The situation at the frontline in the Zaporozhye region remains stable and Ukrainian troops have not made any significant advances, Vladimir Rogov, a senior official of the Zaporozhye regional administration, told Sputnik.
"The frontline in the Zaporozhye region is stable and is under the control of our troops. The enemy is making attempts to advance, fighting is underway in the gray zone and on a small section of the first line of defense, where the enemy is trying to gain a foothold," Rogov said.
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian agression. In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Russian assault helicopters attack two Ukrainian brigades near Kupyansk-top brass
The crews of assault helicopters of Russia’s Battlegroup West unleashed 11 missile strikes on two Ukrainian brigades in the Kupyansk area, Battlegroup Spokesman Sergey Zybinsky told TASS.
"In combat in the Kupyansk area, the crews of Ka-52 and Mi-28 assault helicopters and Su-25 fighters of the Battlegroup West carried out 11 air strikes on nine areas where manpower, weapons, military and special equipment and personnel of [Ukraine’s] 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade and the 103rd Separate Territorial Defense Brigade were amassed," Zybinsky said.
Besides, russian forces averted four attacks of Ukrainian subversive groups in the Kupyansk area and thwarted the rotation of enemy troops over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Zybinsky reported.
"The group’s artillery thwarted four attempts by the Ukrainian military to rotate troops at forward positions near the settlements of Dvurechnoye, Sinkovka and Novosyolovskoye," Zybinsky stated.
US knew of Wagner coup plans in advance – NYT
US intelligence agencies strongly suspected that Evgeny Prigozhin was planning a major move against the Russian government, days before the Wagner chief ordered his troops to march on Moscow, The New York Times reported on Saturday, citing sources.
According to unnamed US officials interviewed by the paper, the administration of US President Joe Biden and military commanders were briefed on the Wagner preparations as early as Wednesday. As additional details came in, another briefing attended by a narrow group of congressional leaders was reportedly held on Thursday.
The situation escalated only on Friday night, when Prigozhin accused the Russian Defense Ministry of launching a deadly missile strike on a Wagner camp, and vowed retaliation. The ministry denied the allegation, accusing him of an “informational provocation.”
In the following hours, Wagner troops captured military facilities in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, while Prigozhin announced that his forces were beginning a “march for justice” with a plan to reach Moscow.
On Saturday, the Wagner boss agreed to halt his advance and withdraw his forces in exchange for “security guarantees,” as part of a deal brokered by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
According to NYT sources, prior to the uprising, Washington officials were in no hurry to alert Russian President Vladimir Putin of an impending threat, as they feared that Moscow could accuse them of orchestrating a coup. Moreover, the US “had little interest” in helping Putin amid the Ukraine conflict and Russia’s stand-off with the West, the article says.
Still, US officials were reportedly alarmed by a possible conflict between Prigozhin and Moscow, as they worried that Russia’s descent into chaos could create considerable nuclear risks.
The NYT report was echoed by CNN, which claimed on Saturday that US officials had believed Prigozhin was planning to challenge the Russian military “for quite some time,” but did not know what his ultimate goal was.
According to CNN sources, Western officials had prior knowledge of Prigozhin’s preparations, including his efforts to accumulate weapons and ammunition. However, the outlet’s source noted that “it all happened very quickly,” and it was difficult to say whether the Wagner chief was serious about delivering on his threats to the Russian military.
On Saturday, when the Wagner insurrection was still in full swing, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned the West that any its attempts to use the unrest “to achieve their Russophobic goals” would be futile. Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev noted that a coup in a major nuclear power could result in catastrophic consequences, and Moscow would never allow this to happen.
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