Day 7. As per
@Null's Supreme Request, I've thumbnailed my images; you may want to click to unblur them.
Today's key facts:
- With the capture of Kherson and the imminent fall of Mykolayev, the road to Odessa will soon be open to Russian armed forces, precipitating the complete conquest of southern Ukraine.
- Mariupol is surrounded, with many of Zelensky's pro-NATO forces under siege.
- The northern part of the Donbass front is advancing towards the Kharkov front in order to join them.
Eastern axis (Sumy - Kharkov)
The Russian troops are deeply advanced towards Kiev.
The town of Konotop is surrounded. The Russian army ordered the authorities to surrender the town without resistance in order to limit the losses.
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In the rear of the Russian advance, the towns of Sumy and Kharkov were surrounded and Zelensky's pro-NATO units were trapped.
Fighting took place for the conquest of Sumy.
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In Kharkov, the city is surrounded by Russian forces.
The violence there is greater than in other sectors of the front because Azov elements have taken political control of the city.
An orderly surrender is therefore not on the agenda. To aggravate the situation, Azov elements spread snipers over residential areas.
Russian army paratroopers have just arrived on site.
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However, some evacuations are taking place, such as here of foreign students who were previously trapped in the fighting.
Eastern axis (Donbass)
Russian troops have broken through deep into the Donbass front. They are moving towards Kupiansk in the north to link up with the Kharkov front.
Ukrainian troops on the Donbass front could be surrounded and destroyed if the troops from Crimea join up with those from Kharkov.
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Southern axis (Odessa - Dnepro - Marioupol)
Movement towards Zaporizhia (North)
Russian troops approach Enerhodar where the largest nuclear power plant in Europe is located. Once conquered by the Russian army, the electricity supply to southern Ukraine will be controlled by Russia.
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Movement towards the Donbass (East)
The junction between the Russian forces from Crimea and the forces of the pro-Russian republics of Donetsk and Luhansk took place yesterday.
The port of Mariupol is now surrounded and the besieged Zelensky units are gradually being neutralised. The capture of the city could take some time.
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Movement towards Odessa (West)
The town of Kherson, on the road to Odessa, had been surrounded for two days by the Russian army.
It quickly surrendered.
Destruction was very limited and the pro-NATO units surrendered after fairly quick negotiations.
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A video of the clashes for the control of the city bridge, towards Odessa.
The town of Mykolaiev is the last stop before the strategic Black Sea port of Odessa.
Fighting is reported to the north of the city, notably in Bashtanka.
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The Russian army appears to be manoeuvring to cut off all routes into the city.
An assault by Russian airborne troops on the city's airport is reported.
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The gateway to Odessa will soon be open.
The city's airport has been the target of Russian fire. This could herald an airborne operation in the city along the lines of what happened in Mykolaiv today.
