Evgeniy Maloletka/Associated Press |
Moscow seeks to surround Avdiivka but faces heavy losses, Ukraine’s military says
Russia launched an assault on the eastern city of Avdiivka, seeking to kick-start its spring offensive that Ukraine said was on the verge of fizzling.
Avdiivka, on the outskirts of the occupied regional capital of Donetsk and known for its coke plant, has long been a target for Moscow and is already largely destroyed. A fresh Russian offensive against the city has brought incremental advances similar to those around the nearby city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces are seeking to encircle and cut off, a Ukrainian military spokesman and the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Monday.
“The enemy is constantly trying to surround Avdiivka,” Col. Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskiy, the military spokesman, said on Ukrainian television. “Avdiivka could soon become a second Bakhmut.”
However, he added that Russian forces were suffering heavy losses and were running out of reserves as they were attacking routes known to Ukraine’s military.
In Crimea, which Russia seized and occupied in 2014, Ukrainian military intelligence, known as HUR, said late Monday that Russian Kalibr cruise missiles had been destroyed in the city of Dzhankoi in the peninsula’s north while they were being transported by rail.
HUR didn’t say how many missiles were destroyed or how. Videos on social media showed a large explosion after what appeared to be a drone striking a railroad in Dzhankoi. Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-installed head of Crimea, acknowledged that air defenses had fired in the area. The resulting wreckage damaged a house and a shop, and injured one person, he wrote on his Telegram channel.
Russia has sought to advance in a handful of directions in the east of Ukraine in recent weeks but hasn’t seized a significant Ukrainian city since last summer.
Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks elsewhere were foundering. The intensity of attacks on the town of Vuhledar, to the southwest of Donetsk, has decreased because of the huge losses Russia has suffered, said Col. Dmytrashkivskiy. That was forcing Russia to backfill severely depleted forces there with reserves from other units that were in poor condition, Ukraine’s military said. --->READ MORE HERE
![]() |
The 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar"/Facebook |
Russian invasion forces are unable to complete their tactical operation to capture Bakhmut, the spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Cherevatyi said on Ukrainian national television on March 19.
Active fighting continues around the Ukrainian town, but the invading troops continue to conduct attacks “mechanically,” Cherevatyi said.
He also said the actions of the Russian army in the area of Bakhmut could hardly be described as a "major strategic offensive operation."
"Right now, they are actually tactically unable to complete the operation to capture the Ukrainian district center of Bakhmut," Cherevatyi said.
“Indeed, there are very active battles there, they still continue to carry out several dozen attacks by inertia, but they suffer huge losses.” --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:
+++++Russia-Ukraine News LATEST UPDATES: (REUTERS) (AP) (NY POST) and (WSJ)+++++
+++++Ukraine's military says it hit 10 Russian temporary bases over past day+++++
+++++Ukraine says eastern town of Avdiivka could become 'second Bakhmut+++++
Wagner Group founder afraid of Ukrainian offensive in Bakhmut, asks Russian Defence Minister for help
Russia's offensive in Donbas reaches culmination, Ukraine may regain initiative
Declaring Melitopol ‘capital’ of Zaporizhzhya Oblast shows Russia unable to seize key targets
US sending ammunition, tanker trucks, boats to Ukraine
Someone shouts at Putin in Mariupol: "It’s all lies. It’s all for show"
Polish Ambassador to France: Poland will be forced to enter war if Ukraine fails to defend itself
Russia Tried to Freeze Ukraine. Here’s How It Survived the Winter
China’s leader Xi in Moscow for meeting with Putin
Britain ready to fill Warsaw's air defence gaps after MiG-29 delivery to Ukraine, die Welt reports
EU to Send Ukraine a Million Artillery Shells as Russia Gains Ground
Millions in extra funding pledged for ICC work in Ukraine
Ukraine receives Leopard tanks from Norway
Volunteer doctors providing critical care near Ukraine war front lines
Top Zelensky adviser suggests Putin sent body double to Ukraine
If you like what you see, please "Like" and/or Follow us on FACEBOOK here, GETTR here, and TWITTER here.
No comments:
Post a Comment