RIGHT SPEAK: Kremlin May Be Demanding Silence Over Military Failures in UKRaine; UKR Claims ‘significant Progress’ in Southern Counteroffensive; UKR Forces Advance in South, Repel Enemy Attacks in 4 Sectors; UKR Thwarting Enemy Attempts to Break Through in Kupiansk, Lyman, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

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ISW: Kremlin may be demanding silence over military failures in Ukraine:

Top Moscow officials may be directing bloggers and other outlets to stay silent over Russian military problems, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its Aug. 2 report.

The ISW pointed to disputes among pro-war Russian bloggers over coverage of setbacks in Russian-occupied Crimea, including the posting of images reporting to show the results of Ukrainian strikes in Sevastopol and on the Chonhar Bridge.

According to the ISW, "coverage of events in Crimea has created substantial tension in the Russian information space," with some bloggers accusing others of spreading panic while most avoid mentioning the attacks altogether.

The relative silence over the attacks in Crimea suggests that the Kremlin may be pressuring sites not to discuss them, the ISW said.

"Russian authorities, including the Crimean occupation administration, have a vested interest in restricting the dissemination of information about the strikes...due to concerns that this information will cause panic in the population," the ISW writes.

However, the ISW noted that Russian sites have been vocal in their response to Ukrainian drone strikes on Moscow, with some directly criticizing Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. One hypothesis is that Russian authorities are less concerned about local officials like Sobyanin absorbing blame.

Attention to the strikes against Russian-occupied Crimea, in contrast, highlight the failures of Valery Gerasimov, Russia's General Staff Chief. This could fuel "negative perceptions of Gerasimov’s competence" and subject Russia's top military leaders to scrutiny. --->READ MORE HERE

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Ukraine claims ‘significant progress’ in southern counteroffensive:

Kyiv’s forces have made “significant advancements” in pushing against Russian forces in southern Ukraine, deputy commander of the Tavria operational-strategic group Serhii Kuzmin told Ukrainian TV broadcasters on Aug. 3.

Currently, the Armed Forces are engaged in defensive actions on the Avdiivka and Mariupol fronts in Donetsk Oblast. Simultaneously, they are advancing on the Melitopol and Berdyansk fronts in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, according to Kuzmin.

"Intense battles continue, with the enemy persistently attempting attacks in the Avdiivka direction; in the past 24 hours, 14 offensive actions have resulted in significant advancement – our Defense Forces are confidently pushing forward," said Kuzmin.

He confirmed the successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Avdiivka, asserting that progress was made in both offensive and defensive operations.

Moreover, Kuzmin noted the destruction of six enemy ammunition depots within the last day. These deliberate strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces are disrupting the logistical operations of the Russian army, making it progressively more challenging for them to supply their units with weaponry and military equipment.

He added that the Russians are facing a "shell famine," and the destruction of their depots hampers their ability to replenish resources. Efforts to divert resources from other directions, including Crimea, have become "more challenging" following several recent attacks on key bridges connecting the occupied peninsula to mainland Ukraine. --->READ MORE HERE