UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 206 - SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

The Kremlin has admitted its defeat in the Kharkiv region. This is the first time that Moscow has openly admitted defeat since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kremlin officials and state media propagandists extensively discuss the reasons for the Russian defeat in the Kharkiv region - a significant departure from their previous pattern of reporting on exaggerated or invented Russian successes with few details.

The Kremlin has never admitted that Russia suffered a defeat in the area around Kyiv or later on Snake Island, and has portrayed the withdrawal from Kyiv as a decision to give priority to the 'liberation' of the Donbass, and the withdrawal from Snake Island as a 'gesture of goodwill'. The Russian Ministry of Defense initially offered a similar explanation for the Russian failure in Kharkiv, claiming that Russian forces would withdraw their troops from the Kharkiv region to regroup, but this false representation was quickly and loudly criticized on the internet. The Kremlin's admission of defeat is part of efforts to mitigate criticism of this devastating defeat and shift blame from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Russian Ministry of Defense and military command in uniform.

Ukrainian forces are likely to continue their ground assaults along the Lyman-Yampil-Bilohorivka line in the north of Donetsk Oblast and may be carrying out limited ground assaults across the Oskil River in Kharkiv Oblast.

According to Russian and Ukrainian sources, Ukrainian forces have also continued their ground maneuvers in three areas of Kherson Oblast as part of the ongoing counteroffensive in the south.

Russian forces were able to make further advances south of Bakhmut and continue their ground assaults throughout Donetsk Oblast.

On September 13, Ukrainian forces provided visual evidence of the use of an Iranian drone by Russian forces in Ukraine.

The full Russian Offensive Update 206 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR online