Russian defenses collapse in northern Kherson Oblast while Ukrainians push ahead in Luhansk, says ISWThe Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to achieve "significant success" in Kherson Oblast (Photo:Оперативне командування Схід)The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to achieve "significant success" in Kherson Oblast, while simultaneously continuing the offensive in Kharkiv and Luhansk oblasts, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War reported on Oct. 4.At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are making efforts to prevent Russian attempts to transfer additional ammunition, reserves, mobilized military personnel and protective equipment to forward positions.The Russian dictator needs to maintain the support of at least three main "factions" in the current Russian nationalist information space, according to the Institute:- military bloggers and “military correspondents” who present Putin’s views on the invasion of Ukraine to a pro-military audience both in Russia and in puppet quasi-republics;- the "veteran" community - former Russian officers and veterans who help organize and conduct campaigns to recruit new forces;- Russian security forces, or siloviki, who provide the combat power of the Russian army on the battlefield (ISW also includes groups led by Chechen warlord and Putin vassal Ramzan Kadyrov and Wagner mercenary company owner Yevgeny Prigozhin in this list).And the accusations of Kadyrov and Prigozhin against the commander of the Central Military District, Alexander Lapin, has provoked a split between the security forces and military bloggers, who came to the defense of Lapin (presumably he commanded the Russian troops near Lyman in Donetsk Oblast).“Putin will not be able to meet the mutually exclusive demands of various groups.”Other ISW conclusions in the report:On Oct. 4, Ukrainian forces continued to make significant gains in the north of Kherson Oblasts, beginning the collapse of the few Russian positions in the area;- Russian troops continue to deliver artillery, air and missile strikes west of the town of Huliaipole, as well as in the Dnipropetrovsk and Mykolaiv oblasts;- Russian troops continue ground attacks in Donetsk Oblasts;- The Kremlin has effectively ordered local Russian administrations and institutions outside the Ministry of Defense to fund a significant portion of the mobilization effort from local budgets;- The Russian security forces are trying to maintain their internal security apparatus as Putin's mobilization is draining the sector in an attempt to raise additional forces to fight in Ukraine."