russian forces from the Izyum area are reportedly redeploying northwards to attempt to alleviate the pressure of this counteroffensive and stymie further northward advances toward the Russian border.[2] The Ukrainian counteroffensive will likely continue to divert Russian troops and resources from deployment to other axes of advance where fighting has been similarly stalled out by the successful Ukrainian defense. The counteroffensive will impede the ability of Russian artillery to target the northeastern suburbs of Kharkiv City, will potentially enable Ukrainian forces to threaten Russian rear areas with their own shelling and further attacks, and—if Ukrainian forces are able to further advance the counteroffensive or Russian forces collapse along the Kharkiv axis and withdraw further—unhinge Russian offensive operations around Izyum.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgro...ent-may-10

ISW undoubtedly has a pro-Ukraine slant, but from what I can tell they don't usually post BS.

[dabigv13]

If this Ukrainian govt claim is true, it would be notable. Ukraine is saying that Russia has shifted to defense near Kharkiv, Izyum, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.

https://mobile.twitter.com/PhillipsPOBri...WG0qcqAAAA

That would mean that Russia is now only attacking in the Donbas. The part of the claim that seems most notable related to Izyum because Russia far outnumbers Ukrainian troops in that region from what I’ve seen recently.

I still have concern that Ukraine is ceding territory in the southeast near a couple of towns of ~100,000 people. Russia hasn’t encircled or taken any new towns of that size since the very early days of the war when it stormed Kherson, Melitopol, and Mariupol. Shelling Ukrainian cities and towns from the outskirts is bad enough, but Ukraine needs to do everything possible to prevent more massacres of urban civilians populations by occupying Russian soldiers.

But if the claim above is true, then I have a lot of hope that Russia’s momentum is stalling, as the media is claiming.

ISW says Russia is pulling troops from Izyum to defend against the counterattacks around Kharkiv. This is why I'm saying the Donbas offensive is finished. If one of your (very slow moving) pincers is getting pinched off itself at it's base, you're gonna have a bad time with an offensive.

Russian forces from the Izyum area are reportedly redeploying northwards to attempt to alleviate the pressure of this counteroffensive and stymie further northward advances toward the Russian border.[2] The Ukrainian counteroffensive will likely continue to divert Russian troops and resources from deployment to other axes of advance where fighting has been similarly stalled out by the successful Ukrainian defense. The counteroffensive will impede the ability of Russian artillery to target the northeastern suburbs of Kharkiv City, will potentially enable Ukrainian forces to threaten Russian rear areas with their own shelling and further attacks, and—if Ukrainian forces are able to further advance the counteroffensive or Russian forces collapse along the Kharkiv axis and withdraw further—unhinge Russian offensive operations around Izyum.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgro...ent-may-10

ISW undoubtedly has a pro-Ukraine slant, but from what I can tell they don't usually post BS.