Russia-Ukraine Flash Report for 5-26-22 12:30 PDT - Lyman & Chechen TikTok Brigade
Added 2022-05-26 20:06:43 +0000 UTCIntense fighting continues in Lyman. Sentinel One from May 26 shows a lot of fires and that artillery is firing further south than on May 23.
Russia Today is reporting that Russia has captured Lyman, which ironically almost certainly means they have not. Ukrainian officials report the situation is "difficult," which is Ukrainian General Staff for we won't be able to hold Lyman.
Russian forces have been pushed back along a pretty extensive line from Bakhmut to Bilohorivka [Donetsk Oblast\ and the Ground Line of Communication (GLOC - aka supply line) to Severodoentsk has been reestablished. There are reports that reinforcements have arrived and continue to flow on the Popasna front.
Despite some mainstream media headlines of attempts to encircle Severodonetsk, Russian forces appear to be concentrating most of their efforts southwest of Popasna along a growing front to try and take control of the T1302 highway.
There hasn't been any noteworthy gains of territory north of Popasna since May 22. This is partially caused by Russia's disinformation campaign on territorial control where small units will enter a strategically unimportant village, take a selfie, and claim the settlement is captured.
None of this is to say the situation in the Severodenetsk salient is good - it is anything but.
On the subject of entering villages to take selfies...
In early SITREP we had reported unhappiness among Chechen forces after being moved from policing duty to front line combat.
There are multiple reports that Captain Asvad Idrisov, better known as the commander of the "TikTok Brigade" as well as the deputy commander were killed in combat in the Severodonetsk area.
