- CNN: Ukraine's President said Russian troops are "slowly but noticeably" moving out of the north of the country, adding preparations are underway for more potential Russian strikes in the eastern Donbas region and Kharkiv. Ukrainian officials reported heavy shelling in eastern Ukraine Friday amid an apparent shift by Russia to redirect military efforts to the region.
Military analysts on news channels are basically saying that the plan behind Russia’s so-called “special military operation” is to build a much desired “land bridge” to Crimea, in order to eliminate any logistics challenges. The UK put forth similar claims in conflict reports.
West expects a major rise in clashes along the eastern border, in and around Mariupol and Kherson…
EDIT: It will be a tragicomical ending to the conflict, if the fuss was all about Crimea from the very beginning!