UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 230 - OCTOBER 7, 2022

Western and Russian reports of cracks within the Kremlin are gaining ground in the Russian information space, undermining the appearance of stability of the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Washington Post reported that the U.S. intelligence has received information indicating that a member of Putin's inner circle directly criticized Putin's „comprehensive military failures“ during the war in Ukraine, and other Western and Kremlin-affiliated officials have noted increasing criticism of Putin's misconduct in the war and mobilization. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted in a statement to the Washington Post that there were debates within the Kremlin about mobilization, but he denied all claims that a member of the Kremlin had confronted Putin. Rumors of cracks in Putin's inner circle have reached hyper-patriotic and nationalist milbloggers, undermining the impression of strength and control that Putin has tried to convey throughout his entire time in office.

Ukrainian forces continue their counteroffensive along the Kreminna-Svatove road in the western part of Luhansk Oblast.

Russian forces continue to build defensive positions in the northern part of the Kherson region, and Ukrainian and Russian sources report ongoing fighting to the north and northwest of the city of Kherson.

Russian forces continue their ground attacks in Donetsk Oblast.

The full Russian Offensive Update 230 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR online