Bakhmut bridge, Zatoka strike and Moldova's turmoil: 16 February 2023

What did the days leading up to 16 February 2023 show about the reach of the war in Ukraine? The reports from 10 to 14 February point to pressure on the front line, on southern infrastructure and on neighbouring Moldova.

On 14 February, Ukrainian forces blew up a bridge between Bakhmut and Kostiantynivka while Russian troops and Wagner Group fighters advanced on Bakhmut. It was part of the Battle of Bakhmut.

In the south, on 10 February, a Russian Navy drone boat struck the Zatoka railway bridge on Highway H33 near Odesa. It was believed to be the first use of that naval weapon by Russian forces in the war.

The same day, Moldova said Russia had fired missiles over the country at targets inside Ukraine. Chisinau condemned the flyover as a violation of its sovereignty and summoned the Russian ambassador for an official explanation.

Also on 10 February, Moldovan prime minister Natalia Gavrilița resigned amid an economic crisis and the collateral effects of the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

Taken together, these reports show a war that was shaping decisions well beyond the battlefield: bridges were being destroyed or struck, a neighbouring state was protesting the use of its airspace, and its government had lost its head.