Reportedly, Moscow wants to take full control over southern Ukraine. According to the report, the deputy commander of Russia’s central military district was quoted as saying that full control over southern Ukraine would give Russia access to Transnistria, described as a breakaway Moldovian state. Reportedly, this would mean pushing hundreds of miles from the front line through Mikolaiv and Odesa and would cut off Ukraine’s entire coastline, the goal being occupation of eastern and southern Ukraine.
According to the report, Ukraine’s general staff said Russia had increased attacks in the east. Reportedly, Russia said its forces had captured a large arms depot in the Kharkiv region, north of Donbas and hit dozens of targets in the Kharkiv and Donestk region.