Experts estimate that Russia’s main target is Kiev. Other directions of attack support access to the capital.
Russian troops occupy areas northwest and west of Kiev. In recent days, Russia has sought to expand its territory to the southwest of the city.
On Tuesday, Russian troops attacked Yasnohorodka from the direction of Buzova, confirming the road cut between Kiev and Zhytomyr. Yasnohorodka is located about 37 km southwest of the center of Kiev.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, four battalions took part in the attack, two of them in the 5th Armored Brigade and two in the 37th Motorized Infantry Brigade.
Attacks have also been made on the outskirts of Butshan west of Kiev. According to Ukraine, the attacks have been repelled. The suburb of Irpin, next door to Butshan, is in the midst of fighting, and an attempt is being made to provide a humanitarian corridor for its residents to gain safety.
Ukraine’s military leadership says Ukraine’s resistance has weakened the attackers’ ability to fight. Another option is for the fighting forces of the Russian forces to crack.
Russia is also approaching Kiev from the east
Chernihiv, about a hundred kilometers north of Kiev, is still under Ukrainian control, but Russian troops have circumnavigated the city to approach Kiev. Rivers and wet terrain make it difficult to progress.
Russian offensive columns have also progressed from the eastern border of Ukraine to the eastern suburbs of Kiev. Their progress is hampered by a very long service link of more than 200 kilometers, which the Ukrainians are trying to attack. The advance of the Russians to the east of Kiev requires that the service lines be secured.
Today, the Russians were reportedly trying to attack the suburb of Brovary. Ukraine says it has destroyed an attacking army regiment, but the clash continues.
ISW experts believe that Kiev is Russia’s most important destination. Other directions of attack support the occupation of Kiev.
The situation in Kharkov has not changed
The situation in Kharkov, near the Russian border, has not changed significantly in recent days. Russian troops surround the city to the east and north.
The city is being fired on, but there is no strong attack to take it over. The Institute for the Study of War estimates that the Russians directed much of their military force in Kharkov to the city of Sumy.
What is the direction of attack in the south?
Russia has assembled 17 battalions on the southern coast of Ukraine, between Kherson and Mariupol. According to the General Staff of Ukraine, they belong to the 49th and 8th Russian armies.
It is unclear in which direction the Russians are going to head. It is possible that the targets would be Odessa in the west and Zaporizhia in the north.
Recent battle data, however, indicate that Russian forces have sought to advance northwest of Mykolaiv and north of Kherson. The goal could be the city of Kryvyi Rih and then the strategically important city of Dnipro along the Dnipro River.
Military experts have suspected Russia’s aspiration to the Dnipro from both the south, Kherson’s direction, and the east, Kharkov. In this way, the armed forces in the east of Ukraine would be left behind.
However, the attack has not progressed from Kharkov. The attack from the south is also said to be slow, says the Institute for the Study of War.
Mariupol is falling apart
Located on the shores of the Black Sea, Mariupol is besieged by Russian forces and has been heavily fired. The military situation has not changed.
A Russian missile or bomb struck the city’s maternity hospital on Wednesday, killing three people and injuring about twenty. Ukraine and many Western countries consider the attack a war crime.