UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 249-27 OCTOBER 2022

The Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to reject the idea of Ukrainian sovereignty in a manner fundamentally incompatible with serious negotiations. In a speech to the Valdai Discussion Club on October 27, he stated that the "only real guarantee of Ukrainian sovereignty" can only be Russia, which "created" Ukraine. Putin reiterated that it was a "historical fact" that Ukrainians and Russians were essentially "one people" unjustly divided into "different states." On October 26, Putin said Ukraine had "lost its sovereignty" and become a NATO vassal.

Russian sources report that Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensives in the northeastern Kharkiv Oblast and along the Kreminna-Lysychansk line.

Russian forces continue to make defensive preparations along the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region. According to Russian sources, Ukrainian forces have conducted limited ground attacks in the Kherson Oblast.

Russian forces continue to carry out ground attacks in the Donetsk region.

The full Russian Offensive Update 249 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

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