UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 223 - SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

The Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on September 30 the illegal Russian annexation of four Ukrainian territories, without clearly defining the borders of these claimed areas. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to disclose the borders of the newly annexed territories in a conversation with reporters on September 30: "The People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk [DNR and LNR] have been recognized by Russia within the 2014 borders. As for the territories of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts, I still need to clarify those. We will clarify everything today." DNR leader Denis Pushilin added that even the federal district to which the annexed territories will be integrated is still unclear: "What will it be called, what are the borders - let's wait for the final decisions, consultations are currently taking place on how to do it properly." Russian officials may clarify these borders and administrative assignments in the coming days, but they face a problem: Ukrainian forces still control large parts of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, as well as some areas of Luhansk and Kherson Oblasts, a military reality that is unlikely to change in the coming months.

Ukrainian forces are likely to capture or encircle Lyman within the next 72 hours.

Ukrainian military officials remained tight-lipped about Ukrainian ground maneuvers in the Kherson region, but stated that Ukrainian forces continued to force Russian troops to defend their positions.

Russian troops continued their ground attacks in the Donetsk region.

The full Russian Offensive Update 223 is available directly at UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR online