The Freedom of Russia Legion and Russian Volunteer Corps declared that all goals of their incursion to the Russian Belgorod region were achieved, and they returned back to the base on Ukrainian territory.
The commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, Denis White Rex, gave an interview and elaborated on everything that happened. The most important objective that these forces managed to achieve was to force Russians to relocate their troops from the front. By the end of the second day, the insurgent forces started facing elements of unspecified motorized rifle detachments, which is why they promptly withdrew from the Belgorod region. The motorized rifle elements will not return to the front and will continue to stay in Belgorod because the threat of such raids remains.
In order to force Russians to relocate even more troops from the frontline to Belgorod, Ukrainians started destroying Russian forces in the Belgorod region with drone attacks. Ukrainian reconnaissance could observe in real time how and where Russians are deploying their forces in response to this crisis. The strikes will likely continue to intensify, and the accumulated losses of personnel with likely prompt Russians to redeploy even more troops.
Russians are redeploying their forces from the south to the north not only because of the situation in Belgorod but also because of the Ukrainian attacks on flanks near Bakhmut. Massive movement of troops is a perfect opportunity for precision strikes. Ukrainians conducted a HIMARS strike on the Russian objects in Khartsyzk near the Donbas frontline. Local residents reported hearing multiple explosions, and Russian sources reported that Ukrainians targeted areas of DNR forces concentrations. The Russian High Command reportedly decided to substitute Wagner forces in Bakhmut with the DNR forces, so it looks like Ukrainians managed to catch them on the move.
A few days ago, Ukrainians also used their newest weapon and conducted a Storm Shadow missile strike on Berdiansk in Ukraine’s south. The target of the strike became military facilities next to the airfield, and the missile reportedly successfully reached its predetermined destination. Some Russian military analysts quickly connected the dots with the recent strike on similar facilities next to the airfield in Mariupol and concluded that Ukrainians are planning to eliminate the most capable pilots in the Russian army.
Night explosions occur near Russian HQ in occupied Berdiansk
Another potent strike happened near Donetsk. Local residents reported that Ukrainians conducted multiple attacks on warehouses in different parts of the city and managed to destroy an ammunition depot that the DNR forces made on the territory of an auto center. Finally, a strike happened in the Kherson region. Several days ago, various sources reported about the relocation of unspecified detachments of Chechen forces. The information was once again leaked because a Chechen fighter was carelessly using social media. According to the unconfirmed reports, prior to the strike, around 100 troops arrived in Oleshky on eight trucks, five cars, and nine armored fighting vehicles, which were likely the targets of the strike.
Overall, Ukrainians continue destabilizing the situation on various parts of the front line by using the most versatile tactics, such as sabotage and reconnaissance activities in the north, successful counterattacks in the east, and precision strikes on command centers in the south. By losing the initiative, Russian forces caught themselves in a position where they are reacting to the developments put in motion by Ukrainians.
In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what’s happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
