Russia-Ukraine Flash Report for 4-21-22 15:00 PDT - Russian Forces Start to Advance (Patreon)

Weeks of bitter fighting for control of Severodonetsk are starting to yield results for LNR militias backed by Russian, Chechen, and Wagner Group PMC mercenaries.

Chechen and Russian forces control the northern two-thirds of Rubizhne. Ukrainian forces control the industrial districts and railyards to the south.

Russian forces also have control of most of Torske, with fighting in Zarichne.

The situation is unchanged in Popasna, with Chechen, Russian, PMC, DNR, and LNR forces holding in the same parts of the city they reached on March 12. 

Based on the Russian state media video showing Russian self-propelled artillery east of Myronivsky, we believe the line of contact may have moved a bit to the west in the last 48 to 96 hours. There have not been any reports of fighting in that area, but we were able to geolocate the artillery operations.

Along the Oskil River, Russian forces captured Lozove and there were reports of intense fighting in Rubtsi. The Russian advance is now 25 kilometers from connecting to Izyum.

To the south of Izyum, the situation is unchanged from yesterday.

Along the Donetsk axis, Ukrainian forces did push Russian troops east, away from Avdiivka, and held Mariinka.

One more day of rain ahead, and things start to dry out over the weekend.