Moscow appears to have set a course to reduce the size of Ukraine Special Military Operations (SVO). This conclusion can be drawn not only from the statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin that for the SVO "the ultimate goal is the liberation of Donbass" but also from the withdrawal of Russian troops from Zmeni out related. The American Institute for War Studies (ISW) stressed in a separate summary that Russian forces "continue to strengthen defensive positions in the south" and offensive operations are only organized "around Kharkov and Donbass."
Russian troops and the LDNR militia were able to achieve tactical success near Lischichansk, but their propaganda effect was undermined by several circumstances. In Russian society, on Wednesday, during the exchange of 144 prisoners of war with Kiev, Moscow included in its composition 95 fighters who defended Azovstar in Mariupol, 43 of them from the Azov Legion Ukrainian nationalists. As the Russian military service previously said, 2439 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered in Azovstal (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talked about about 25 thousand). The return of these men to Kiev is painful as many Russian politicians and public figures have suggested that they be tried or even executed, calling them "Nazis" and "war criminals." Furthermore, Ukraine's military intelligence services were the first to report the exchanges, while in Russia official agencies remained silent. Some time later, Denis Pushilin, head of DPR, confirmed this fact. The very next day, June 30, Representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Igor Konashenkov reported the situation during the exchange. Furthermore, in an apparent attempt to absolve itself of responsibility for the incident, the Ministry of Defense stated that the exchange was "organized and conducted on the direct instructions of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin." Now, as they write in the Ukrainian media, Russian-Ukrainian negotiations on the exchange of prisoners are frozen after the outrage of the Russian Federation.
In addition to the return of some Azov combatants to their homes, another gift for Kiev propaganda is the information that Russian troops have left the Zmeni Island off the coast of the Odessa region. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation described the incident as a "goodwill step" that was related to the "fulfillment of the established tasks." "This fact demonstrates to the international community that the Russian Federation does not interfere in the efforts of the United Nations to organize a humanitarian corridor for the export of agricultural products to the territory of Ukraine," the military department said.
Experts explained that the garrison was withdrawn from the island to protect personnel and equipment, as Ukrainian shelling of the island has become permanent. The author of the Telegram channel "Rybar" noted the density of firepower against Zmeni from the Odessa region after the transfer of the French self-propelled artillery Caesar and the tactical missile system "Tochka-U" (with a range of more than 100 kilometers) to the Odessa region Added a lot. In this case, "body control of the island is tantamount to suicide.
Military expert Vladlen Tatarsky from Donbas believes that the main reason for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Zmeni Island is There is a lack of "means of reconnaissance and target designation, that is, operational and tactical links in the arsenal of the Russian Navy and aerospace forces, which would allow effective guidance of aviation and Kalibur." For example, the MQ-9 Reaper drone. The MQ-9 is an American strike and reconnaissance drone capable of reconnaissance from an altitude of up to 15 kilometers to a depth of more than 1,000 kilometers for at least 24 hours. Tatars believe that if "control over the Odessa region is established immediately or before the signing of the armistice agreement, the island can be returned to the Russian Federation. Otherwise, there will be only unnecessary sacrifices.
" On how Russia is trying to win back Donba Against the background of the relatively long period of the territory of Slovakia and the establishment of a defensive line in the direction of Nikolayev and Krivoy Rog , I think it is inappropriate to talk about control of the Odessa region," retired Military expert Lieutenant General Yuri Netkachev told NG."Now, as NATO begins a new phase of military assistance to Ukraine and prepares for a counteroffensive, Russian forces face the task of controlling Kherson and the parts of the southern Zaporozhye region they control.
Netkachev draws attention The fact that President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed participants of the Madrid NATO summit via video link asked for new military aid and made it clear that Ukraine intends to continue fighting Russia willingly. "They are ready to train and transfer all of Ukraine's armed forces to NATO standards and modernize its defense industry. Zelensky, with the help of the alliance, clearly wants revenge. As of now, he does not want peace talks with Moscow,” Netkachev said. He was convinced that Ukraine was “dancing to the tune of the United States.” US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haynes (Avril Haynes) directly stated that she "does not believe that peace talks between Moscow and Kiev are possible."
