Thread by @AndrewPerpetua

Update for September 18-20 ukrdailyupdate.com/updates/update…

Here is my military update for September 18th through September 20th. #ukrainedailyupdate

If you would like to view the map, here is the link: google.com/maps/d/u/0/edi…

Between September 18th and the 20th, most of the action in Ukraine centered around Ukraine’s offensive in the Lyman area, Russia’s offensive in the Bakhmut area, and Russia’s troop movements in Luhansk oblast. I will go around the country in a clockwise fashion.

There is typical cross-border shelling in Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv.

On September 18th, Russia attacked the border town of Hoptivka (A) in Kharkiv. It was a minor engagement that achieved nothing.

On September 18th and 20th, Russia attacked Kupyansk (2). Both attacks failed with casualties. I have not awarded Ukraine control over east Kupyansk because I have not seen evidence that they have firmly established such control. Instead, their control seems partial.

On September 20th, Russia tried to destroy the Pechenihy dam (1), but their attempt failed. Ukraine delivered warnings to the appropriate people downstream of the dam, warning of the risk of future severe flooding.

In Troitske, Ukrainian civilians report that Russians are mistreating them, looking at them with contempt, and searching phones for images and signs of support for Ukraine of randomly selected people.

When Ukraine captured most of Kharkiv, many people in Troitske went to the Russians and bragged about their success, taunting them and saying Ukraine would be there soon.

Unfortunately, these words have returned to haunt the Ukrainians, many of whom have been arrested and subsequently beaten. Some have disappeared without a trace.

Similarly, on September 20th, the FSB went door to door through the town of Mistky to check people's phones. The Russians also set up a headquarters in the town's school.

During this period, Ukraine destroyed Russian bases in Starobilsk (B), Tytarivka (C), Novoaidar (D), Kadiivka (E), and Alchevsk (F). The strike on Alchevsk occurred on September 20th, and I have seen rumors of hundreds of casualties. I am sure we will get more information soon.

Russians are building forces in the southeast of Luhansk. Forces were spotted in Novosvitlivka (G), Khmelnytskyi (H), and Khrustalnyi (I). In the latter two, Russians are building fortifications. In the former, they are hiding vehicles in the bushes and trees.

In the Lyman area, Russian sources claim Ukraine is attacking from the west (4) and northwest (3), which implies they control the town of Drobysheve. I am unclear about this capture, so I used a different shade of blue and did not outline it to show my uncertainty.

I believe Ukraine captured Yarova along with at least partial success in Lyman. Russians claim they are taking losses in their defense. It is possible Ukraine already liberated Lyman, as neither side would have much incentive to talk about such an event until a day or two later.

On September 20th, Wagner moved forced from the Bakhmut area to Spirne to stop the Ukrainian advance towards Lysychansk (5).

If Ukraine can push to the top of the hill to the east of Spirne (J), they will be able to attack the Lysychansk Refinery directly to the north (K).

Once they capture that position, it would open up the possibility of attacking Lysychansk, although they would likely first liberate Vovchoyarivka (L) to the southeast of the refinery. The eastern part of Vovchoyarivka is less than 6km from downtown Lysychansk.

On September 20th, the Russians reported that Ukraine attacked Berestove (6). Russia destroyed Berestove to "capture" it, and not a single structure remains standing in the town. But if Ukraine could control this area, it would help them control the highway to Lysychansk.

On September 20th, the Russians attacked Vesele without success (7). I am unsure why they attacked here. I suppose it is an effort to slow Ukraine's move east, similar to their attack on Spirne.

Russia's assaults on Soledar and Bakhmutske appear to have ground to a halt, and I hear little news from those areas anymore.

Russia is attacking the vigorously defended eastern side of Bakhmut, and they have made little progress (8). They are using heavy artillery bombardments, air attacks, and missile strikes to bomb Bakhmut into dust.

This city is heavily damaged, not quite as bad as Severodonetsk or Mariupol, but Russia is trying its best, and if the battle lasts long enough, it could reach that level of devestation.

South of Bakhmut, Russia captured the electric substation on September 17th, and now they are beginning their attack on Vesela Dolyna (9). Fortunately, I do not believe they have made much progress on this attack in the past few days.

Similarly, I do not know of notable Russian successes in their assaults on Zaitseve (10), Odradivka (11), or Kurdyumivka (12). In Mayorsk (13), newly released combat videos show that Russia does not have control but merely contests the town.

On September 18th, there was a report that Ukraine attacked south toward the Donetsk airport (M). I am unsure if this attack happened, but I have marked it nonetheless.

Russia is continuously attacking Pervomaiske (14), Krasnohorivka (N), Marinka (15), and Novomyhailivka (16).

On September 18th, Denis Stefankov, a Russian collaborator in charge of "interrogation," died from a car bomb in Melitopol. There were explosions near the airport on September 19th and 20th and downtown Melitopol on September 20th.

On September 20th, Russia launched a large missile strike on the towns around Zaporizhzhia. Notable, Komyshuvakha and Yulivka, which received three missiles each, and Hryhorivka, Richne, and Stepne. Zaporizhzhia has also been subject to many missile strikes over the past few days

Most of these missile strikes are s300 anti-aircraft missiles used in the ground attack mode.

I do not want to talk about Kherson because I feel the news there is unreliable. However, Ukraine sunk a barge carrying a load of military equipment across the Dnipro river. All of the equipment joined the elite submarine task force.

That is all I have for today. If you would like to read this as a blog, the link is in the first tweet of this thread.