Ukraine made advances in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area and in western Zaporizhia Oblast and claimed advances south of Bakhmut, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its Sept. 9 report.
Earlier this week, Ukraine's General Staff reported that Ukrainian armed forces made gains south of Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast and south of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Additionally, the war in Ukraine is increasingly constraining Russian local and regional politics, with even minimal pre-war competition suppressed and regional governments increasingly focused on their ability to generate resources for the war.
Russian forces are also conducting offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line. Russian occupation authorities also continue to force sham elections in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Voting in these local elections opened on Aug. 31 and are due to end on Sept. 10.
Finally, ISW reported that the war in Ukraine and its drain on Russian regions has contributed to a "more muted political atmosphere within Russia." Local leaders appear more concerned with their ability to provide resources for the war and local political competition has become very minimal.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
