Saturday, August 6
Russia is shelling Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant to “disconnect it from Ukraine’s energy system.”
🇺🇦 Operational Command “South” reported that they killed 72 Russian troops and destroyed a 122-mm howitzer, a reconnaissance drone, a number of armored and military vehicles, and a field ammunition depot. Ukrainian forces also carried out nine strikes on three Russian support points.
🇺🇦 The largest port in Ukraine will begin to operate next week under the Black Sea Grain Initiative
🇺🇦 Russia has resumed shelling Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
🇺🇦 Russia is shelling Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant to “disconnect it from Ukraine’s energy system.” Russia is aiming to “destroy the infrastructure of the station and damage all power transmission” to cut off electricity in the south of Ukraine.
🇺🇦 This, of course, has caused a bunch of nuclear experts to say this could lead to a very real nuclear disaster.
🇺🇦 Russia, of course, is blaming Ukraine for shelling their own nuclear power plant.
Russia has allegedly mined the power plant and placed explosives around it.
🇺🇦 At least 1,060 out of 3,649 settlements have been liberated from Russian occupation. However, many of these settlements require extensive restoritive work and de-mining.
🇺🇦 Russia shelled the Sumy Oblast nearly 200 times on Aug. 6.
🇺🇦 5 Turkish banks adopt a Russian payment system. While this helps boost Turkish banks, this also provides a source of financial support for Russia.
🇺🇦 Ukraine’s Security Services (SBU) detained 2 alleged collaborators in Mykolaiv Oblast.
🇺🇦 Authorities detain 8 suspected collaborators in Donetsk Oblast. The detainees are suspected of leaking information to the invading Russian forces about the whereabouts of the Ukrainian soldiers and movements of military equipment and vehicles.
🇺🇦 North Macedonia sends 4 Su-25 aircraft to Ukraine. I’m not posting a picture of an Su-25.
🇺🇦 About 350,000 residents remain in Donetsk Oblast out of the 1.7 million residents. These residents have faced a mandatory evacuation. They have now accepted responsibility for themselves, and whatever Russia does to them.
🇺🇦 Russia's war has killed at least 361 children and injured 702 since Feb. 24.
🇺🇦 Russian forces 'almost certainly' massing in south amid Ukraine's counteroffensive threats.
🇺🇦 Russian forces did not conduct offensive operations in southern Ukraine and continued to undertake defensive measures.
🇺🇦 Russia has lost 41,900 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Ukraine’s General Staff also reported that Russia lost 1,802 tanks, 4,051 armored fighting vehicles, 2,970 vehicles and fuel tanks, 955 artillery systems, 260 multiple launch rocket systems, 127 anti-aircraft systems, 191 helicopters, 223 airplanes, 744 drones, and 15 boats.
🦆 Mighty Ducks 5 subplot: An Eight-year-old boy raised $1,700 for Ukraine's military with outdoor singing performances. Serhiy, from Chernihiv, handed over the money he gathered from singing Ukrainian songs outside to the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation. The young boy said that he would like the money to be spent on a jeep, a thermal imaging camera, weapons or protective ammunition for Ukrainian soldiers. Awwww
🇺🇦 Despite heavy artillery shelling, Russian troops didn't break through the Ukrainian defense line in the Donetsk Oblast. Russian advances were stopped in three places
🇺🇦 Russian forces advance toward Bakhmut. Ukraine's military reported that Russian forces are leading an offensive toward the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, an important target in the Kremlin's goal of taking the entire Donbas region.
🇺🇦 Facebook (Meta) removed over 1,000 fake Russian accounts supporting Russia’s war. Sorry to my acquaintances who say this a war of NATO aggression…you won’t have as much content to share anymore
🇺🇦 Two city districts in Kharkiv were targeted by missile strikes, but so far no casualties have been reported.
🇺🇦 Ongoing Ukrainian partisan activity and civilian resistance are frustrating Russian occupation forces as Russian occupation authorities continue to prepare for the integration of occupied territories into the Russian Federation following their upcoming sham annexation referenda.
🇺🇦 Russian state media advocated for labor camps, repressions, and shooting of Ukrainian partisans and civilians that refused to cooperate with Russian-appointed officials in occupied Ukrainian territories.
📢 Countries apply to be in NATO. NATO is a defense alliance that has never, and does not, consider offensive operations. Saying NATO is encroaching on Russia is Kremlin messaging. Russia has three primary propaganda efforts directed at the West, and that’s the first.
📢 Yes, Ukraine has a nazi problem, but it’s a very small percentage of the country, and not representative of the whole. Using a small group to smear the entire group is called “guilt by association.” Russia has three primary propaganda efforts directed at the West, and that’s the second.
📢 If you ever hear anyone say “What about this thing America did…” in an effort to redirect attention away from Ukraine and onto the west, that is called “Competitive victimhood” and the associated meme is *always* created by Russian-backed media. Russia has three primary propaganda efforts directed at the West, and that’s the third.
⚠️ Sorry about the typos or awkward sentences!!!! This is the inevitable result of putting out a finalized research product once every 24 hours, with no staff. If anyone feels like giving me staff, we can polish this b right up!
⚠️ I got lazy with my citations and I apologize. My top sources are: Current and former military planners, singularly-focused pundits, and all manner of vetted open-source intelligence. Top cited open source pundits and sources include: CP Scott, Institute for the Study of War, Kyiv Independent, and mainstream news with high levels of journalistic integrity and track records. Sadly I can’t source private individuals, of course.
⚠️ Speaking of sources, thanks to all of you who have forwarded me tips or given me data from the front line. You’re the private individuals I wish I could source publicly
⚠️ Though my awesome employer taught me everything I know about OSINT, these posts are not affiliated with my employer, nor done during my employer’s time. Every item I report is from my own research, my own opinion, and written during my own time.
⚠️ Note: War happens fast and even high fidelity news needs a ton of corrections after the dust settles.
🇺🇦 Sorry to my Substack readers who get this weird “ua” symbol instead of a flag emoji!