2/ Geolocated footage posted on April 24 shows that Ukrainian forces have made marginal advances northeast of Verkhnokamianske (18km south of Kreminna) and southeast of Bilohorivka (12km south of Kreminna) on unspecified dates.
3/ A Russian milblogger claimed on April 24 that Ukrainian forces recaptured unspecified positions near Bilohorivka and that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful ground attacks near Nevske (18km northwest of Kreminna) and Makiivka (22km northwest of Kreminna).
4/ The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces did not conduct offensive actions along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line on April 23 and 24. isw.pub/UkrWar042423
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Russian forces continued ground attacks in and around #Bakhmut and did not make any confirmed territorial gains in the city on April 23 and 24. Russian forces continued ground attacks along the #Avdiivka-Donetsk City line. isw.pub/UkrWar042423
2/ The Ukrainian General Staff reported on April 23 and 24 that Russian forces did not conduct any ground attacks in western #Donetsk Oblast.
3/ Ukrainian military sources stated that Russian forces conducted a series of large airstrike series against #Vuhledar on 23-24 April, and warned that recent increases in indirect fire against Vuhledar indicate that Russia may be preparing for another offensive push in the area.
A prominent Russian milblogger claimed that #Putin signed a decree on April 20 about a series of military command changes and formally dismissed Commander of the Eastern Military District Colonel General Rustam Muradov. isw.pub/UkrWar042423
2/ The milblogger noted that Muradov’s dismissal likely resulted from his disastrous offensive on Vuhledar that resulted in many casualties among Russian personnel and the loss of much military equipment.
3/ The milblogger added that the decree also forced Army General Aleksandr Dvornikov — who reportedly commanded Russian forces in Ukraine in April 2022 — to retire.
#Zelensky stated during a press conference in #Poland on April 5 that #Ukrainian troops face a very challenging situation in #Bakhmut, and that #Kyiv will make the “corresponding decisions” if Ukrainian troops risk encirclement by #Russian forces. 1/
#Zelensky’s statement is in line with other recent statements by #Ukrainian officials that Ukrainian military command will order a withdrawal from #Bakhmut when and if they deem a withdrawal to be the most strategically appropriate option. 2/
While it remains to be seen whether #Ukraine’s defense of #Bakhmut and its efficacy in fixing #Russian forces in the area is worth #Ukrainian losses (and we will likely be unable to assess this until observing the Ukrainian spring counteroffensive)... 3/
#Wagner Group financier Yevgeny #Prigozhin’s demonstrative response to the assassination of #Russian milblogger Maxim #Fomin (Vladlen Tatarsky) indicates Prigozhin likely believes that the attack was in part directed at himself. 1/4
#Prigozhin held an event on April 4 at the remnants of the restaurant where #Fomin was killed by an improvised explosive device on April 2. Prigozhin claimed that he arrived at the scene from the #Bakhmut frontline as quickly as he could to commemorate Fomin. 2/4
#Prigozhin announced that he intends to expand the #Wagner-affiliated ultranationalist group that held #Fomin’s fatal event into a social movement that fights against external threats.
Prigozhin also noted that he will offer financial compensation to the event’s attendees. 3/4
New: Today's report discusses the assassination of prominent pro-war Russian milblogger Maksim Fomin (also known as Vladlen Tatarsky) in St. Petersburg on April 2. Fomin’s assassination may reveal further fractures within the Kremlin and its inner circle.
Fomin was one of the most significant Russian milbloggers w/ a Telegram platform of 560k followers & deep connections w/ Wagner PMC, the Kremlin, the Donetsk People’s Republic & the Russian nationalists dominating 🇷🇺's info space since the start of 🇷🇺's full-scale invasion of 🇺🇦.
#Fomin’s assassination at a #Wagner-affiliated bar in St. Petersburg may reveal further fractures within the #Kremlin and its inner circle. Fomin was a vocal critic of the #Russian military command and the Russian Ministry of Defense. 3/4
New: Russian, Ukrainian, and Western sources observed that the Russian winter offensive has failed to achieve the Kremlin’s goals of seizing all of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts by March 31.
Chief of the #Russian General Staff Valery #Gerasimov had announced on December 22 that Russian forces were focusing most of their efforts on seizing #Donetsk Oblast. 2/
#Russian forces launched their winter offensive operation in early February along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna-Lyman line and on select frontlines in western #Donetsk Oblast. 3/