GET READY FOR NEW RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE

On the night of April 23, Russian strikes hit Ukrainian military and industrial facilities throughout the country. Explosions thundered in the Ukrainian capital and nearby areas. According to local reports, at least one air defense system was destroyed south of Kiev. A new wave of Russian strikes pounded the port infrastructure in the southern Odessa region. The Russian military is hitting facilities used for the supply of military equipment from NATO and other states. More military targets were destroyed in the war-torn Kherson region. The Russian Aerospace forces are pounding the Ukrainian military both in the strategic rear and on the front. They assure the ongoing Russian advance in different directions. The breakthrough of the Ukrainian defense in the Avdeevka direction resulted in the loss of control by the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the strategically important village of Semenovka. A Russian flag is already waving in the center of the village, while the mop operations continue in the north. It seems that no military reserves hastily sent to the area could help the Ukrainian military save control of the village. Semenovka is located on the dominant heights on the northern flank of the Ukrainian defense in the Avdeevka region. Control of it facilitates Russian assaults on the remaining Ukrainian stronghold west of Avdeevka and paves the way for a further advance on the heights towards the large Ukrainian logistical hub of Novogrodovka. The main phase of the battle for the main Ukrainian stronghold in the Artyomovsk direction, Chasov Yar, is approaching. The Russian military is in control of the stronghold in the northeastern part of the town. In their turn, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are rapidly equipping new lines of defense in the residential areas, as well as on the outskirts of the town. One of the main Ukrainian strongholds in the area is the Seversky Donets – Donbass canal located to the southwest of Chasov Yar. The Ukrainian military destroyed crossings across the canal back during the battle for Bakhmut. The natural barrier reinforced with defensive infrastructure and minefields is aimed to stop Russian heavy vehicles. Amid the constant Ukrainian defeats on the frontlines in different directions, Kiev is again crying about an upcoming Russian offensive. ‘Rumors’ about upcoming Russian attacks in northeastern regions are being spread more and more. The constant precision strikes on the local military and energy infrastructure force the remaining civilian population to leave the city of Kharkiv. Moreover, the Russian military reportedly began demining some corridors near the border. The Ukrainian military deployed in the Kharkiv and Sumy areas is constantly shelling and attempting ground attacks in the Russian border villages. Thus, a possible Russian offensive across the border may create the necessary buffer zone aimed to secure Russian territory.