The Ukrainian drone campaign against Russian ground communication lines continues to hamper the supply and movement of Russian troops in the occupied territories. This is stated in the latest analysis of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), reports News.bg.
On May 31, the Ukrainian 3rd Army Corps announced that it had established fire control with drones over Lugansk, Starobilsk, Alchevsk, Bryanka and Kadiyevka. The settlements are located between 50 and 90 kilometers from the front line and are part of a broader operation to strike at the Russian rear.
According to the corps, Ukrainian forces are systematically attacking Russian logistics routes and ammunition depots. They have also reached the border checkpoint "Izvaryne", located more than 205 kilometers from the positions of Ukrainian drone operators.
ISW notes that these actions create serious difficulties for Russian logistics in southern Ukraine. Analysts also believe that Kiev may expand its strike campaign against Russian training grounds in the occupied territories. Similar signals were given on May 30 by the commander of the Ukrainian forces for unmanned systems Robert "Magyar" Brod and the General Staff of Ukraine.
In parallel, Russia continues to accuse Ukraine of alleged strikes on the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. On May 30 and 31, Russian representatives stated that the turbine hall of the sixth power unit and the transport workshop of the plant were hit.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and the Southern Defense Forces categorically rejected the accusations. According to Kiev, this is another attempt by Moscow to divert attention from the illegal occupation and militarization of the nuclear facility.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry pointed out that such allegations regularly appear before meetings of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). On May 31, the agency reported that its experts had found damage to the turbine hall consistent with a drone strike, but did not name a party responsible for the incident.
The Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev used the occasion to issue new warnings to Ukraine and the West. He said that Russia could launch “symmetric” strikes against Ukrainian or NATO nuclear facilities if the Zaporizhzhia NPP was destroyed.
In its analysis, ISW emphasizes that Moscow has repeatedly used such accusations as an argument for escalating military actions and justifying new massive attacks on Ukrainian territory. According to the institute, it is not excluded that the latest allegations will be used as an excuse for a new long-range strike against Ukraine - a scenario that President Volodymyr Zelensky warned about on May 29 and 30.