From "The Analyst":

KHARKIV UPDATES

Still the most active area, the Russians made a dismal attempt to cross the river to the west of their slim holdings in the centre of town.
The area they need to capture if they are to make anymore progress, is a heavily fortified semi-industrial area on a rise. Capturing that would give them domination over the Ukrainian defence lines and allow them to outflank the defenders north of the river in the main hi-rise industrial area.
Part of the Russians problem here is that they hold only a narrow band of land in the centre north of the river and it gave them little space to build up any troops without being seen.
Because the Ukrainians dominate the observation of the area from their higher positions they were able to see the small groups that tried to cross the river at night. Heavy machinery is impossible here so it’s all about infantry infiltrators.
Daytime arrives and the spotted Russians hiding under the bridges they destroyed (and blocked their own ability to bring in supporting equipment), are quickly reduced to drone victims.
Despite continuous attempts to cross during Saturday they fail miserably.
The situation is then made worse for them because the Ukrainian forces in the fortified northern industrial zone, that borders the slim Russian held territory in the town where the attacks originated, begin to counter attack it. Some hundred plus Russians died trying to cross the river and intense fighting - where the Ukrainians have the advantage in manpower for once at roughly 2.2:1
began and continues.
The Russians of course this whole tine, have been using thermobaric weapons and endless glide bombs.
The Ukrainians have developed new techniques for advancing and minimising their casualties too, taking a more progressive and systematic approach of advance and reconnaissance even in localised combat areas. This methodical and effective support from the platoon members seems to be a mix of NATO training and what they have learned themselves.

SHANGRI LA

President Zelensky made a surprise stop in Singapore at the Shangri La (it’s an Asian hotel chain where it takes place) Security Conference where after meeting SecDef Austin he went on to make a speech. The gist of that was something we shouldn’t be surprised at: China.
He accused the Chinese of sending weapons not just passive military dual use items. He accused them of breaking any pretence at being neutral in this. He laid it on quite thickly too, that Russian and China were actively trying to stop countries attending the Peace Conference in
Switzerland.
The weapons supply issue was also confirmed by UK intelligence last week and tacitly backed by US comments.
Over the past week it’s also become apparent how many N.Korean ballistic missiles the Russians have been using. What’s even more concerning is the quantity of western and even American made components in them, showing that the trade is still alive and kicking despite years of sanctions.
As another commentator added, the Russians don’t seem to have any trouble using externally supplied equipment on Ukraine, why should Ukraine have to be restrained from using foreign supplied equipment on Russia?
President Zelensky seems to have changed his approach a little. He knows that he’s not the heroic lauded figure who was feted by every parliament at the start of the war. He knows that the spat last year over not being invited immediately into NATO did him a disservice and he overplayed his personal hand. Yet he did gain from it a swathe of bilateral security guarantees and industrial cooperation deals from every meaningful country in Europe except Slovakia and Hungary.
His tone now is one of frustration and it seems anger, tempered by diplomatic niceties. The frustration over the firing permissions really seems to have gotten to him - and I get that, because it’s illogical and ridiculous in the circumstances as Kharkiv proved.
Overall I think he thinks this war can be won and he’s got the men and the women of experience to do it - if only he had the equipment. CONTINUES.