And while ships transiting the Atlantic Ocean are being blocked in Europe, as Macron reported on May 31st: “The French Air Force has again seized the Tagor oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean, coming from Russia. The Tagor is flying the flag of Madagascar and is subject to international sanctions.” Russia launched its summer offensive amidst silence from the Western press, which focused on Volodymyr Zelensky’s statements regarding Russia’s kidnapping of children, of which he has evidence.
The Russian military is creating “pockets” for Ukrainian armed forces in Kostyantynivka. Russian Army assault groups have broken through Ukrainian lines—according to cross-referenced Russian and Ukrainian OSINT sources—reaching the center of the northern part of Kostyantynivka from Novodmytrivka, penetrating the Ukrainian garrison and depriving it of its ability to maintain its previous defensive line. South of the city, the 8th Guards Army has broken Ukrainian resistance in residential buildings in the 1st and 2nd districts: the closure of the “pocket” containing the Ukrainian garrison is a matter of time.
Meanwhile, in the direction of Sumy, “northern” troops have reached the N-07 highway and are approaching Ukrainian Armed Forces positions north of Sumy, forcing the Ukrainian Armed Forces to weaken the Kharkiv direction to accommodate reinforcements. In Zaporizhia, units of the 29th Army took Dobrovol’ches’ke, and then the village of Pokrovske.
From May 31st to June 1st, major strikes by the Russian Aerospace Forces and Missile Forces counter-targets in the regions of Donbas, Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson (using the full range of weapons), Poltava and its region, the outskirts of Rivne and its region, Chernihiv and its region, and Odessa and its region (with Geranium/Gerberas).
Between June 1st and 2nd, a Russian advance was recorded in the Zaporizhia region along the following axes: Huliaipilske-Hirke; West of Vozdvyzhivka and north of Verkhnya Tersa; Advance in the Markove-Holubivka area; Advance west of Hryshyne and north of Vasylivka.
According to OSINT sources, the so-called “mole labyrinths” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are ablaze in the Zaporizhia sector. Soldiers placed explosives in ventilation holes and at the entrances to underground tunnels. The internal passages collapsed, detonating the munitions. During the assault on the tunnels by Ukrainian troops, heavy flamethrower artillery and targeted detonation tactics were used.
According to radio intercepts, Ukrainian Armed Forces commanders discussed the failure of the defense of one of the strongholds, as well as significant medical losses among personnel.
Graziella Giangiulio
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