The Russian Federation is forced to remove the air defense forces from the front line through the offensive of the Armed Forces, the Kremlin makes a new bet on Prigogine: map and estimates ISW

Its analysts believe that a blow to Ukrainian hydraulic infrastructure in the west of Dnipropetrovsk region was probably aimed at preventing Ukrainian operations on the Ingulets River " - for example, to damage the pontoon crossings of the Armed Forces below the stream. The water level in the Ingulets River, which flows south of Kryvyi Rih and "is an important geographical object of the counter -offensive Weaken the Russian forces and jeopardize the objects of Russian artillery and air defense.

On September 14, the General Staff of the Armed Forces reported that the intensity of Russian artillery shelling was significantly reduced. This indicates that Ukraine's counter -offensive has weakened the ability of Russian troops to strike artillery strikes on Kharkiv, since Russian troops were displaced east to the Oskil River and north - back to Russia.

"The Ukrainian offensive in the East probably forced the Russian forces to remove the air defense facilities away from the front line to protect these systems from the fire of Ukrainian artillery, potentially exposing the advanced Russian troops at risk of attacks [the Armed Forces] from the air," - concludes ISW experts.

They also pay attention to the video that appeared on September 14, on which Russian oligarch Eugene Prigogin, close to the dictator Vladimir Putin, recruits prisoners in the Russian prison for war against Ukraine. "The Wagner PVC sponsor Yevgeny Prigogin becomes the face of the Russian" special military operation "in Ukraine", - the analysts of the Institute of War Study state state.

They separately noted the statement of the Russian warrior-propagandist Maxim Fomin (alias Vladlen Tatarsky), who said he had discussed with Prigogine withdrawal of Russian troops from the border areas of Kharkiv region.

If this is true, then the meeting of Prigogine and Fomin "may indicate that the Kremlin tries to respond to the multi -year complaints of military bloggers that the Ministry of Defense of Russia does not hear their criticism, which emphasizes the inefficiency of the higher command of the Russian army.