[Dargo]

Ukrainian strategy seems not only not to withdraw South Donetsk, but to reinforce the whole Donbas area Ukrainian high command, even reinforcing the far tip of the pocket. There are signs in the that the Ukrainians are going to attrit the Russians down by making them fight for the whole pocket including Severdonetsk. It seems to be that the Ukrainian command has determined that they can make the Russians fight for the whole pocket, and that the wastage they can inflict on the Russians is worth the risk. It is also interesting to see the irritation expressed at some who were arguing the pocket was collapsing.

US DOD spokesperson J Kirby said yesterday that a number of the howitzer systems the US has sent to Ukraine are fighting in the Donbas. And moreover, it seems that the Ukrainians want to fight for what they have there. Ukrainians will continue to resist there. This would be consistent with their strategy in the beginning, to hold onto cities and force the Russians to try and fight street to street and bleed them down.

The communiqué from the Ukrainian armed forces also is portraying the situation in the Donbas as relatively under control. Claims to have beaten back Russian attacks around Severodonetsk, and Bakhmut. Russian attempts to expand out again from the Popasna bulge and towards South Donetsk have been unsuccessful. Lots of reliance on artillery, though, wonder if the Russians are running out of the mass of front line armor and APC's needed to advance. It has been a noticeable decline in Ukrainian claims of Russian losses in the last week.