Russia-Ukraine War Daily Brief (May 12, 2022)

ISW

Russian forces may be abandoning efforts at a wide encirclement of Ukrainian troops along the Izyum-Slovyansk-Debaltseve line in favor of shallower encirclements of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. It is unclear if Russian forces can encircle, let alone capture, Severodonetsk and Lysychansk even if they focus their efforts on that much-reduced objective. Ukrainian counteroffensive is forcing Russian command to make hard choices. Russian forces pulled back from Kharkiv have been sent toward Rubizhne and Severodonetsk. Counteroffensive is also forcing Russian units still near the city to focus their bombardment on the attacking Ukrainian troops. More details here.

Russian airstrikes on Mariupol, attempts at assault in Donbas

ukrinform.net

Russian forces attempted to storm the areas toward several settlements, continued shelling Ukraine’s defense positions, and ran reconnaissance missions. The Russian occupiers continue to suffer losses in almost all directions, the report concludes. According to available intelligence, the enemy has built up an air defense system in the western part of the Crimean peninsula. More details here.

Ukraine lines up Russia’s Vsevolod Bobrov ship off the coast of Snake Island

ukrinform.net

The ship was damaged and set on fire as a result of a Ukrainian strike. The vessel was engaged overnight Thursday, May 12. The ship is one of the newest in the Russian fleet. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have destroyed half a dozen warships and cutters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The flagship cruiser Moskva was destroyed. More details here.

Ukraine is holding talks to evacuate medics and the wounded from the Azovstal plant

Ukraine is holding talks to evacuate medics and the wounded from the Azovstal plant. About 100,000 civilians are remaining in the city, mostly the elderly, women, and children. The Russian side is not interested in this and makes every effort to block the movement of evacuation columns. More details here.