Victory Chronicles
-DAY 93

Above: Donbas front. Map via ISW

• Russian forces have reached the outskirts of Severodonetsk, a large Luhansk city under constant bombardment for weeks.  Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhiy Gaidai stated, “They can’t take the city so they have decided to destroy it.”

Above: Under constant shelling, prospects for civilian evacuations in Donbas are dire. Photo via BBC

• Thousands of citizens remain in the Severodonetsk-Lysychansk urban metro area. Both Russia and Ukraine are taking heavy losses as Ukraine rushes reinforcements to the battle which analysts are calling the most perilous for Ukraine since the first few days of the invasion in February.  A Ukrainian defense ministry spokesperson characterized Russian gains as temporary while Ukrainian forces maneuver to maximize pressure on key enemy positions. (Read more on the ISW site)

 

Above: Utter, needless destruction of Rubizhne. Photo via Kyiv Independent

• The city of Rubizhne northwest of Severodonetsk “has been completely destroyed”, according to Luhansk Governor Haidai who lamented that  Rubizhne shares the same fate as Mariupol, housing ruined, courtyards turned to cemeteries. (Read more on the Babel site)

Above: Photo via Atlantic Council 

• Time is running out for agreement on a sixth sanction package as EU leaders are set to meet in Brussels on Monday.  The European Union has been unable to pass a sixth package of sanctions on Russia due to Hungarian Prime Minister Orban’s refusal to accept a ban on Russian oil. Orban stated that Hungary needs billions of euros to transition away from Russian oil.
• The Russian central bank slashed interest rates this week in an effort to stave off economic disaster for both business and consumer sectors.  Market manipulations have kept the ruble strong against the dollar and soaring energy prices have kept “blood money” flowing to the Kremlin. (Read more on the New York Times site)

Above: Potatoes are the key ingredient in Russian cuisine.  Photo via Agro Berichten Buitenland

• Russian auto manufacturer Avtotor in Kaliningrad is continuing its give-away of 740 acres of land plots and access to seed potatoes to help employees grow their own food under increasing shortages. Previously, Russia imported more than 90% of seed potatoes. The company still has manufacturing contracts with Hyundai and Kia.
• Meanwhile, Russia is actively targeting the Ukrainian food production sector, intentionally bombing food warehouses and production equipment and mining fields. This week, US Pentagon officials call it part of the enemy’s campaign to weaponize food, depriving Ukraine of food supplies and income from agricultural sales. (Read more on the U.S. News & World Report site)