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What did the war's eastern and western edges show?
Summary
A retrospective on two regional signals reported in the days before 3 May 2022: a destroyed rail bridge near Sloviansk and a Bulgarian warning over Moldova.
What was happening at the edges of the war as of 3 May 2022? Two reports from the preceding days pointed in different directions.
In the east, a Russian air strike destroyed a large railway bridge linking Sloviansk and Lyman across the Siverskyi Donets river, according to Sentinel-2 satellite images, as reported on 29 April 2022. The strike followed US Defence Department officials' reports that Russian forces appeared to be advancing towards Sloviansk and Baranivka. A river crossing of that kind ties the two towns together, so its loss mattered for the area around them.
In the west, attention turned to Moldova. On 28 April 2022, in the context of the attacks in Transnistria, Bulgaria urged its citizens to leave Moldova immediately by any available means of transport, citing a complicating situation in the country. It also advised against any travel there.
Taken together, the reports showed pressure on infrastructure and front-line towns in eastern Ukraine, and growing concern among neighbouring governments about security in Moldova.
