Intel Report: Week 8 of Russia's War In Ukraine

Top Political-Military Developments of the Week with Graphics

This week marked the second full month of Russia’s Ukrainian invasion. Week 8 was filled with significant developments on the ground and elsewhere. One of the most important is Russia’s signaling that it may be pursuing broader aims in the south which could extend all the way to Moldova.

Then there is the increased package of US heavy weapons to Ukraine and the earlier appointment of a new Russian general commanding the entire effort in Ukraine.

First, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow has ambitions to invade other countries after a top Russian military commander said it wants full control over southern Ukraine.

Rustam Minnekayev, deputy commander of Russia’s central military district, was quoted by Russian state news agencies as saying full control over southern Ukraine would give it access to Transnistria, a breakaway Russian-occupied part of Moldova in the west.

This would cut off Ukraine from its entire coastline and mean Russian forces pushing hundreds of kilometers further west, past the major Ukrainian coastal cities of Mykolaiv and Odesa.

This has raised concerns that Moscow will also invade Moldova prompting Moldova to summon the Russian ambassador.

This is a Putin goal I have been mentioning from before the beginning of this invasion.

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