OEKRAÏNE
Situatie Oekraïne dag 156
July 29, 2022 - Ukraine is stepping up a counter-offensive in the south as Russia has tasked mercenaries to hold sections of the frontline in Ukraine in a sign it is running short of combat infantry, UK intelligence says.
Ukraine said its planes struck five Russian strongholds around Kherson and another nearby city on Thursday, the focus of its biggest counter-offensive of the conflict, Reuters reports.
Greater reliance on paid fighters from the Russian private military company Wagner Group for frontline duties rather than their usual work in special operations would be another sign that Russia's military is under stress six months into its war in Ukraine.