Ukrainian counter-offensive advances in the south of the country, with Russians responding to attacks by Kiev forces. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said the troops were busy in the south of the country. “They have had tactical successes in practically every area our units attack in the south. They advance step by step. Currently the advance is up to 2km in each direction,” he said, according to the Guardian. Russia has not officially acknowledged Ukraine’s advances, saying it has inflicted heavy casualties on Kiev’s forces over the past 24 hours.
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From an armaments point of view, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called for an increase in the production of tanks in Ukraine after the start of the counter-offensive in Kiev “in order to meet the needs of the Russian armed forces”. We must “maintain the increase in tank production” and improve the security characteristics of armored vehicles, Shoigu said while visiting a military factory in western Siberia. Shouigu, the man put in charge of operations in Ukraine by Putin, has been the target of attacks by Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin for months. A kind of triangle of mutual accusations that betrays the delicate balance in Putin’s shadow.
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Meanwhile, on the ground, the British Ministry of Defense announced in its daily intelligence update published via Twitter that “more than 20 other Russian helicopters” are stationed at Berdyansk Airport in south-eastern Ukraine, about 100 kilometers from the front line. Signal that Moscow has “increased its combat helicopter strength.” According to the assessment, “it is possible that Russia has gained a temporary advantage in southern Ukraine, primarily by using attack helicopters equipped with long-range missiles to attack targets on the ground,” the London-based analysts explain.