Russian troops likely reinforcing positions in Kharkiv to stop advances of Ukraine: ISW

Amid the escalating war between Russia and Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) released its latest assessment of the Russian military offensive on May 21. According to the ISW, Russian armed forces have likely started reinforcing positions around Kharkiv city to prevent advances of Ukrainian forces towards the international border. It further said that Russian troops might be gathering forces in some of the areas in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson region to start offensive operations in the southern region.  

The ISW said that the Russian armed forces have been carrying out operations to cut off Ukrainian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) between Severodonetsk and Lysychansk across the Seversky Donetsk River. According to the ISW's assessment, the information space in Mariupol is expected to become increasingly restricted in the coming weeks as the Russian armed forces will divert their attention from completing the occupation of the Azovstal steel plant and focus on occupational capture of the city. 

According to the latest assessment released by the Institute for the Study of War, Russian armed forces strengthened their efforts to encircle and take control of Severodonetsk on May 21. Russian troops will continue to make these efforts in the coming days in other regions like Izium. It further said that Russian armed forces will move to capitalize on the recent gains made in the Rubizhne-Severodonetsk-Luhansk-Popasna arc to encircle and besiege Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region. Russian troops blew up a bridge across the  Seversky Donetsk River between Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, developing conditions to stop Ukrainian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) and take control over Severodonetsk.

Zelenskyy accuses Russia of destroying over 1,800 educational institutions

It is pertinent to note here that the Russian military offensive in Ukraine, which started on February 24 continues for more than 80 days. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his late-night address on Saturday, May 21, accused Russian forces of destroying more than 1,800 educational institutions and called the action "a colossal scale of losses". Zelenskyy said that Russia has virtually deployed all its resources to destroy Ukraine. He called the situation in Donbass "extremely difficult" and added that Russian armed forces are attempting to attack Slovyansk and Severodonetsk. During the address, Zelenskyy thanked US President Joe Biden for immediately signing the $40 billion support package for Ukraine. He called it "a historic contribution to the protection of freedom in Europe." 

Image: AP