Ukrainian armed forces disrupted vital supply route to Crimea says UK Ministry of Defence. Putin aims to undermine Wagner Group financier's reputation reports ISW. Financial Times has interviewed Ukraine’s Minister of Defence.
News selection and analysis by Tor Rauden Källstigen.
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Ukrainian Armed Forces Disrupted Vital Supply Route to Crimea
Early on the morning of 22 June 2023, the Ukraine launched a strike on the Chonhar road bridges connecting the Crimean Peninsula and the Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast.
These bridges play a crucial role as one of the main road supply routes linking Crimea and Kherson.
The Chonhar bridges provide the most direct path between Russia's Crimean logistics hub in Dzhankoi, and the Zaporizhzhia sector, where Russia is currently engaged in defending against a significant Ukrainian offensive.
Following the temporary closure of this route, essential Russian logistics convoys now face an increase of at least 50% in travel time as they navigate alternative routes.
Reports indicate that Russian authorities have swiftly constructed a pontoon bridge as a replacement crossing within 24 hours of the attack.
"The speed at which an alternative crossing was established highlights the critical importance of this route for the Russian military operations in occupied Ukraine," reports United Kingdom’s ministry of defense.
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Putin Aims to Undermine Wagner Group Financier's Reputation
In a surprising move, Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken steps to publicly tarnish the reputation of Yevgeny Prigozhin, financier of the Wagner Group, painting him as both corrupt and deceitful. Putin accused Prigozhin of lying about Wagner’s independence from the Kremlin, and the lack of state compensation for Wagner personnel.
Publicly stating for the first time since Wagner's inception that the Kremlin "fully funds" and "fully supplies" the Wagner private military company, Putin claimed that the Kremlin made various payments to Wagner personnel and their families from Russia's federal budget.
Putin revealed that "the owner of the Concord Company," Prigozhin's catering firm's parent company, received eighty billion rubles, close to a billion euros, between May 2022 and May 2023 for delivering and catering food to the Russian military. He also stated that the Kremlin plans to investigate whether the company has been involved in any dishonest activities during its tenure.
In a strategic move, Putin is distancing Prigozhin from the Wagner Group, aiming to undermine his role within the organization. The intent likely is to pave the way for the Kremlin to level accusations of corruption or conspiracy against Prigozhin, further estranging him from the Wagner personnel. Putin's strategic maneuver may be an effort to weaken Prigozhin's influence within Russian society and military circles, diminishing his financial power and personal brand.
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Headline: Ukraine's Defense Minister Assures Main Counteroffensive Yet to Come
Ukraine's Defense Minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, promises the country's most significant counteroffensive against Russian occupation is yet to come. He dismissed criticisms about the slow pace of recent progress, stating the modest gains made this summer were merely a prelude to the main event. Reznikov asserted that the liberation of villages under Russian control was just the opening act of Kyiv's planned attack strategy.
The Minister indicated that Ukraine's primary troop reserves, trained in the west and outfitted with state-of-the-art NATO tanks and armoured vehicles, have not been deployed yet. Reznikov believes that the recent insurrection by the Wagner paramilitary group in Russia has exposed the vulnerabilities of President Vladimir Putin's regime. Despite this, he emphasized that Ukraine's battlefield success should not be reliant on further unrest in Russia, asserting instead that the trust in their security, defence forces, and partners providing weapons should be paramount.
Furthermore, Reznikov, a former Soviet paratrooper, asserted that the Ukrainian army continues to inflict heavy losses on Russian troops. With about six hundred square kilometers reclaimed from Russia, the Minister concedes that the pace of progress is "slower than desired". He stated that the general staff is yet to make certain gains public to avoid compromising their troops. As a final note, Reznikov expressed his hope that the ongoing tumult in Russia would incite further western support for Kyiv, adding, "This helps the west realize that they are investing in Ukraine for a reason, that Ukraine's victory is absolutely real and coming soon."
