UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 734 - FEBRUARY 26, 2024

On February 26, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed two decrees officially restoring the Moscow and Leningrad Military Districts and codifying important restructuring and reform efforts of the Russian Armed Forces.

Putin signed a decree removing the Russian Northern Fleet (NF) from its status as a "cross-functional strategic territorial organization" (a joint headquarters in Western military jargon) and transferring the territory of the Northwestern Federal District, previously under the command of the NF, to the newly created Leningrad Military District (LMD). Putin also signed a second decree formally restoring the LMD and the Moscow Military District (MMD). The second decree also includes the occupied Ukraine in the Southern Military District (SMD), which specifically encompasses the entire oblasts of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk (as well as Crimea, which has been part of the SMD since 2014), and not just the currently occupied parts by Russia.

The Russian Armed Forces have recently confirmed successes in Kreminna, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka, while positional battles continue along the entire front line.

Reportedly, Russia imported sanctioned "sensitive" European goods, including weapon technology, worth almost 450 million euros (around 488 million US dollars) between January and September 2023.

The complete Russian Offensive Update 734 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR