Russian forces attempt to break through the Ukrainian border in Kharkiv region toward two villages. Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine’s railway infrastructure, makes 18 strikes this month. Russia has been unable to capitalize on a surge in global crude oil prices, Reuters says.
Russian forces attempt to break through Ukraine border in Kharkiv region toward two villages
Russian forces tried to break through the state border into Ukraine in the Pivdenne-Slobozhanske direction on Tuesday. They attacked Ukrainian troops’ positions toward Zybyne and Kruhle in Kharkiv region, Ukraine’s Joint Forces Task Force said in a post to social media on Wednesday.
The Russian assault units were attacked by fire, it added. Ukrainian troops neutralized a total of 17 Russian attacks in the past day, the message reads.
In the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces tried to break through Ukrainian defenses toward Petropavlivka, Novoplatonivka and Kurylivka.
In the Lyman direction, Ukrainian troops repelled Russian assaults toward Shyikivka, Stavky, Drobysheve and Lyman, it said.
On February 22, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Joint Forces Group, Colonel Viktor Trehubov said on national television that Russia controls most of the ruins of the city of Vovchansk in Kharkiv region. Russian forces were trying to encircle Ukrainian troops in the city’s southern part, he added.
The situation in Vovchansk is more difficult than in Kupyansk where Russian soldiers have amassed in several buildings, trying to survive while being cut off from their main grouping. Vovchansk is fully destroyed, and Russian forces there are supplied directly from Russia, he explained.
On February 18, Trehubov said on national television that Russia had actually destroyed Vovchansk. Russian forces continue attempts to advance in that direction, trying to bypass Ukrainian troops there.
Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine’s railway infrastructure, makes 18 strikes this month
Russia has intensified drone attacks on Ukraine’s railway infrastructure since the beginning of March, Ukrzaliznytsia, the national railway operator said in a post to social media on Wednesday. Russia uses attack drones and FPV drones to carry out the strikes, it added.
It reported that 18 attacks had been recorded in March, six a day on average. The strikes damaged 41 facilities, with the company’s rolling stock being among the main targets. A total of 17 pieces of equipment were damaged, including locomotives, freight and passenger cars, and specialized equipment used to repair railway tracks and other sites, Ukrzaliznytsia said.
Railway depots and bridges were also targeted, the company said. The most intense attacks take place close to the front lines.
“Together with the military, Ukzaliznytsia continues to monitor the airspace along the train routes. In case of a threat, railway employees change the train routes, quickly evacuate the passengers from the cars and apply other safety measures. It is important for us to keep the routes in near-front regions operational. This is about carrying supplies to local residents and a possibility to evacuate people to Ukraine’s safer regions. We continue moving,” Ukrzaliznytsia said.
A railway worker was hurt in a drone strike, which hit an empty passenger train on Wednesday morning in Mykolaiv region. The strike started a fire and damaged a transportation infrastructure facility, head of the regional military administration, Vitaliy Kim said.
“Ukrzaliznytsia’s monitoring group spotted the drone in time and evacuated the people. There were no fatalities, a train technician was wounded,” the company said.
Russia has been unable to capitalize on surge in global crude oil prices, Reuters says
Russia has been unable to capitalize on this week’s surge in global crude prices, as days of Ukrainian drone attacks and harsh winter storms have sharply curtailed its capacity to export oil, industry sources told Reuters. The paragraphs below are quoted from its article published on Tuesday.
Russia’s Sheskharis oil terminal in Novorossiysk port suspended oil loadings on Monday after a Ukrainian drone attack left a fuel terminal ablaze and damaged dozens of buildings, Russian and Ukrainian officials and three trade sources said.
Crude oil benchmarks rose about 8% on Tuesday, soaring for a third session as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran widens, disrupting fuel shipments and heightening fears of further Middle East oil and gas supply disruption.
Russia’s federal budget deficit has been rising because of shortfalls in oil and gas revenue that make up nearly a quarter of budget proceeds.
Russian Urals oil prices in Baltic ports rose to $51.6 per barrel on Monday, the latest LSEG data showed, with traders expecting further gains on Tuesday.
Yet Russian exporters have been unable to respond and boost shipments as Ukrainian drone strikes and severe weather have disrupted operations at key facilities, traders said.
The Sheskharis oil terminal, slated to load some 500,000 barrels per day of oil this month, remained shut on Tuesday, and it was not clear when loadings would resume.
Exporters were also unable to divert more crude to the Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga, where severe icy conditions have sharply reduced loading capacity, traders said.
Options to reroute crude through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) pipeline are limited, as it faces weather-related delays and much of its capacity is used by Kazakhstan, whose Tengiz field is recovering output.
Flows through the Druzhba pipeline—supplying Hungary and Slovakia—remained halted.
Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz following joint strikes from the U.S. and Israel.