Victory Chronicles-DAY 545

Ukrainian defense forces from the 47th brigade entered the recently captured settlement of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and organized the evacuation of civilians, while the Russians shelled the village with artillery. “Fighters of the 47th brigade, which entered the settlement of Robotyne have organized the evacuation of civilians in Bradley armored vehicles,” said Hanna Maliar, Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine.

Maliar added that the defenders are carrying out planned combat work and destroying the Russians. In response, the Russians are continuously shelling Robotyne with artillery. Fighting continues. The defenders of the 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade Mahura also posted a video of the evacuation of civilians from a settlement on the Melitopol front. The fighters reported that they were able to break through the multi-echelon defense line of the occupiers after two months of fierce fighting.

In one day, Ukrainian defenders destroy 31 Russian artillery systems and 27 armored combat vehicles. Also, Ukraine’s Defense Forces killed 410 Russian occupiers and destroyed 27 armored combat vehicles and 4 tanks.

In the early hours of Tuesday, the Russian army attacked Kryvyi Rih and Synelnykove district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, injuring civilians, and damaging houses and infrastructure. “An explosion in Kryvyi Rih rang out at dawn. The enemy launched a missile strike. According to preliminary information, one person was injured. The man was provided with assistance and will be treated on an outpatient basis,” said Serhii Lysak, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration.

“A big bang from a single grenade! Shershni Dovbusha (Dovbush’s hornets) hit an enemy anti-tank mine depot. In the intercepts received, the occupiers called it a “small nuclear explosion.” A Russian combat vehicle fell within the radius of the explosion and remained there,” reported the 68th separate hunting brigade named after Oleksa Dovbush.

Some Russian sources are likely running an information operation to exaggerate the degree to which Wagner is struggling to survive, possibly in support of the Russian MoD effort to destroy Prigozhin’s reputation and the whole Wagner Group. Russian insider sources are increasingly portraying Shoigu and Gerasimov as having Putin’s full support and ousting insubordinate commanders while painting Wagner as a private military company increasingly struggling to survive. 

ISW has observed indicators that the Wagner Group is struggling to maintain coherence, including recent reports of conflict within the Wagner high-level representatives. These Russian sources may be exaggerating the degree to which Wagner is struggling, however, especially if reports of Prigozhin’s travel to Africa are accurate and his reported efforts to secure contracts for Wagner are successful. Shoigu likely seeks to deal a final blow to Wagner but may struggle to make that blow decisive. A Russian milblogger noted that the Russian MoD may struggle to replace Wagner in Africa as Russian forces need time to train before deploying, have not established the connections with locals that Wagner has, and may destabilize conflicts rather than quell them.

If Wagner is able to secure contracts in Africa and deploy its personnel before the Russian MoD can deploy personnel, then Prigozhin and Wagner may retain at least some ability to operate independently in Africa contrary to the MoD’s efforts to eliminate Wagner.

Inna Nyavkevych, a 20-year-old military servicewoman from Khmelnytskyi Oblast, was killed in the war. This was reported on the page of the Letychiv community.

“Another sad news came to the Letychiv community. Protecting Ukraine and each of us, performing a combat mission near the village of Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, our countrywoman, a contract fighter, junior sergeant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Inna Nyakevych was killed,” the post reads. On August 15, 2023, Inna Nyakevych turned 20 years old; on August 17, 2023, she died. The servicewoman was from the village of Letychiv, Khmelnytskyi Oblast. “Inna grew up purposeful and persistent, studied well and was actively involved in sports, and planned to connect her life with military service. She dreamed of love, a future family, and happy motherhood,” the community reports.

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