Russia's military invasion of Ukraine continues.
Russian and Ukrainian forces are fighting in various parts of Ukraine, and many civilians have fled the country. We will update the situation in Ukraine on the 18th (Japan time), including the status of the battle and diplomacy of the countries concerned.
(There is a 6-hour time difference between Japan and Ukraine and Moscow, Russia)
Ukrainian Army Appeals for Recapture of Settlements Near the Battle Zone in the East
Commander Shirsky of the Ukrainian Army announced on SNS on the 17th that he had recaptured Kryshchiivka, a settlement about 6 kilometers southwest of Bakhmut, the fierce battle site in eastern Donetsk Oblast. On social media, he also posted a video of soldiers raising the national flag in what appears to be Klišciivka.
President Zelensky also posted a selfie video on social media, saying, "I want to mention the soldiers who are steadily regaining Ukrainian territory around Bakhmut, well done."
The Ukrainian army has just announced on the 15th that it has recaptured the settlement of Andriivka, about 10 kilometers south of Bakhmut, and is touting it as a new achievement in the ongoing reversal offensive around Bakhmut.
"An Important Gap in Russia's Defense Line" U.S. Think Tank Analysis
In the south, where the Ukrainian army is said to have breached part of the first defense line on the Russian side, the British Ministry of Defense pointed out on the 1th that Russian troops are strengthening their defenses by digging new zango around Tokmak, a transportation hub in southern Zaporozhye Oblast.
The American think tank "Institute of War Studies" analyzed on the 17th that the Ukrainian army has been creating and expanding a tactically important break against the Russian defense line in the south in recent weeks, and there is a view that the Ukrainian army is intensifying the reverse offensive in the east and south.