RU recon by fire and first advances on the important parts of the coming frontlines — the Battle for Donbass — have begun. The expansion of the bridgehead near Izyum continues. RU forces sally out southwest and south of Izyum. A UKR Su-25 was shot down there on the 15th. To the east, RU forces have advanced along the left bank of the Oskol River the past week, and they have now reached the Lozovoye-Redkodub line. UKR forces continue to hold positions on the left bank of the Seversky Donets from Oskol, 10km east of Izyum. In the Severodonetsk agglomeration, RU forces entered Kremennaya; fighting continues in Rubezhnoye & on the outskirts of Severodonetsk. In Popasnaya, there is a slow advance deep into the city & confirmation of RU control of Novoalexandrovka (southeast) & Boguslavsky (northeast). On the southern flank, RU forces have captured Malinovka near Gulaypole. This is significant insofar as there have been almost no activities on this part of the front for the last few weeks. Recon movements & prelim