Day 671

Russian forces launched another wave of drone and missile attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure, most of which were downed.

The Ukrainian Air Force struck the Russian naval base in Feodosia, occupied Crimea, where a(nother) Ropucha-class landing ship – the *Novocherkassk* – was sunk. The UAF likely employed Anglo-French-provided Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles, which have proven their ability to bypass Russian air defenses in Crimea on multiple occasions.

The Ukrainian General Staff reportedly submitted their previously substantiated proposal for the mobilization of an additional 500,000 soldiers, which is currently under review. This plan includes a provision potentially lowering the minimum age of conscription to 25; Ukraine has made extensive efforts to ensure its (very small) young population remains protected from the worst of the war effort.

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Zaluzhnyi stated his belief that Russian forces could be capable of taking Avdiivka within the next two to three months, in a manner analogous to Bakhmut. While Avdiivka is a more important settlement than Bakhmut, it is debatable whether another equally pyrrhic victory would serve the Russian cause.

Russian forces likely finally completed their capture of Marinka, a small town of less than 10,000 pre-war inhabitants which has been utterly destroyed by the fighting. The significance of Marinka – which Russian forces have been attempting to seize since 2014 – is minimal, with most of its importance stemming from the simple fact that Russian forces repeatedly failed to take it despite enormous and costly efforts to do so.