UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 477 - JUNE 13, 2023

The Ukrainian armed forces continued their counteroffensive in at least three directions, achieving further limited territorial gains on June 13.

Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar reports that the Ukrainian forces advanced 250 meters northeast of Bakhmut and 200 meters south of Bakhmut. Malyar also explains that in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian forces have advanced 500 to 1,000 meters along the administrative boundary between Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk oblasts, liberating approximately three square kilometers of territory in this area. Ukrainian General Staff spokesperson Andriy Kovalev reports that the Ukrainian forces have liberated over 100 square kilometers of territory since the start of the counteroffensive.

Wagner financier Yevgeny Prigozhin stated on June 13 that he believes the Ukrainian forces have likely liberated more than 100 square kilometers. Russian sources indicate that the Ukrainian forces continued their ground assaults southwest of Orikhiv and south of Huliaipole in the western Zaporizhzhia oblast on the night of June 12-13. Russian sources widely report that the pace of Ukrainian operations in the Orikhiv area has slowed in recent days. Ukrainian Ministry of Defense representative for environmental safety and mine clearance Major Vladyslav Dudar reported yesterday that Russian forces regularly destroy small dams in certain areas of southern Ukraine to disrupt Ukrainian counteroffensives.

According to Russian sources, the Chief of Staff of the 35th Army (Military District East), Major General Sergey Goryachov, was killed in a Ukrainian rocket attack in Zaporizhzhia oblast.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with 18 prominent Russian military bloggers and war correspondents on June 13 to discuss the progress of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. He discussed the progress of the Ukrainian counteroffensive and signaled his belief that Russia could outlast Western military support for Ukraine. Putin also hinted that he is not ready to announce a second mobilization wave or impose martial law, despite holding on to his maximalist goals in Ukraine. He spoke about the importance of formalizing volunteer groups and supported the Russian Defense Ministry's measures to centralize its control over operations in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the Russian military has recruited 150,000 contractors and over 6,000 volunteers since January 2023.

The full Russian Offensive Update 477 is available directly at UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR