Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu highlighted ongoing Russian offensive operations near Ukraine's Chasov Yar, Avdeyevka and the city of Donetsk and announced Russia's intention to step up its strike campaign. However, ISW has not yet received confirmation of all these territorial acquisitions, reports News.bg.
Russian forces have yet to make significant tactical gains near Chasov Yar after advancing to the eastern outskirts of the settlement in early April 2024, but have recently made significant tactical gains northwest of Avdeyevka and fragile progress southwest of Donetsk city .
This is stated in the daily analysis of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Shoigu is likely trying to present the various ongoing Russian offensive operations in eastern Ukraine as equally successful - despite actual Russian tactical success.
Russian forces are likely to step up operations in the coming weeks to exploit the Ukrainian arms crisis ahead of the expected arrival of military aid voted this week by the US.
Shoigu also continued the information operation aimed at falsely portraying all Russian military activity as primarily defensive against perceived NATO aggression.
Russia has traditionally been portrayed as a passive victim of the West, trying to defend itself against external attacks. This time, he accused Sweden and Finland of increasing tensions on Russia's northwestern and western flanks through its accession to NATO.
Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Akbar Ahmadian traveled to St. Petersburg on April 23 to attend the 12th Russian International Security Summit.
Iran's embassy in Moscow said Ahmadian will meet Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev during the meeting.
High-level meetings between Iranian and Russian defense officials are helping the two countries align their national security and defense strategies and bolster Russia's media reputation as the leader of a coalition of nations that counters the West.