Maurice...............the jury is still out on how this is going to come down, but this is not worth WWIII,
The U.S. intelligence chief says Putin is preparing for a prolonged conflict.
nytimes.com
The Ukraine war in maps: Russia’s slow but steady advance in the southeast
Javier Galán Caballero,Luis Sevillano Pires - Tuesday
May 10 | Russian progressIn the two and a half months since the start of the Ukraine invasion, the Russian offensive has changed strategies: at first it sought to take control of the major cities, then focused its efforts on the separatist region of Donbas and on securing the borders. Since then, the frontline has moved in line with modest but systematic Russian advances that have only met with resistance at a spot that’s been highly militarized since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula. The change in the frontline can be seen in the following maps, which show the situation on the ground every two weeks since Russia changed its strategy on March 25. The red color shows areas under Russian control, which have been expanding for the last month and a half.
Donbas is an area covering around 52,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of Costa Rica. It is divided into two oblast (administrative units) – Donetsk and Luhansk. Along the northwest, it borders the Kharkiv region, home to the city of Izyum, which is the starting point for Russia’s attempt to encircle Ukrainian defenders holding the frontline. From there, Russian troops have been trying to advance towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the military headquarters and de facto capital of Donetsk, although they have had limited success.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that the Kremlin’s forces near Izyum are regrouping and resupplying before resuming offensive operations in the southeast and southwest.
In the south of the country, near Crimea and the Black Sea, there is a similar situation: slow but constant Russian advances and reinforced positions in places like Kherson, which was swiftly captured in the early days of the invasion. Ukrainian counterattacks have barely made a dent on Russian forces, who have increased the territory under their control week after week. Moscow has been concentrating anti-aircraft and missile systems in the northern area of Crimea, said the ISW. This could be a prelude to resume offensive operations towards Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih, in central Ukraine.
msn.com
Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine tried, failed retaking Snake Island, says Russia
By AARON REICH - Tuesday
msn.com
Russia tightens grip on Mariupol as Ukraine seeks more Western aid
Russia tightens grip on Mariupol as Ukraine seek more Western aid
A Pentagon spokesman said most Russian forces who had been fighting in Mariupol have left and gone north, a sign that Russia feels it has control of the city.
Placeholder while article actions load Seizing the plant would give Russia total control of the city — delivering the Kremlin its largest prize in a 10-week-old invasion that has been marked by immense human suffering and logistical failures, and has shifted to focus on eastern Ukraine after attempts to take control elsewhere faltered.
“There is constant storming, with the support of aviation, artillery and armored equipment,” Vershynin said. “The wounded are becoming greater, the situation is becoming critical.”Ukrainian forces and their Western partners are girding for a grim next phase of the war, with Russia increasingly desperate for victory and the West rushing more and more aid to Ukraine.
Read more: The Washington Post »
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