Russian Ops in Ukraine: Advances in Donbas, Ukraine Surrenders at Azovstal

Update for Russian military operations in Ukraine for May 17, 2022:

1. Russia continues to make slow and steady progress in Donbas, the primary area of Russia’s focus;
2. Additional Russian salients and encirclements take shape within the much largers Izyum, Lyman, Severodonetsk, Papasnya cauldron area;
3. Ukrainian “offensive” northeast of Kharkov appears to have been a costly photo-op and little more;
4. Ukrainian militants hiding in the Azovstal industrial complex begin to surrender dealing a mostly political blow to Ukraine;
5. Ukrainian militants had long since been out of the fight (since mid to late-April);
6. Pentagon claims most M777 howitzers are already on the front in Kharkov and Donbas;
7. US M777s have yet to make any discernible difference on the battlefield;
8. Pentagon admits Russia still has the majority of its combat power prepared against Ukraine available to it;

References:

US Department of Defense - Senior Defense Official Holds a Background Briefing May 16, 2022:
https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3033374/senior-defense-official-holds-a-background-briefing/
Guardian - Hundreds of Ukrainian troops evacuated from Azovstal steelworks after 82-day assault:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/16/hundreds-of-ukrainian-troops-evacuated-from-azovstal-steelworks-after-82-day-assault
BBC - Mariupol: Hundreds of besieged Ukrainian soldiers evacuated:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61472025
BBC - Ukraine underplays role of far right in conflict (2014):
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30414955
Financial Times - ‘Don’t confuse patriotism and Nazism’: Ukraine’s Azov forces face scrutiny:
https://www.ft.com/content/7191ec30-9677-423d-873c-e72b64725c2d
Institute for the Study of War - RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, MAY 16:
https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-16
Ukrainian General Staff (Facebook) - Operational Update for May 17, 2022:
https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/318762293770189

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