Russia announced on the 21st that it would completely take control of Bakhmut, a fierce battle site in the eastern Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Mallar emphasized on SNS on the 22nd that "we are fighting with the enemy for control in the north and south of the suburbs" Russian media reported that Russian authorities killed 39 Ukrainian operatives.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side blames the invasion on Russian underground organizations opposed to the Putin regime, and tensions are rising in the region.