The Russo-Ukrainian War is nearing its one-year anniversary. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has not gone as planned, forcing what has become a more extended standoff.
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Let’s take a look at the conflict’s developments as of right now:
Bakhmut in ruins
Russian attempts to advance on Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, have destroyed over 60 percent of the city, according to Ukrainian officials.
Bakhmut has taken on an increased importance in the war – often being referred to as the most contested part of Ukraine’s entire 800-mile-long front line.
Russian efforts to capture Bakhmut have left the city “in ruins, a smoking shell of its former self.” Yet, Bakhmut has not fallen to the Russians.
Accordingly, Bakhmut has become synonymous with the Ukrainian resistance.
Last month, when Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the US Congress, he spent nearly one-quarter of his speech discussing the situation around Bakhmut.
“Last year, 70,000 people lived here in Bakhmut in this city,” Zelensky said. “Now only a few civilians stay. Every inch of that land is soaked in blood, roaring guns sound every hour…the fight for Bakhmut will change the tragic story of our war for independence and of freedom.”
According to CNN, members of Congress “stood and applauded four times,” as Zelensky discussed Bakhmut.
France to Assist Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron has promised Zelensky that France would provide Ukraine with light armored combat vehicles.
The two leaders spoke for an hour. Afterwards, Zelensky thanked Macron via Telegram, saying that both presidents “agreed on further cooperation to significantly strengthen our air defense and other defense capabilities.”
Specifics about the transaction – how many light armored combat vehicles will be delivered, and when they will be delivered – have not been disclosed.
France has also established an “innovative fund of 200 million euros” that allows Ukraine to buy military equipment straight from French manufacturers.
Macron has been criticized, throughout the conflict, for maintaining contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to find a diplomatic end to the conflict.
Macron told the French press in June that Russia should not be humiliated, and that when the fighting stops “we can build a way out through diplomatic means.”
Ukraine killing drones
The Ukrainian military has reported that it downed more than 540 Iran-made Shahed drones since September last year.
“During the first tow hours of the night this year, Ukrainian air defense shot down 100% of drones, namely 84 units,” Ukraine’s Military Media Center said. The report has not been independently verified.
The Shahed drone is vital to Russian efforts in Ukraine. Zelensky claimed recently that Russia is intending to wage a prolonged campaign of attacks using the Shahed drone in efforts to exhaust Ukraine.
According to a Ukrainian intelligence assessment, the Iranian made drones consisted of parts from more than a dozen US and Western companies, suggesting that US companies are indirectly profiting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Putin orders frigate
Putin has ordered a Russian Navy frigate carrying hypersonic missiles into the Mediterranean Sea.
The Admiral Gorshkov frigate will begin a long-range sea voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea, according to Russian state media outlet TASS.
The Gorshkov carries the Zircon hypersonic missile system, which has “no analogs,” according to Putin. “I am sure that such powerful weapons will make it possible to reliably protect Russia from potential external threats and will help ensure the national interests of our country.”
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Harrison Kass is the Senior Editor at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison lives in Oregon and listens to Dokken.
