News selection and analysis by Tor Rauden Källstigen.

Subscribe to Reflected Ukraine on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.***

Drone Attack on Moscow Disrupts Major AirportFlights at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport were diverted on Tuesday following what the Russian Defence Ministry reports as a drone attack from Ukraine. Five drones were allegedly deployed, targeting various locations in and around the capital. The ministry claims to have shot down all drones, with no resultant casualties or damage.

Flights from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt were among the disrupted. Despite the allegations from Russia, Ukraine has yet to claim responsibility for the purported attack.

Russia’s foreign ministry branded the assault as a terrorist act by the Kyiv regime. This incident is not the first drone attack aimed at Moscow. A similar attack in May, also attributed to Kyiv, resulted in minor damage. 

This story was originally reported by BBC

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Russia Escalating Use of Anti-Tank Mines 

Russia has stepped up its military tactics, aiming to disrupt the Ukrainian armoured counter-offensive in southern Ukraine. This is reported by the UK Ministry of Defence.

Central to this strategy is the unprecedented use of anti-tank mines, surpassing limits in Russia's military doctrine.

After impeding Ukraine's advance, Russia has resorted to attacking Ukrainian armoured vehicles using uncrewed aerial vehicles, helicopters, and artillery.

Despite initial successes, Russian forces face challenges, particularly overextended units and an artillery munitions shortage.

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War Shadows Over Crimea's Tourism

In the midst of escalating war tension near Crimea, Russian occupying forces are pushing hard to keep the tourism industry thriving. Crimea has been the target of multiple drone attacks on naval facilities, rail lines, and oil depots. 

Amid speculations of Ukraine's potential counteroffensive to reclaim the peninsula, the authorities have played down fears, insisting it's business as usual for the summer tourist season. Messages touting the alluring beaches  overwhelm Russian social media, promising a holiday of a lifetime. Yet, a mere sixteen months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the war is casting a dark shadow over Crimea's tourism sector.

Riddled with an extensive coastline, limestone plateaus, and rows of poplar trees, Crimea has been a favored getaway destination for Russians. It is a place of respite from the chaos of Moscow and other cities. 

However, last summer's bombing of an air base and the explosion of the bridge connecting Crimea to mainland Russia have had substantial impacts. The collapse of the Kakhovka Dam last June could harm Crimea’s freshwater supply. 

Regardless of these developments, Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of what Moscow considers the Republic of Crimea, assures of calm. He conveyed on local television that there's no land invasion imminent and that the summer holiday season will proceed as planned. 

Yet, data paints a different picture, with only one percent of Russian hotel bookings this year made in Crimea, as per the online booking portal Ostrovok.Ru. "Many people were intimidated by military news and various 'fakes.' They have changed their plans and decided to not go to Crimea this season," said Nikita Krimskiy, a tour guide in Yalta. 

Despite the challenges, the resilient spirit of the peninsula shines through. Anna, a marketing manager working with hotels and tourism agencies in Crimea, said, "A community of loyal visitors will return every year — no matter what."

This story was originally reported by The Washington Post.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reflectedukraine.substack.com

Ukrainian armed forces disrupted vital supply route to Crimea says UK Ministry of Defence. Putin aims to undermine Wagner Group financier's reputation reports ISW. Financial Times has interviewed Ukraine’s Minister of Defence.

News selection and analysis by Tor Rauden Källstigen.

Subscribe to Reflected Ukraine on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

***

Ukrainian Armed Forces Disrupted Vital Supply Route to Crimea

Early on the morning of 22 June 2023, the Ukraine launched a strike on the Chonhar road bridges connecting the Crimean Peninsula and the Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast.

These bridges play a crucial role as one of the main road supply routes linking Crimea and Kherson.

The Chonhar bridges provide the most direct path between Russia's Crimean logistics hub in Dzhankoi, and the Zaporizhzhia sector, where Russia is currently engaged in defending against a significant Ukrainian offensive.

Following the temporary closure of this route, essential Russian logistics convoys now face an increase of at least 50% in travel time as they navigate alternative routes.

Reports indicate that Russian authorities have swiftly constructed a pontoon bridge as a replacement crossing within 24 hours of the attack. 

"The speed at which an alternative crossing was established highlights the critical importance of this route for the Russian military operations in occupied Ukraine," reports United Kingdom’s ministry of defense.

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Putin Aims to Undermine Wagner Group Financier's Reputation

In a surprising move, Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken steps to publicly tarnish the reputation of Yevgeny Prigozhin, financier of the Wagner Group, painting him as both corrupt and deceitful. Putin accused Prigozhin of lying about Wagner’s independence from the Kremlin, and the lack of state compensation for Wagner personnel.

Publicly stating for the first time since Wagner's inception that the Kremlin "fully funds" and "fully supplies" the Wagner private military company, Putin claimed that the Kremlin made various payments to Wagner personnel and their families from Russia's federal budget. 

Putin revealed that "the owner of the Concord Company," Prigozhin's catering firm's parent company, received eighty billion rubles, close to a billion euros, between May 2022 and May 2023 for delivering and catering food to the Russian military. He also stated that the Kremlin plans to investigate whether the company has been involved in any dishonest activities during its tenure.

In a strategic move, Putin is distancing Prigozhin from the Wagner Group, aiming to undermine his role within the organization. The intent likely is to pave the way for the Kremlin to level accusations of corruption or conspiracy against Prigozhin, further estranging him from the Wagner personnel. Putin's strategic maneuver may be an effort to weaken Prigozhin's influence within Russian society and military circles, diminishing his financial power and personal brand.

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Headline: Ukraine's Defense Minister Assures Main Counteroffensive Yet to Come

Ukraine's Defense Minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, promises the country's most significant counteroffensive against Russian occupation is yet to come. He dismissed criticisms about the slow pace of recent progress, stating the modest gains made this summer were merely a prelude to the main event. Reznikov asserted that the liberation of villages under Russian control was just the opening act of Kyiv's planned attack strategy.

The Minister indicated that Ukraine's primary troop reserves, trained in the west and outfitted with state-of-the-art NATO tanks and armoured vehicles, have not been deployed yet. Reznikov believes that the recent insurrection by the Wagner paramilitary group in Russia has exposed the vulnerabilities of President Vladimir Putin's regime. Despite this, he emphasized that Ukraine's battlefield success should not be reliant on further unrest in Russia, asserting instead that the trust in their security, defence forces, and partners providing weapons should be paramount.

Furthermore, Reznikov, a former Soviet paratrooper, asserted that the Ukrainian army continues to inflict heavy losses on Russian troops. With about six hundred square kilometers reclaimed from Russia, the Minister concedes that the pace of progress is "slower than desired". He stated that the general staff is yet to make certain gains public to avoid compromising their troops. As a final note, Reznikov expressed his hope that the ongoing tumult in Russia would incite further western support for Kyiv, adding, "This helps the west realize that they are investing in Ukraine for a reason, that Ukraine's victory is absolutely real and coming soon."

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reflectedukraine.substack.com